I finally got the sleeve nut in and put it on. topped off the pool and started it up. Hums like a bee! Added the 5lbs of DE powder. Everything is good. Noticed a little drip where the motor connects to the filter, but no problem, just tighten up. Went inside for a while, came back out and water was leaking from where the lid caps on to the filter body. I checked the clamp and the sleeve nut. Tightened as tight as it would go, coils touching. But its still leaking pretty good! What am I missing? Turned it off so it wouldn't keep leaking. Its not a drip either..a steady stream running down the side that made a nice puddle on the yard.
Hayward Perflex DE filter EC50 leaking from lid area
- Thread starter julie492
- Start date
Did you make sure that the rubber gasket the runs between the tube sheets and the case is properly seated at the case. I've done that with my EC65, buttoned it up, had leaks, then had to break the thing down to reseat the gasket.
Steve
Steve
Okay..took the lid off again after letting the pressure off...I checked it all..and there doesn't appear to be anything wrong. The rubberseal feels just fine, no cracking or anything that I could see or feel. All the fingers look good too. I replaced the lid..and moved it around a bit to be sure the rubber part sat in the groove. Put the clamp back on and put on the washer/coil/washer/sleeve nut assembly and tightened. I tapped around the clamp several times between tightening to be sure it goes on. Its still leaking. Not as bad as before..but is dripping now. I'm going to check on it in a bit and see how it is once the pressure is full force. Dh is no help with this. I'll try to get a pic if its still leaking.
UGH...it is STILL leaking!! All the algae is dead and I need to keep that pump and filter running to clear the water. I've been bumping it too. Am I supposed to be backwashing or anything? The pressure goes up after a while running and I've noticed when the pressure goes up..the leak gets worse, its more steady and comes out in several places where the lid meets the body. I can't tighten the sleeve nut anymore because the coil is touching. When I bump it...the pressure goes down and the leak slows down to a drip again. Also..another thing I've notice, the suction isn't very strong at all and neither is the return. Before..you couldn't put your hand near the intake or it would suck in your fingers...but I could put my whole hand over the inlet hole and it didn't suck it in painfully. HELP!!!
julie492 said:
Since you didn't specifically say it, did you make sure that the rubber gasket was properly seated in the bottom of the filter, no bits of dirt or anything. How about bits of dirt on the area where the gasket seals on the lid. Mine is, unfortunately different in the respect that I have a bigger model that uses a series of bolts around the lid. I can be a bear to place correctly.
Steve
Yes, the rubber gasket is properly seated and I ran my fingers around it to be sure it didn't have any cracks or dry rot around it too. I just can't understand this. I just bought this brand new last summer. Only used it from July to September, then we disconnected it from the pool, cleaned it all out and stored it in our storage building over the winter. It didn't leak at all last summer. So I'm puzzled over this. Now we're on the verge of thunderstorms for the next 4 days, as a matter of fact..its pouring as I type this. So I'm already trying to filter dead algae to clear the water up..and now I'll have the threat of more algae forming if I can't cycle the water to shock it.
If you haven't already, the rubber gasket should be lubed up with some silicone based pool/plumbers lube.
JasonLion said:
Ahhhhhhh...is this a step that needs to be performed everytime we drain it out and clean it,upon setting it up again? Cause I read that owners manual from beginning to end and I know there was so section on if you take it down to store...how to set it up again. Actually...the filter arrived delivered already put together..only had to tighten the sleeve nut for the coil spring to "touch". I never really took it apart to check it all out. I guess I can get that lube at the pool supply store?
Hi Julie, welcome to TFP!!
It sounds like the gasket is either flattened out (unlikely on a new filter) or has been pinched in the past. Lube might ameliorate the issue, but a new one would be needed, if this one has been damaged
Just to be sure, the rounded edge of the gasket sits 'easily' in the channel of the base of the unit before putting the top on?
Wish I could be there to see it - any chance of a pic?
We'll stick with you through this, we just need all the info we can get to solve this problem
It sounds like the gasket is either flattened out (unlikely on a new filter) or has been pinched in the past. Lube might ameliorate the issue, but a new one would be needed, if this one has been damaged
Just to be sure, the rounded edge of the gasket sits 'easily' in the channel of the base of the unit before putting the top on?
Wish I could be there to see it - any chance of a pic?
We'll stick with you through this, we just need all the info we can get to solve this problem
If it doesn't rain tomorrow...I will try to get a pic for ya'll. We had horrid torrential thunderstorms all night and throughout the day. The pool is full! I turned on the pump for a while today so I could get the shock to circulate before more algae would begin. Will post pics tomorrow if the weather permits.
