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Tiger River Bengal Broken Pipe in to Black Boot Repair


ZugZug

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Hello Everyone,

I've been digging foam out of my Tiger River Bengal spa to find a significant leak but now that I found it I'm not sure how to fix it.  The pipe is a 1.5" flexible hose that runs into a black (rubber?) boot.  The crack in the pipe is at least 10" (I still need to dig out more foam under the filter housing to see where this goes) but my issue is it is split all the way up to (and probably inside of) that black boot.  The boot itself looks to be fine (no cracks).  Here are my questions:

1) What is the purpose of this boot?  It connects to a PVC union that splits off a 3/4" pipe and continues out the other side with a 1.5" flex pipe.  Is the black boot just there to reduce shaking of the pipe and if it wasn't used would cause the flex pipe to fail at some point?

2) Is it possible to cut the flex pipe and remove it from inside of the boot to put a new flex pipe into the boot?  If so what is used to "glue" in flex pipe back to the boot?  Would PVC glue work or I would need to use something different?

3) Would it be better to cut the flex pipe up till an inch or two before the boot and just glue a PVC union around the flex pipe (up to the boot) and see if the glue would seal the crack heading into the boot?  The major crack in the pipe is about 2" away from the boot...and it's just a hairline crack that go into the boot.

4) Can I even purchase this boot and the PVC union to just replace the entire configuration?  If I eliminate the boot will that cause problems down the road?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

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That is not a rubber boot, it is a plastic check valve. It is glued with pvc cement, and there is no good way to remove it. Get a new check valve and some pipe and couplings. And hope that it is the only freeze damage (unlikely). I suspect you will be digging out more foam in the near future.

https://www.backyardplus.com/proddetail.php?prod=71980

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Thanks RDspaguy.  I actually ordered a heater controller board from you guys last year that had a blown relay...you were very helpful then and appreciate the help now!  I'm going to see if I can get lucky and see if I can slide a coupler inside the check valve and just replace the flex pipe that is broken just before it.  The check valve still looks to be in good shape...I just have a big crack in the pipe that goes in to it.

Definitely freeze damage because my cover was leaking and it took the local place I got it from 7 months to make it (you know...because Covid made everything in the world take longer).  The old cover leaked water after I shut it down for the winter because the cover wasn't ready.  The good thing is I have removed so much of that dreaded spray foam to find this leak...I will be able to see if any of the other pipes are leaking before closing it back up.  Thanks again for responding and including a link to the part.

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1 hour ago, ZugZug said:

actually ordered a heater controller board from you guys

You are mistaken. I do not sell parts. I googled the part you need and posted the first one that came up. I have no affiliation with any supplier.

That check valve has a 2" OD, so a 2" coupler and a 2"x1.5" reducer will work, but I seriously doubt that the insides of that valve are undamaged if the pipe in it is frozen and cracked.

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Thanks RDspaguy.  Slightly off topic question...but how does that check valve work (I'm just curious and was surprised I couldn't easily find any animations on YouTube talking about it).  I understand how they work on a sump pump...but not sure purpose on a spa.  Just above the one where I need to replace the pipe there is a PVC fitting that goes from 1.5" to 3/4" T to 1.5".  The 3/4" tube goes to a jet.  There is a similar setup on the same line a few feet later where the 3/4" goes to another jet.  Are those check valves just there for when water is not being pumped down those tubes so it doesn't try to flow back to the pump?  If it is removed what would happen?

After I cut the 1.5" tube that crack goes about an inch into the flex pipe and I was asking a plumber friend if a barb on the inside would work so I didn't have to replace the check valve and the PVC fitting.  He thinks it will still leak.  I'm putting some serious thought in to putting a barb, and a glued PVC slip coupler, and a pvc rubber coupling with stainless steel clamps around the tube on one side and the check valve on the other.  He said if I do that to send him a photo of it so that can laugh about it in his shop :)

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When the pump is running on low speed the check valve is closed so that the system will suck water mainly through the filters so you get good filtration. When you kick the pump into high speed it will suck open the check valve to feed the pump the extra water it needs. If the spa has a blower and the check valve is part of that system then the check valve will work opposite and  prevent water from backtracking into the blower. Cut out all the rigid pieces including the check valve from soft plumbing to soft plumbing and rebuild it all this time try and leave 4-6" in between the check valve and the T fitting so if you ever need to replace the check valve again you don't have to replace the T fitting. 

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That is a pressure side check valve, and a watkins with a multi position diverter will have many in the jet lines. The jets are plumbed in loops, with both ends going to the diverter. Depending on diverter position, it will allow some or all jets on the line to function, or allow some to function in 2 different positions. Nobody else makes them that way, @CanadianSpaTech,which is why you have never seen one like this. Consider yourself lucky, they are a pain to try to figure out if removed without noting direction of flow.

A barb will not work inside flex pvc. A rubber mission clamp will break down from chemicals, so even if it holds the pressure (unlikely) it is just a matter of time before you are doing it again. Fix it right the first time, glue and primer are not that tough to work with.

 

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I'm one step closer to completing this repair :)  I went to a local spa store and they had a generic 1 1/2" check valve that says on it that it has a 1/2 pound spring.  The valve fits the pipe correctly...but in checking the existing check valve that will be replaced there is no spring.  The flap can be moved very easily with my finger.  I would imagine there should be plenty of water pressure to push that new spring loaded valve open but wanted to check on here what you think.  Would that generic spring loaded check valve work...or are those Tiger River check valves (like RDSpaGuy posted above) very specialized and I should only use a direct replacement?  If it's a direct replacement with shipping will probably cost about $45 and I would need to wait a while for it to arrive vs this generic one that costed $17.  Thanks again for all the advice and help!

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Good thing you told me to just replace the check valve instead of trying to salvage it!!!  When I cut the old check valve off that same crack that was in the flex pipe extended right into the check valve and the valve was damaged!  Was hard to see because it was on the back side.  Appreciate all of the advice and even suggesting things I didn't think about!

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First leak fixed...surprising even though I didn't hold one of the joints for 30 secs after gluing and I can see it shifted...it's not leaking!  BUUUUUUUUUTTTTTT...found another leak in the same general area (different 1.5" pipe and possibly another one on a smaller pipe that is a little harder to get to.  Now I just get to play Mario Bros and fix the other leaks as I find them.  Would have loved to try to figure them out tonight but the Michigan mosquitos were in absolute attack mode.  Will be spraying some Cutter out there tomorrow and continuing the fun.

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