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Remodel: Should I Replace Piping?


kpolak

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We are planning to remodel our 16'x40' lazy 'L' in ground liner pool with poly walls. It appears to have been installed in 1985, per the stamps on the concrete.

It looks like the previous owners recently installed a new Filter, Pump, and heater, but the local plumbing wil need to be replaced, as it is not installed per the Owner's manual, and not schedule 40.

Remodel will consist of:

Remove and replace exisiting concrete with integrally colored/stamped concrete.

Install new steel mesh around perimeter of pool, and electrically bond per current code.

New liner

New skimmers. One of the 2 existing Pentair skimmers is cracked, and our liner installer recommended to replace both, as older Pentair parts are difficult to find.

New piping at the filter/heater/pump.

The exting plumbing lines (flexible poly?) will be pressure tested, prior to the concrete install.

How do you determine if the exisiting main plumbing should be replaced?

If so what should they be replaced with? I have experience installing sch40 PVC, (advanced homeowner DIY, and worked as an Architect for 12-years), should I plan to tackle this one myself, or leave it to the professionals?

Any information will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Kurt

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PoolPipe01.jpg

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There is a black poly line that is not connected in the picture on the left. If that is a dry well line, leave it. It will get used when the old liner is removed to remove water from under the pool bottom.

When the pool is empty or nearly so, dig a trench of front of the pad.

Empty the filter and slide the pump and filter to the left more. Use the space the pad affords you to spread things.

Remove all the above ground plumbing, including the union fittings on the heater (they will need replacing too).

Cut back the flex on all the lines to the bottom of the trench so they lay pretty flat. That which is exposed has been burnt by the sun and is weakened. Replace the verticals coming from the ground with hard pipe. The stuff underground is likely flex pvc and should be OK but if there are collapses, termites got at it, or it's black poly (except for the dry well line) replace it all the way to the pool. The bottom drain, if it passes the pressure test, would then only need replacing near the pool.

Replace the valves with Jandy Never Lubes.

Both skimmers will get toasted when you remove the decking anyway.

Extend the lines in front of the pad vertically with pressure rated pipe and Schedule 40 fittings. Plug the lines in the pool and pressure test them from the stubs at the pad.

Removing the old deck may also take out the pool coping which usually has the liner bead track too.

What is the 1/2" line at the pad? It appears to be unused. A filler supply line?

Replace the drain cover with a VGB compliant one.

I would replace the lines using hard pipe. If there is flex or black poly from the original install, it has a much higher failure rate. Getting at them later, after the new deck is in would not be easy.

Don't do the liner yourself. That will also include the skimmer connections. The drain cover should be included. The wall fittings may need replacing too. Until they are seen, that can't be determined.

Don't do the deck yourself. Have a mason and his team do it or if you're going with pavers, a hardscape specialist.

Convert any side suction lines to returns. Codes have changed and side suctions have very specific needs that your pool is unlikely to meet.

Avoid using flex pipe. It can fail from swelling, termites, collapses and kinking.

Scott

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Cut back the flex on all the lines to the bottom of the trench so they lay pretty flat. That which is exposed has been burnt by the sun and is weakened. Replace the verticals coming from the ground with hard pipe. The stuff underground is likely flex pvc and should be OK but if there are collapses, termites got at it, or it's black poly (except for the dry well line) replace it all the way to the pool. The bottom drain, if it passes the pressure test, would then only need replacing near the pool.

I would replace the lines using hard pipe. If there is flex or black poly from the original install, it has a much higher failure rate. Getting at them later, after the new deck is in would not be easy.

I'm not sure I understand...Should I keep the existing Suction/Return flex lines if they test out or just plan to replace them?

Is there a minimum slope to these or should they be installed flat?

I'm not sure what the 1/2" line is. It is not connected at the pump. There is a connection for a slide, that was removed, in the existing concrete near the pool, this may have been a supply to the slide.

One more thing I am questioning is the black flex lilne from the top of the pump to the filter. Is this necessary? Can I hard pipe it?

Thanks,

Kurt

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Leave the black pipe alone. It's likely a dry well line. This, when a pump is attached, pulls ground water out from under the pool. That makes it so you can change the liner, which if ground water came up, would be darned near impossible. The fewer cuts in black poly, the better. There may come a time when it's conversion is required but you aren't there.

Flex on a suction line should be replaced as much as possible. IMHO. Over the years, it weakens due to various factors, is subjected to collapses and termites (they don't eat just wood). Bottom drains don't normally have a major problem below three feet of depth so the can usually be left when they head down under the hopper.

Flex on the returns, once they are exposed to air and the Sun, as it is at the pad, gets burnt and dried. Again, termites can and do, when present, eat the flex to get at the water in the pipe, creating holes/leaks. Since the deck is going, replacing it with pressure rated hard pipe makes sense once the deck is removed.

Scott

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks for all the help...I did thepool coping, plumbing, digging, and digging, and digging, myself, so I've been busy. Just finished starting the pool...Ya in Late September. The concrete needs to fully cure (28--days) before I put a winter cover on of the outline of the cover will be faded around the exposed concrete.

I did have the concrete installed by a company that specializes in stamped concrete and the liner installed by a highly recommended professional.

I sure do appreciate all the help you have provided.

Here's the finished, (almost) project:

PS The pipe sticking up is for a slide in the spring.

Thanks again,

Kurt

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  • 9 years later...

Hi all,

I have a few follow-up questions about doing the type of renovation discussed above (to replace a concrete pool deck and the existing PVC pool plumbing):

1.  Is there significant risk that if I remove the old concrete coping, I could damage the pool structure itself, such as the bond beam?

2.  Is there much risk in terms of replacing the pool plumbing?  For example, is there a scenario where I could need to connect the new PVC pipe to an existing fitting in the pool wall (such as one that sends water out into the pool) but be unable to connect the new pipe to that old fitting?  Or can old fittings generally be removed from the pool wall and replaced?  Similarly, is there much risk in terms of replumbing the pipe to the drain at the bottom of the pool?  I would assume that one would need to connect the new pipe to the existing drainpipe (before the pool) because it would be impossible to send a new pipe under the pool and connect up with the drain. 

Thanks for any info you can provide. 

John

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