Stripped PVC Threads Auto-Fill

[KDpoolguy]

Man, I am not catching a break with pool maintenance lately. Was out of town for the week and came home to a almost-overflowed pool. Water level is 2 inches below overflow pipe.

Opened up auto-fill cover and the float valve is stuck in on position. Got it ‘kinda’ working again, but it’s gonna need to be replaced. We have a evaporative cooler that uses same floats, so I’m used to replacing them.

I have a replacement on hand, but when I put this particular one in three years ago, the threads in the PVC auto level bucket were stripped. To explain, you try to thread in the new float and first turn it grabs, then falls out. Female threads are basically flat. I used epoxy putty (grey stuff from Harbor Freight), mushed it up into flat threads, screwed in brass float, and it’s held this long.

Hoping for another alternative. I did buy a replacement float with pvc threads, instead of brass, hoping that might be a gentler connection-if that makes sense?

I have a thread die kit, but it didn’t work last time, no room to maneuver.

I’ll tell ya one thing, I’ll never own a pool without a auto fill float. Lifesavers.

 

[kimkats]

No help from me as my husband says you did what he would tell you to do already. Here is a bump to get some more ideas.

 

[bdavis466]

Lets see a picture of what you have to work with

 

[KDpoolguy]

Thank you! Didn’t check this until it was dark out. I’ll get some pictures. I have too many pool projects stacked up, and this one is top of list. My dad probably hates I have an auto fill, having never had one it’s likely the best part of my pool.

I did come across what I used last time and it’s that ‘Water Weld’ epoxy. I’m terrified of unscrewing it. Why can’t PVC be repaired like a fiberglass resin? I’ve been looking at videos to rebuild the float assembly without removing it completely.

 

[PoolguyinCT]

Epoxy is only going to make future service problems & when it fails you will have a free vanishing edge pool.

NPT pipe tap will clean or cut new threads.
We remove the floats for winter in New England, I cut threads all spring.

Remove the entire assembly, don’t use the tap handle. A small box wrench will give you room to maneuver.

 

[KDpoolguy]

Epoxy is only going to make future service problems & when it fails you will have a free vanishing edge pool.

NPT pipe tap will clean or cut new threads.
We remove the floats for winter in New England, I cut threads all spring.

Remove the entire assembly, don’t use the tap handle. A small box wrench will give you room to maneuver.

That’s worth a try. I have a larger thread die and tap but doesn’t fit in that right area, and I don’t have a good threading head selection. What about material needed to build up the threads? That’s my concern that how it’s build I can’t cut into it enough to ‘build-up’ the thread height to hold the brass float female threads.

Let me research this—Harbor Freight here I come

 

[KDpoolguy]

Tackling this again, the auto fill float valve totally failed. Removed cotter pin and pulled it out and gasket was disintegratated. I attempted to replace the valve “bullet” itself with a new rubber gasket. It’s not plugging the water supply hole, which is confusing to me why that wouldn’t fix it.

 

[santacruzpool]

Did you fix the stripped/missing threads at some point with a tap?

Or is this a different problem now?

 

[Txjole]

Is the fitting female or male on the pool, and what size? It sounds like the brass seat is pitted is why even with a new washer it will not seal.

 

[KDpoolguy]

The tap wouldn’t work. There’s only 4-5 threads available before we meet the male end of the cemented/glued 1/2” PVC supply line. The tap needed more room to properly ream out the threads.
The fitting is female, and is the float is male ‘standard’ 3/8 MPT float
Amazon link Dial 3/8” MPT Float

 

[Txjole]

I would look into a 1/4x3/8 flush bushing with epoxy on the 3/8 threads. Get a 1/4 watts float valve. Or cut back to clean pvc and hydraulic cement forming a new bucket.

 

[KDpoolguy]

That’s a smart fix Tx. Doing some digging to find one. If that works, I can use my 1/4” MPT float from my evaporative cooler, swap out to the 3” brass arm and use that.

 

[KDpoolguy]

Spent 2 hours at Lowe’s contemplating the repair since I won’t have time to order a fitting before the house goes on the market. I found a 3/8” male to 3/8” female PVC coupling fitting. The threads are totally shot and since Water Weld ‘built up’ enough thread last time, I resolved to use it again.
I used the JB Water Weld and spun in the fitting first. Waited for cure, then slathered on some Teflon liquid pipe thread sealant and gently spun on new brass Dial float. Beautiful, not a drip. Gonna give it another 24 hours before I turn it on full time.

 

[Cliff'sPool]

Spent 2 hours at Lowe’s contemplating the repair since I won’t have time to order a fitting before the house goes on the market. I found a 3/8” male to 3/8” female PVC coupling fitting. The threads are totally shot and since Water Weld ‘built up’ enough thread last time, I resolved to use it again.
I used the JB Water Weld and spun in the fitting first. Waited for cure, then slathered on some Teflon liquid pipe thread sealant and gently spun on new brass Dial float. Beautiful, not a drip. Gonna give it another 24 hours before I turn it on full time.

Where did you find the 3/8” male to 3/8” female PVC coupling fitting?

 

[KDpoolguy]

Where did you find the 3/8” male to 3/8” female PVC coupling fitting?

If memory serves, I actually found it on a simple web search from a company such as PVC Fittings Online. It’s a very compact part.
HD/Lowes didn’t have it, but for pool fixes Amazon often had 3rd party sellers of non-standard PVC parts. Are you fixing the same thing as I tried to?