Mulitport valve very hard to turn

[ivyleager]

Hey all,

My 5 year old multiport valve atop my sandfilter has begun to sqeak and is very hard to turn. Kind of like what I would image plastic grating on plastic to sound like. Is there a way to lube this thing without taking it apart? I have no manual.............did at one time but I filed it way some time ago. Thanks.

 

[waste]

Hi Cary

I think you may have a little sand or grit in there. Opening one is quite simple. There are 6 - 12 screws that hold the top to the body of the unit. If you remove them (with the pump off ) you gain access to the area in question, namely the spider gasket (or wagon wheel). Just be sure to keep track of the screws and nuts that you remove! - a cup is a good place to keep them all. Also be sure to orient the top the right way when you reassemble it! - Hayward units have a flattened side on the lid and the body to match things up correctly. After you've opened it, you can rinse out the body and see if there is debris in there and apply some teflon or silicon lube to the gasket.

This should fix the problem, if not let us know.

Hope you've been enjoying the pool since your return from 'big game hunting' :-D

-Ted

 

[ivyleager]

Hi Cary

I think you may have a little sand or grit in there. Opening one is quite simple. There are 6 - 12 screws that hold the top to the body of the unit. If you remove them (with the pump off ) you gain access to the area in question, namely the spider gasket (or wagon wheel). Just be sure to keep track of the screws and nuts that you remove! - a cup is a good place to keep them all. Also be sure to orient the top the right way when you reassemble it! - Hayward units have a flattened side on the lid and the body to match things up correctly. After you've opened it, you can rinse out the body and see if there is debris in there and apply some teflon or silicon lube to the gasket.

This should fix the problem, if not let us know.

Hope you've been enjoying the pool since your return from 'big game hunting' :-D

-Ted

Ted,
Thanks. I'll look at it once Hanna's rains stop here. BTW, my daughter's name is Hanna and hubby's nick-name is Ike.............given name Wilfred, which is the "W" hurricane name later down the line.

Yes, big game hunting was GREAT! I'm trying to organize my digital pics into a slide show. Having a bit of trouble, but when it's up and running, I'll post a link.

 

[tpm]

I have the same issue with my Hayward multivalve and it's brand new

 

[PoolOwnerNumber9]

The multiport should be disassembled, cleaned and lubricated. First, remove the pin from the handle and remove the handle.

The multiport has a strong spring pushing up on the multiport lid. To will allow you to remove the lid without it springing up at you, remove two screws on opposite sides of the valve, replace with two long screws, remove all other screws and then remove the long screws.

There is a "Spyder/wagonwheel" gasket that will need to be cleaned and lubricated as well as the two o-rings on the selector and the o-ring on the top lid. Getting the lid back on is tricky because you will need to compress the spring. Use the two long screws to secure the lid, install the rest of the screws and then replace the long screws with the regular ones. Or just leave in the long screws for the next time you need to clean and lubricate.

Be sure to carefully note the placement of all parts as you disassemble the valve. Be sure to note how the selector is positioned, because it can be put in backwards which would cause all of your functions to be reversed.

One cause of the problem is debris getting into the valve from vacuuming. Vacuuming should be done through the skimmer with the skimmer basket in and a women's Queen-size knee-high stocking lining the basket to catch fine debris and sand. The valve should also be covered from the top to prevent debris getting in the selector shaft o-rings from the top.

 

[waste]

I don't want to disagree with PON99, but I would hold off on getting at the shaft until after pulling, cleaning and lubing the lid doesn't solve the problem. It's quick and easy and the only way to screw it up is putting the lid on improperly oriented. The operation should take about 10 min.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! The only times I've had to pop the handle off is to change the o-rings or the spring. It'd be very easy for someone playing with one the first time to reassemble one incorrectly. I firmly believe that what's happened is grit got in between the key assembly and the valve body so there's no need to mess with the spring (unless doing what I said doesn't fix the problem - then it's time to play with the spring/ shaft)

However y'all decide to tackle this - I wish you well :-D We'll be here if you need any further help

 

[reindeerboy]

Ted is correct. I had the same thing.

I just opened mine up and found the gasket to have some grit in there and the spider gasket was messed up. I just rinsed it out, lubed up the new gasket that I did have on hand and replaced it correctly in the housing, and then put the top back on correctly. No worries! Easy and took about 15 minnutes is all!