Newbie can't open filter

[FloridaBill]

I have a Sta-Rite System2 PLM100 Filter that won't open and hope someone here can help.

The Background:

First time pool owner, just closed on the house a couple of weeks ago, still haven’t moved in as we are redoing the kitchen, painting, etc. first. We estimate the pool at 20,000 gallons, and it has an attached spa. The pool was a green swamp, so we began by pouring in 2 gallons of liquid chlorine (and algeacide) from Pinch-A-Penny 4 days ago, and continued with an additional 2 gallons daily, running the pumps about 12 hours daily.
Two days ago we replaced the cartridge and O-Ring in the Sta-Rite PLM100 with new ones. We used silicone to lubricate the seal before replacing. This morning I turned the pumps back on and heard a small “pop” from the SR, then noticed a fair amount of water leaking around the center ring. Thinking maybe the O-ring had become unseated or damaged, I turned everything off, blead the pressure and water, and attempted to unscrew the ring. It was thoroughly stuck. So I turned it back on and within about 40 seconds had a “blow-out”: loud pop, and massive amounts of water from the center and from the bottom water outlet. I immediately turned everything off, reblead the pressure and water, and attempted to reopen but the center ring is still stuck and won’t budge. The safety latch in the back is broken off, so I don’t think that is keeping it from opening.
Any suggestions?
FloridaBill

 

[benavidescj]

Re: Neebie can't open filter

Did you bleed the air out of the filter housing when you refilled it? Could be you blew the o-ring due to the high air pressure that will be there if not. I would not operate this housing until it is fixed or replaced due to the danger of the pressure inside and the damaged housing.

 

[JasonLion]

Re: Neebie can't open filter

Welcome to TFP! I wish you were joining us under better circumstances.

It is difficult to diagnose something like this remotely. Most likely the something is misaligned or not but back together correctly and the pressure when the pump was turned on has forced the parts into places they should never go. One possible contributing factor is that there could be a blockage somewhere that is causing the filter pressure to go much higher than it normally would. That alone wouldn't cause problems, but it could make something minor that has been wrong for a while become a much more serious problem.

As benavidescj said/implied, there can substantial amounts of pressure inside an operating filter, which can cause dangerous explosions if the seal is not properly put together or one of the parts has failed. I would be very cautious about turning on the pump until you straighten out what is going on.

I would get out a hammer and gently tap around in different directions to see if anything will move at all or come apart with mild persuasion. Often the mild vibration from hammer taps will loosen a stuck joint. Another option is to post a picture. If you are lucky, someone here might be able to see what is wrong right away.

 

[JesseJames]

I have almost the same filter setup. It has a tab just below the ring to push. When pushed, it releases pressure on the ring so it can be taken off.