Replacing rigid pipe with flexible pipe from pump to valve

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NJ-Bob

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Jun 15, 2014
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Bridgewater, NJ
Hi, I am about to install some flexible pipe connect my pump to my multiport valve and would like to confirm if the connections should be adequate.
Originally, the connections were made with rigid pipe, adapters, and a union. Both end points (at the pump and at the valve) were leaking and the only way to take the assembly off was to cut it. My goal is to replace it with a design that can be removed and put back on if I have leaks in the future. The two threaded openings are close but if I run the pipe vertically from the pipe and then turn it 270 degrees, the 4 foot section will just make it inline with the valve opening. Here is the equipment.

P2V Fittings3.jpg

Here is the proposed setup: The white PVC adapter will screw into the pump, the union will be cemented to the adapter, the flexible pipe (Schedule 40 PVC flexpipe) will be cemented into the union, the other end will be clamped on to the ABS (?) barb (after the barb is screwed in). Plumbing tape on all threads.

P2V Fittings2.jpg

My main concern is the flex pipe to the barb. I have seen some comments that barbs aren't really designed to work with flex pipe but I think I read some that indicated it can work. I'm amenable to a more full proof solution. Is there a PVC adapter with 1.5 inch thread to 1.5 inch smooth female opening?

I also need to reattach the chlorinator line. It was attached to the pump-to-valve PVC. I am wondering if using the metal band will work on flexible PVC pipe or if I need a different solution.

P2V Fittings6.jpg

Many thanks for any suggestions.
 
+1 hard plumb.

You don't want that thing coming off when it's running.

My last house/pool had a radiator hose with hose clamps like you show...the previous owner told
me he did that so the pump could be serviced..guess he didn't know about unions.

I paid a company to remove it and replace it with pvc and unions...piece of mind.
 
Proavia, are those compression fittings on the PVC end? I think that is what I have on my heater. Is the white PVC there for illustration purposes or is it a sleeve to put a pvc pipe into? The challenge, though, is making the turn from the valve in a short enough distance to get the vertical path aligned with the pump outlet. The PVC attached to the valve fitting would have to do a u-turn to get back over the pump opening. The original fitting makes the turn in 1.25 inches (from end of port to mid-point of PVC path).

I'm hoping to minimize the number of joints but if I have to do a U-turn, that's a few more joints in the line., otherwise this solution would be the clear winner.

- - - Updated - - -

borjis said:
+1 hard plumb.

You don't want that thing coming off when it's running.

My last house/pool had a radiator hose with hose clamps like you show...the previous owner told
me he did that so the pump could be serviced..guess he didn't know about unions.

I paid a company to remove it and replace it with pvc and unions...piece of mind.
Click to expand...


The problem with the old connection, which had a union, was it was so short and tight, that after I unscrewed the union, I could not unscrew the part to the pump without pushing into the upper assembly. That part had nowhere to go as getting pushed from below pushed it tighter into the valve thread. I'd post a picture but I reached my limit.
 
I appreciate the quick responses and the message that hard pipe is more reliable. What I am unable to show at the moment is how short the straight paths are before a 90 degree turn is encountered. The main problem is the former configuration did not allow the side of the union (top side) attached to the valve to be turned more than about a third of a turn before being blocked by another pipe. What's more, the direction to loosen would push the top part of the union tighter onto the lower half of the union so I can't get it out of the way to take off the lower half. I want to make a connection that can be disassembled to fix leaks when they occur again without having to cut one section with a saw and that involves having a way to unscrew the connection to the valve in a pretty tight space.

If the problem with flexible PVC is it is prone to bursting or very unreliable in cementing to adapters/unions, then I need to come up with a different solution. However, I took off the old assembly 36 hours ago and need to run the pump tomorrow (Wednesday) to inject more chlorine. Lacking the time to piece together another design, I will have to try the flexible pipe and see how it goes.
 
If you're concerned about using the pump to add chlorine, don't be. Just add liquid chlorine and brush it around good.

