My pool maintenance guy came today to do his regular cleaning and also to replace the button on the side of the pool that turns the spa jets on and off. When I returned home from work I received a voicemail explaining that the pool was shut off due to the Hayward C17502 filter being broken and that the entire unit needs to be replaced. I just went out to check what was wrong and it has to do with the iron rod in the center of the filter that screws into the base and also allows the top to be tightened down. The thread in the base is completely gone thus not allowing the iron rod to be screwed into the base. Upon calling the pool guy to talk about what happened, he told me that he wasn't the one that replaced the button for the jets but a third party who is a friend but he was there helping. He told me that the when they turned the system on to bleed it and check that the button was working, once the pressure built up for the filter to work the filter and top housing including iron rod shot up in the air like a rocket. When I inspected the filter housing it appears to have marks from a rubber mallet or something it was hit with and also lots on strike marks in the plastic. Is it possible for his story to be truthful? I know I will never be able to prove anything but it all just doesn't make any sense to me. I am just going to try get this problem solved and not dwell on whose fault it is. My question is, is there a way to repair what is broken in the lower body. I need to replace the thread that the iron rod screws into. Are these threads plastic or metal? Do I need to replace the entire lower body or could I buy a larger metal plug with female threading then drill out a larger hole in the lower body where the original threads were then tightly fit and epoxy or fix the metal plug into that larger hole thus reinstalling threads to receive the rod again? I have searched the haywards parts section but have not come across this part or even a drawing that shows its engineering. The pool guy wants around $700 to fix this and I just refuse to pay for something that wasn't broken before he and his friend came to fix a separate issue. If I have to replace the filter housing I will but if you guys think it is feasible to repair it or if you suggest a different method please let me know! I apologize if I am such a newbie and sound like I have no idea what I am talking about!! I would like to take care of this tomorrow or the next day before having the system turned off has detrimental effects on the water and other parts of the system. Thanks in advance guys!!!