Pentair 2 HP Whisperflo Pump Leaking

[bhenderson0413]

All,

I have a Pentair Whisperflo 2 HP high performance pump. I would estimate the pump to be about 10 years old. I bought the house a couple of years back and have had zero issues until I noticed some water loss in the pool and discovered my main pump was leaking at the equipment. No noise was coming from the pump, no bubbles in the basket, etc. With the help of TFP, I just replaced the seal plate o-ring, lid o-ring, impeller o-ring, etc., as well as the pump seal. After reassembly, the leaking was drastically reduced, but I still have a small leak as shown in the picture. Any ideas on this based on the location of the leak? It appears to be coming out at the base near the word "bottom". Just curious if any of the TFP experts could say exactly what this would be based on the location? I just ordered a new booster pump to install, but if I need to tear the pump down again, it's much easier to access with the booster out of the way. Thanks in advance for taking a look at this!

 

[mas985]

That would probably be either the seal or the seal plate gasket. Make sure the seal is installed correctly and seated properly.

 

[bhenderson0413]

Thanks for the reply Mark….I've got a follow-up question….the seal plate gasket I replaced was a beige color gasket that I assumed had faded over the years and the seal kit I purchased had a black gasket that was difficult to keep in place. After your reply, I found an almond colored gasket online for the pentair as well. I utilized some glue to hold the new gasket in place as it was/appeared to be the correct gasket, but had been folded in the package for quite some time. Is there a difference between the beige and black gasket? Is one better than the other? When I tear this back down, I want to ensure (to the extent possible) this is the last time for a while! Again, thanks in advance.

 

[mas985]

There are some poor quality kits out there so you have to be careful. I think the OEM (Pentair) gasket is beige in color and the after markets tend to be black. But I wouldn't use glue on a gasket. You should only use silicon grease.

 

[bhenderson0413]

Absolutely only use silicone, but I did use glue in a few spots around the flat part of the gasket at the corners to help it conform and hold it in place during installation. None of the glue would have been exposed to the adjoining part. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Keven]

It's your pump seal leaking.

 

[bhenderson0413]

Keven,

I took the pump apart again yesterday and there was an obvious discoloration beneath the shaft seal on the seal plate. I went back to the pool store to get a new seal and they immediately wanted to sell me a new seal plate assuming the plate was cracked. After we cleaned it up, we could find no evidence of a crack, so they gave me a new seal. It's been raining since I reassembled the pump last evening, so I can't make a determination just yet, but wanted to let you know the leak was definitely coming from the pump seal. Crossing fingers here. Thanks for the reply.

 

[bhenderson0413]

Can't argue with the pic….leak free. Apparently I got a bad pump seal, which is somewhat rare according to what I've read…back in business. Thanks again to TFP.