Adding an extra fitting or two isn't going to affect anything. In your first pic, from the multi port run a line forward to just past the 45 on the parallel line. Then a couple 90's to make a u-turn. Lastly, a 90 down towards the pump.

The fittings I linked to in post #2 may also be available at your local ps - probably at a higher price. You get what is shown in the picture. Black part threads into pump and multi port, white part gets glued to PVC. Using these fittings, you unscrew the pieces right near the pump and multi port - no pipes or fittings getting in the way. I think these fittings also have an o-ring to help make a better seal on the threaded end.
 
proavia said:
If you're concerned about using the pump to add chlorine, don't be. Just add liquid chlorine and brush it around good.

Adding an extra fitting or two isn't going to affect anything. In your first pic, from the multi port run a line forward to just past the 45 on the parallel line. Then a couple 90's to make a u-turn. Lastly, a 90 down towards the pump.

The fittings I linked to in post #2 may also be available at your local ps - probably at a higher price. You get what is shown in the picture. Black part threads into pump and multi port, white part gets glued to PVC. Using these fittings, you unscrew the pieces right near the pump and multi port - no pipes or fittings getting in the way. I think these fittings also have an o-ring to help make a better seal on the threaded end.
Click to expand...

I'll see if I can find the fittings at a plumbing supply store. Home Depot and Ace did not have them. I would like to get them in person to check the dimensions. I'm thinking I would have the pump-side fitting on the horizontal just before the downward elbow. If I have that fitting at the pump, I'm not sure if the assembly could be detached. (ie, loosen both fittings, trying to pull out pipe from valve would make the pipe to the pump pivot, making the pipe into the valve fitting turn off of a straight alignment with the valve fitting, perhaps before it can clear the fitting.)
 
If you use the fittings from the link in post #2, you would put them at the pump and at the multi port. The black end with the MPT screws into the pump/multiport. There is a larger black nut that unscrews to allow you to take apart the union. The white piece glues to the PVC pipe and also makes up the other side of the union. Having the o-ring to seal up against the pump/multiport is an added benefit. If you do use these, there is no need for Teflon tape or pipe dope on the threads.

Here's another link - with bigger pictures that may help.... CMP 1.5 in. MIP x 2 in. PVC Hi-Temp Union 21063-160-000- Nipples Unions Tools - 21063-160-00- Pool Products- MyPoolYard.com

If you don't use those, you will need 2 unions and 2 male pipe thread to female slip. This setup would allow the MPT-FS to screw into pump/multiport and the unions could be placed on the pipe attached to both of those.

Either way will work. The first setup would be the easiest, cleanest way to do it - if you can find the fittings locally.

As has been mentioned many places here.... make sure the union nut is on the fitting/pipe BEFORE gluing.
 
It took me several days, an hour at a time and a couple of trips to the hardware store, but I assembled a new configuration about a week ago. I used regular unions. ( I could not buy those recommended unions in a store and I didn't want to order them unless I could be sure there would be enough space for the nuts.)

The male thread into the pump leaked a bit but the pump held prime overnight so I set the timer to turn it on automatically. However, two days later I discovered the water level down in the pump chamber and water spurting out of chlorinator lid/body seam. Tightened lid and and male thread and latter still leaks a tiny bit. Now this morning, I turned on pump and saw a high-volume leak (not a stream but water was spreading on pad very fast) from the pump body near the chamber. The water seems to be coming out at the bottom where the cylindrical part meets the square part. Not leaking from the lid gasket.

1) Any guesses what that pump leak probably is? (I replaced the pump seal last year)
2) I used 4 wraps of tape for the male threads into the pump and valve. Valve connection seems fine, but pump connection still leaks a tiny bit after tightening a quarter turn. I figure I'm good for the rest of the season but maybe next year I should improve the sealing. Recommendations? More tape, less tape, pipe dope, silicone, all of the above? If silicone, put on threads, then screw in or screw in and caulk around seam?

Thanks for all the help.
 

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