Penn College fixes YMCA pool issue

The ingenuity of a Pennsylvania College of Technology faculty member has saved the River Valley Regional YMCA Eastern Lycoming Branch from costly pool repairs.

Bryan C. Schaefer, instructor of CNC machining and automation, manufactured a stainless-steel flange and rubber gasket to replace a defective media drain cover for the pool filter at the YMCA located in Muncy.

The media drain cover – meant to keep sand inside the filter – was leaking and the situation was threatening the operation of the pool, according to Marcus Loner, aquatics director at the facility. 

“The crack in the center made it leak water, and the issue was only going to get worse,” Loner said. “We would have had to close the pool if that part fully broke.”

Since the part was discontinued, the YMCA was left with two choices: have a custom replacement part made or purchase a new filter. “A whole new filter, plus 2,500 pounds of sand, plus labor would’ve easily brought it over $25,000,” Loner said.
 

Upon the suggestion of a co-worker, Loner contacted Bradley M. Webb, dean of engineering technologies at Penn College, about the feasibility of students making the replacement part for a class project. The urgent need for the part precluded student participation, so Webb asked for faculty assistance.

Howard W. Troup, assistant professor and co-department head of automated manufacturing and machining, measured the defective part, and Schaefer followed those dimensions in cutting out the flange and gasket with a water jet in the college’s Larry A. Ward Machining Technologies Center.

YMCA staff replaced the leaking main drain cover with the new flange and gasket to positive results. 
“The part works perfectly,” Loner said. “Our members and team are deeply grateful for this fix. These behind-the-scenes parts can be taken for granted, but they are needed to run our daily operations and keep our facility going. Penn College came through and not only solved an issue – one that we were hitting many dead ends trying to solve – but they did a great job in a very fast time period.”

“The pool at the Eastern Lycoming Branch is a tremendous community resource for both recreation and rehabilitation,” Webb said. “We are very pleased that our faculty could volunteer their time and expertise to help ensure that the pool remains operational.”