So my Hayward was acting funny. It was draining as well as filtering. I lost water by the next day. I ordered a new gasket online. However, I did some investigation to see what was wrong with the old gasket. I think many people (like myself) assume the gasket must be bad and must be replaced. Quite often the gasket adhesive separates from the base and it needs to be re-glued down. I removed the old gasket and inspected it for tears and cuts (a little worn but not bad). I removed the old adhesive and dried out the groove. I applied RTV (automotive RTV) to the groove and temporary assembled the head so it can press down on the gasket (squeezing the excess out). I waited 24 hours, opened it up and removed the excess and reassembled it. No leaks at all. It's been running for a few days now.
Repairing A Hayward spider gasket
- Thread starter steppinthrax
- Start date
adhesive usually isn't necessary, I find it can make getting a proper seal in the future difficult as you have to spend 30 minutes trying to get every bit of brittle rubber left behind stuck with glue. I'm glad it worked for you. Hayward has since switched from spider gaskets to a plate with a permanent gasket attached to it.
Yeah it does, but they also seem to last longer. People often mess up their filters gaskets (even if they are new) by moving the handle while the pump is running. This unseats the gasket partially and then it gets warped out of place. Since the new way is permanently attached it makes it more resistant to this type of damage. Regardless They are both easy fixes, I kinda like the new system.