I found yesterday in the strainer housing (but under the strainer basket) a SS bolt; looks like #7 or 8, about 2 inches long. Pump/motor are working normally. Pump is Standard 2HP Pentair SuperFlo. Any thoughts?
SS Bolt Found in Strainer Housing-Repair Update
- Thread starter pragmatic
- Start date
Re: SS Bolt Found in Strainer Housing
There is no way for a screw to get there in normal operation. Guessing you do not winterize which could be a way for it to end up in the pump while pulling things apart.
There is no way for a screw to get there in normal operation. Guessing you do not winterize which could be a way for it to end up in the pump while pulling things apart.
Re: SS Bolt Found in Strainer Housing
Sounds like an impeller screw, but I don't think the pump/motor would run fine without it.
Sounds like an impeller screw, but I don't think the pump/motor would run fine without it.
Re: SS Bolt Found in Strainer Housing
Correct. No winterizing for us.
Update-I spoke with a tech at Pentair; he said it may be from the diffuser plate (?). I did a search for Pentair diffuser plate bolts and sure enough, that's my bolt!! They'll send someone out to inspect repair under warranty.
Thanks
Correct. No winterizing for us.
Update-I spoke with a tech at Pentair; he said it may be from the diffuser plate (?). I did a search for Pentair diffuser plate bolts and sure enough, that's my bolt!! They'll send someone out to inspect repair under warranty.
Thanks
Re: SS Bolt Found in Strainer Housing
Thanks
I think you're right (either the impeller/diffuser). I'm guessing I may come home to a big messmidtngal said:
Thanks
Re: SS Bolt Found in Strainer Housing
If it's a fat screw (forgive me...I'm not a plumber or electrician!
), then it's the impeller screw. If it's a little bitty screw, it's from the diffuser plate. Either way, the question that needs to be answered is why did it get blown into the pump basket? THAT'S the bigger problem!
What's even more pathetic is how I know this! Problems create education! :lol:
If it's a fat screw (forgive me...I'm not a plumber or electrician!
), then it's the impeller screw. If it's a little bitty screw, it's from the diffuser plate. Either way, the question that needs to be answered is why did it get blown into the pump basket? THAT'S the bigger problem! What's even more pathetic is how I know this! Problems create education! :lol:
Re: SS Bolt Found in Strainer Housing
An education indeed, but sometimes I hate the methods!
Thanks for the help! Happy New Year
Dave
From the pictures I found regarding replacement parts for my pump, it's a diffuser plate screw. PB says that I have a 3yr-warranty and Pentair will most likely replace the pump and motor.midtngal said:
An education indeed, but sometimes I hate the methods!
Thanks for the help! Happy New Year
Dave
Re: SS Bolt Found in Strainer Housing
Yeah, Pentair is VERY good with their products and customer service. They replaced 4 pumps for me without a whole lot of hassle. As it turns out, I think it was all the pine needles getting through that was burning up the motors, but they replaced them!
Yeah, Pentair is VERY good with their products and customer service. They replaced 4 pumps for me without a whole lot of hassle. As it turns out, I think it was all the pine needles getting through that was burning up the motors, but they replaced them!
Re: SS Bolt Found in Strainer Housing
I'm not sure why the screw was out of place, however I think that it would only need to be reinstalled. I don't see any reason to replace the pump or motor if they are working properly.
I'm not sure why the screw was out of place, however I think that it would only need to be reinstalled. I don't see any reason to replace the pump or motor if they are working properly.
Re: SS Bolt Found in Strainer Housing
Thanks for the input. Regarding repair or replacement, I'm easy and ok either way they want to fix it. Heck, If it does fail later-after warranty, the pump design seems good and with the twist connecting unions my PB used and low cost parts, I might consider repairing myself. Temporarily I guess I could always switch over and use my waterfall pump for filtering /circulation and really have time to get acquainted with the pump.
Thanks for the input. Regarding repair or replacement, I'm easy and ok either way they want to fix it. Heck, If it does fail later-after warranty, the pump design seems good and with the twist connecting unions my PB used and low cost parts, I might consider repairing myself. Temporarily I guess I could always switch over and use my waterfall pump for filtering /circulation and really have time to get acquainted with the pump.
Pentair certified Tech came out for warranty repair. The bolt was a impeller set-screw (reverse thread). He said it was odd for that to occur, but I'm good-to-go 
If you are getting air in the filter, the air can compress when the pump is on, and then when the pump turns off, the air can decompress and cause the impeller to spin backwards. That can create an unscrewing force on the impeller, which might have caused the setscrew to become loose. Once the setscrew is loose, the normal spinning of the shaft can cause the screw to back out.
Air you getting any air in the filter, or from the returns?
Air you getting any air in the filter, or from the returns?
Thanks for the reply. Some leaves a few months ago did in fact cause some problems. NOW I have an idea on what may have caused this set-screw to go AWOL.JamesW said:
I would have to go back and find the post, but I don't remember why mine kept blowing out. I could screw it back in, put the motor back together, turn on the pump and in just a few seconds I could actually hear the screw hit the side of the basket!
Glad it has ended well!
It's actually very easy to do. I have installed all of my pumps except the first one. And I'm a girl! :lol:pragmatic said:
Glad it has ended well!
Thanks for the heads-up and vote of confidencemidtngal said:I would have to go back and find the post, but I don't remember why mine kept blowing out. I could screw it back in, put the motor back together, turn on the pump and in just a few seconds I could actually hear the screw hit the side of the basket!
Glad it has ended well!
