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fixing a joint leak


freddy
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Hi

I have the following problem:

After the pump and filter there is a junction between the rigid grey pipe and the semi-flexible white(ish) pipe that carries the water back to the jets, this joint is leaking when the pump is running i.e. when the joint is under pressure.

Looking at it the white pipe seems to be inserted into the rigid grey sleeve and glued in place.

My first thought was to drain down to below the jets - drain down the area of the leak, pursuade the glued joint to come apart with suitable sharp implements, clean and then reglue.

my question is - is this going to work because I seriously doubt that I will be able to get the two surfaces properly clean and glue free? Would this joint hold or is it just going to go again in a few months?

The alternative is to cut back the grey pipe and the white and fashion a completely new joint with the relevant bits which will be a pain in the a**e of a job.

Anyone tried this?

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It does sound as though the joint has been bodged together in the first place, it is not normal practice to glue flexible pipe into solvent weld joints or pipe. Flexible pipe is normally of a different type of plastic that is unsuitable for solvent welding.

The correct adaptor should have been used to complete the circuit.

 

 

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Hi Freddy,

It is quite common place to glue the white flexible pipe to the grey rigid pipe, done correctly it will normally have no problems.

As it is leaking, that proves the joint is not well made and therefore you should be able to pull it apart and re-make it, I have carried out a number of these as there is a lack of understanding on making good joints.  That said, to get it to seperate usually involves cutting with a hacksaw very close to the fitting, pushing a stout screwdriver blade down between the pipes and with pliers winding the the flexible pipe around the pliers similar to opening a tin of cornedbeef.

Generally it separates cleanly (not without a bit of muscle) and to clean the femail fitting I use an abrasive flapwheel in an electric drill.  When plastic components are moulded or extruded they have a mould release lubricating fluid added and its that that causes bad joints.

If you abrade the flexible pipe with course sandpaper 80-120 grit you remove the shiny surface and will then get a joint that will not come apart, it will be chemically welded.  If they have joined the pipes in the way I have decribed, you will not be able to tear them apart.

You MUST use the blue colle for flexible pipe, mark the correct alignment with a pencil and the full depth of the fitting so you know when you are fully home, apply a liberal amount to the femail fitting and work very quickly to assemble the parts with a slight twist, lining up with your marks to finish.

There are now rigid to flexible compression joints that are demountable, if you can find them in France, If not PM me and I can arrange that.

EDIT: Make sure you form a good chamfer around the ends of pipes, flexi or rigid as that helps to form a good fillet of adhesive.

 

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[quote user="teapot"]

There are now rigid to flexible compression joints that are demountable, if you can find them in France, If not PM me and I can arrange that.

[/quote]

 

Makes you wonder why they bother to make such a fitting if both materials are solvent weldable.

 

 

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[quote user="jondeau"]

[quote user="teapot"]

There are now rigid to flexible compression joints that are demountable, if you can find them in France, If not PM me and I can arrange that.

[/quote]

Makes you wonder why they bother to make such a fitting if both materials are solvent weldable.

[/quote]

Same reason they make push fit plumbing I guess, the demountable aspect is useful.

 

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As Teapot suggests, this is a very easy repair to make and the secret to making it good is how clean it is, hence the tidying up of the inside of the female part.   I would also advise cleaning up the inside of the female part and the ouside of the male part (the flexi hose) using decapant.   Put some on a cloth and wipe around the surfaces to be glued after using the abbrasives to clear off dust, grease etc.  

Be aware that the glue will go off very quickly.   In seconds you will not be able to pull the two parts apart so again, as is suggested, mark the depth to make sure you push all the way in as you wont be able to push again.

Flexible to rigid joints are everywhere and are so commonplace you would be more surprised to not find one.    In spas for example, there are almost 100 such joints in each model and the benefit, as with pools, is that you are not causing pressure issues and you are maximising flow that would otherwise be affected by the need for rigid elbows etc.

I cannot remember exactly the figure but if you put a 90 degree elbow in a pipe it is like adding roughly another 80 cm's to the pipe run.  

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