Found your Youtube recently and wow is it a great source of info! I subscribed!

Anyways, I found your channel during my investigation into how to repair my own pool. I’ve been looking for 1 1/2 years for someone in my area to help, and I can’t even get as much as a consultation with anyone because they are either completely booked for the year — or don’t do major repairs.

I have a pretty large gunite pool with the standard skimmer + bottom drain & 3 return ports. I’ve located a collapsed or partially collapsed pipe on the main return line before it splits into the 3 separate lines, though there *could* be further damage on those lines that I could not reach due to the collapse (can’t snake through dirt and mud!). I’ve pretty much accepted that this is going to be a DIY project due to the lack of availability in my area, but boy do I want to make sure that when I do this, I do it right and don’t cause damage to the pool. It seemingly isn’t that complex of a fix and with basic concrete and plumbing knowledge, I should be able to do it.

Would you or your company be able to walk me through some questions I had? I’m not sure if you do phone consultations, but really I’m just looking for advice and pointers. I am more than capable of doing concrete work and PVC plumbing.

My main questions and areas of concern are:

1.) How can I prevent myself from hitting the gunite “shell” that is the actual pool, which I assume is separate from the concrete that is surrounding the pool/patio area? Does that shell typically cover the plumbing to the return ports?

2.) If I need to replace the entire pipe returning to the pool, is there a recommended method of what material to use around the new pipe to ensure I don’t have a leak around the fitting?

3.) What type of concrete should be poured over the PVC once the plumbing has been repaired?

4.) Am I crazy thinking that I can do this with myself and a few handy friends?