vibrating sand filter

May 22, 2011
26
My sand filter has started to vibrate (with a low vibration noise too) shortly after running. Its base was breaking and the whole thing was falling to the side, so I managed to get it onto blocks and straight again this week. I replumbed everything to the pump, between, and the return. But it still vibrates and now I have quite the leak under the valve when I backwash. Ideas? I assume the leak on the handle might be a spider gasket? Do those go bad every few years? I think I replaced it about 5 years ago.
 
The spider gaskets do go bad but there is also an O ring that seals the shaft the handle is attached to that can accumulate dirt and grit causing it to fail. That can also cause the handle to be difficult to rotate especially if your valve/equipment is out in the open.

Was there anything done, changed, repaired in the system at the time the vibration started ??
 
It leaks at the handle only when backwashing/rinsing/recirc, so you think it's just the o-ring? should I go ahead and replace the spider gasket while I'm at it?

There has been no change with the filter except that it started to lean, putting pressure on all the pipes going in. I had hoped fixing the base and replumbing everything would stop it, but it doesn't. It only vibrates when filtering, not in any other mode (not recirculating either), coming from the return side of the cover and going down the return pipes. I can even hear the low vibration hum in the house, even though it's on the other side of the garage.

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Well, I guess another "change" would be that I hadn't run the pump/filter for a good 4 months because my pump was broken. I don't remember it vibrating before, but when I finally turned it back on to start fixing everything, that's when I noticed it.
 
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