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gonjah[_3_] gonjah[_3_] is offline
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Default Pool sand filter leaking

On 10/22/2012 11:28 AM, wrote:
On Oct 22, 11:59 am, "Don Phillipson" wrote:
"gonjah" wrote in message

...

Is there anything like WD40 for plastic? Something I can spray it and let
it soak for a while before I try to loosen the couplings?


WD40 is a solvent i.e. damages some types of plastic.

Pool piping in this part of the world:
1. is dissassembled every winter
2. with a (rubber) strap wrench if needed,
3. and reconnected every spring,
4. using Teflon tape to seal leak-free (six turns on
the threads of plastic screw fittings, and three more
on the butt, says local expert Sam who is always right.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)


Agree with all of the above, except the teflon tape. The
fitting in question relies on a specific round seal. You can
put all the teflon tape you want on the threads and it's not
going to matter. If the water gets past the seal, it's going
to leak around where the shoulder of the nut meets the
pipe regardless of any tape on the threads.

My suspicion would be that he may find that something is
cracked too that caused the leaking. Another common
problem with this kind of fitting is if either end was moved,
ie someone slammed into the filter or other side of the
piping. Ideally that connection should be made with both
halves free to move as it's brought together. Worse case
is if both ends are fixed so that when it's tightened it
can't come together perfectly aligned.


The pool store guy is even more pessimistic. He thinks I need a new
filter. So it's a $1.50 part or a new $500 filter. I'm keeping my
fingers crossed.