My simple set above ground pool has a leak in the worst area...the blow up valve in the top vinyl ring.
These pools are the kind that you inflate the top blue ring and than start filling with water.
The actual valve itself (which is a two part factory welded) has partially come apart and is leaking all the air from the ring. It is the same kind of valve on inner tubes and rafts etc.
I have tried silicone bathtub sealant, patch kit that came with pool and even a glue gun. None of these work and it still leaks.
Anyone have a suggestion as what kind of glue to use. I have no idea what the material the valve is made out of.
Please help I am tired of filling this ring up....
Thanks,
MaxTek
I'd try either superglue or PVC cement (the kind you use on PVC sewer pipes).
. . . as superglue dries hard, and is brittle, and this is a flexing item.
But the PVC primer, then glue, might work, as they retain some level of flexible resillience. You must thoroghly clean, and remove any previous glue from the area. If you don't use the primer, don't bother, as the glue will not weld with the material. (There is a PVC glue where the primer and glue are premixed, be sure to check for which kind you are buying.)
Mutant_Pie
Yes, the primer is very important. It will help "melt" the vinyl a little and let it mix with the glue. The primer is most likely an alcohol base and will also likely have a purple dye in it and be very liquidy and runny, so be very careful about spills and drips. The glue itself is typically clear/whitish and is fairly thick. It would be best to prime both surfaces, then apply a thin layer of glue, then either press and hold or firmly clamp the area for a minute or more, then give it an hour or more to set. I would probably wait over night before airing it up with pressure, but it might withstand a bit of air to check if you got a decent seal.
Ok I will give it a try today. Thanks a lot, I sure hope it works. I don't mind buying a new pool but sure mind using another 2,000 gallons of water.
MaxTek
I really appreciate the suggestions of both you guys but unfortunately the PVC glue had no affect whatsover. I bought the PVC Cleaner, Primer and Glue. The glue is like rubber cement or contact cement and had no affect on the material those blow up valves are made of.
Guess I am screwed...what a waste of water.
Buy the new pool, set it up next to the old one then use the old garden hose syphon trick to move all the existing water to the new one.
Wish I could. My yard has a slope so I had to make a 13ft level circle when I installed the first one. Next one would have to go in the same area.
You should at least do *something* with the water. May I suggest a copious amount of water balloons and a trebuchet?
Also, please keep in mind that a call to the local water company could result in a break in your water costs...at least I believe it works here (ive heard of this )
Most of us probably believed that by 'vinyl' you meant PVC, or poly(vinyl chloride). If so, there are two ways of joining or repairing this plastic: with PVC cement ('glue') or by welding.
The solvent for PVC pipe cement is methyl ethyl ketone, a volatile clear liquid with a strong sweet smell. The cement contains dissolved PVC. Even without 'primer', which is just the solvent, to wet, penetrate and soften the surfaces to be joined—and to 'key' the added PVC to both surfaces—cementing relies on drying off the solvent to leave added PVC in the joint. It relies on a firm fit between the pipes in the first place, because the cement is not able to fill wide gaps, so dilute is the dissolved PVC in it. Better adhesion is enabled by use of primer to key the added PVC to the surfaces being 'cemented'.
Your pool was probably made with welded PVC seams, and the valve was probably also welded into the top ring. You are not likely to be able to reproduce the welding conditions, which is why cementing was suggested by earlier posters. If you now try to cement the valve back in you will need to be patient, taking several days over the job to ensure adequate evaporation of the EMK solvent before you apply each of several layers of cement. You will then need several more days to ensure evaporation of the last solvent. Even then, the stresses on the valve may tear the valve loose again during use. It is just possible that you could find a plastics fabricator to re-weld the valve in, but that will necessitate making a hole in the inflatable ring so as to have access to the bottom flange of the valve for the welding process, and then repairing the hole in the ring. This potentially costly repair could be greater than the cost of a new pool.
de
Thanks for that great explanation.
Could you elaborate on that? Why would they give a price break?
Thanks.
P.S. Is chlorinated water bad for the grass or shrubs etc.?
Well... a heavy concentration of it isn't good, however, remember that the water from your taps . hose is lightly chlorinated.
Simply letting the water loose in your yard probably won't kill your grass, but it's still a very bad idea. That much water will turn your yard into a giant mud puddle, and will cause all sorts of problems, including a possible small landslide (you said you're on a slope, what is below you on this slope?). If you are just going to drain the thing, run a hose out to the street and pump the water out.
After trying all types of glue and getting pretty frustrated I resorted to admitting to myself that the pool beat me. I would empty it, get rid of it, and buy a new one and fill it.
I decided to hold off for a day or two and while cutting the grass it hit me! I took a pair of scissors to the quality inner tube we had with the other pool toys. I cut out the valve leaving 3 inches of pvc around it. I than dug up the large patch of blue pvc that came with the pool and glued the valve piece to the blue pvc with the provided glue. Than cut off the bad valve from the pool to have a nice flat area to work with. I than glued the new valve patch to the pool and it glued instanly and was dry in no time. The glue works wonders with the pvc but diddly with the actual valve.
3 days now and the pool is still inflated and we are back in summer business.
I was pretty proud of myself.
Good one. And you can now share my motto: 'Never be defeated by something inanimate'.
de