I am having the EXACT SAME PROBLEM. No problem last season, started up this year and leaking heavily where the lid meets the filter body as pressure builds. Eases up after bumping handles but shortly after starts right back up
Rock4him, welcome to TFP!!
Do you also have the band to secure top to bottom, or are there ~15 bolts that need to be done when you put the lid back on? If it's the 15 bolt model, when you reassemble the unit, tighten the bolts in pairs N, S then E, W to put even pressure on the gasket.
Butterfly can tell you that this makes a difference (Hi Joyce
)
Otherwise, the advice is the same as for Julie.
Do you also have the band to secure top to bottom, or are there ~15 bolts that need to be done when you put the lid back on? If it's the 15 bolt model, when you reassemble the unit, tighten the bolts in pairs N, S then E, W to put even pressure on the gasket.
Butterfly can tell you that this makes a difference (Hi Joyce
)Otherwise, the advice is the same as for Julie.
I called my local pool supply dealer and told them the problem. They carry Hayward filters. He said I probably needed to replace the gasket. He put one on order....$54.00. After the call i figured I would visually check the gasket again and put some POOL and Spa Lube on the gasket. I had already back washed the filter but when I removed the lid I found a huge amount of brown "cakey" material all over the fingers and piled up in the bottom of filter body. I basically started from scratch....cleaned fingers, cleaned out filter body, cleaned off filter body where gasket goes and lubed it, cleaned original gasket itself and lubed it as well. I replaced the lid, tightend the band until coils touched, filled with water and turned on the pump. At first water spewed from the lid but only where the two sections of the band meet at the tightening screw and the opposite side. I was disgusted, frustrated, etc...so I just tightened the nut a few times out of desperation and suprisingly enough the leak slowly began to stop. It seemed like the longer it ran the lube or whatever was finding it's home on the gasket and it pretty much stopped completely.It only leaks now when the pressure rises and the handle needs bumping.
Opened up the DE filter today...EWWWWWWW....all kinds of sticky mess came out of it and was stuck to the fingers inside. I went ahead and cleaned it out. What is it mixed in with the DE? We had some algae left in it after we drained the pool(still had about 3" of algae water in it before filling back up). Was this all the dead algae stuck to it? Was I supposed to clean all this gunk out after filtering for so many days? There is still some dead algae at the bottom of the pool. I turned on the pump and WOWZA....now I have power coming from the return and going in to the inlet!!! I guess all that gunk was stopping the water from filtering and having suction/return power??? Heres some pics of the Crud that came out of it. I think I put in 5lbs of DE last time...but when I read the book, it said 4lbs. Ooops. Would that have made a difference too? Need to go put more DE in..I guess the 4lbs?
Attachments
That gunk is the De that's done it's job and picked up dirt and algae - I've seen worse!
Yes, 4 lbs is the amount to add after manually cleaning the fingers - I'd do ~3.5 lbs if you just do the 'bump and dump" method of cleaning.
Yes, 4 lbs is the amount to add after manually cleaning the fingers - I'd do ~3.5 lbs if you just do the 'bump and dump" method of cleaning.
I added 4lbs of DE back via skimmer. It is running GREAT now! There is still a TINY drip, but once I bump it, it pretty much stops. I'll see how it is tomorrow and probably try the lube stuff on it.
I am having the same problem with my filter as well. I just got my new gasket and tried it today and there is still a small leak. Again as everyone else as the pressure would get higher it was a worse leak. I seen that I can get a lube. Does that really work? I will get some and try it if it is helping with others. I am going to take the filter apart again and make sure everything is good. Are there any other suggestions?
Welcome to TFP!!
You've seen in this thread that a combination of well lubing the gasket and cranking the nuts a couple extra times will usually seal the little drips YMMV, but please let us know how you make out with this
You've seen in this thread that a combination of well lubing the gasket and cranking the nuts a couple extra times will usually seal the little drips
YMMV, but please let us know how you make out with this I have the exact same setup as Julie492 and mine leaks also. I think its a poor design and makes it very difficult to stop leaking. Sometimes I have to take the unit apart 3 or 4 times before I get it to stop leaking. I think Hayward should come up with some sort of fix for the problem.
starrock77 said:
Lube is the key. I fought with mine until I realized that I needed to do something different and discovered lube. I would also suggest tightening incrementally...a little at a time and tighten both bolts the same amount.