Pump Strainer

[garrybunk]

Post moved from here. Tim5055. http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/18753-Pump-Strainer-Housing-Lid/page2


I know this thread is old but I seem to have run into the same issue opening my pool this year. My pump is a Hayward but a different one (looks similar & locks down the same way. O-ring and pump stored in a shed over the winter with o-ring always coated with plumbers silicone grease. My setup is 4 years old (5th season of use). I did deep clean my sand filter for the first time when I closed the pool last fall so I'm wondering if I've caused an issue from that. I thought I was pretty careful poking the hose down in.
I'm also seeing what I believe to be a pressure problem. When running it seems to surge rather than run smoothly. I did try backwashing and rinsing the filter with no change. Pressure reading high at 16psi (I replaced my pressure gauge last season with a high quality one). My pump housing lid leaks with pump on or off.
I happen to have another identical pump and lid from a coworker that got rid of his pool. Lids & basket looked identical. His o-ring is shot though. I didn't think to try his lid with my o-ring though. I may just pickup a new lid & o-ring even if just to keep on hand.
Any ideas on my surging pressure issue though? Did I cause an issue from the deep cleaning?

Thanks,
-Garry

 

[Richard320]

Re: Pump Strainer Housing/Lid

I know this thread is old but I seem to have run into the same issue opening my pool this year. My pump is a Hayward but a different one (looks similar & locks down the same way. O-ring and pump stored in a shed over the winter with o-ring always coated with plumbers silicone grease. My setup is 4 years old (5th season of use). I did deep clean my sand filter for the first time when I closed the pool last fall so I'm wondering if I've caused an issue from that. I thought I was pretty careful poking the hose down in.
I'm also seeing what I believe to be a pressure problem. When running it seems to surge rather than run smoothly. I did try backwashing and rinsing the filter with no change. Pressure reading high at 16psi (I replaced my pressure gauge last season with a high quality one). My pump housing lid leaks with pump on or off.
I happen to have another identical pump and lid from a coworker that got rid of his pool. Lids & basket looked identical. His o-ring is shot though. I didn't think to try his lid with my o-ring though. I may just pickup a new lid & o-ring even if just to keep on hand.
Any ideas on my surging pressure issue though? Did I cause an issue from the deep cleaning?

Thanks,
-Garry

Surging is often caused by low water level or a stuck weir in the skimmer opening. What happens is the pump starts to prime and when it catches, it sucks the skimmer down, which makes it suck air and lose prime, and then the water level recovers, the pump catches prime again, and it repeats. It can get very rhythmic. Verify the water is at least halfway up the skimmer mouth and the flap isn't binding.

 

[garrybunk]

Thanks for the reply. Actually I was running off my bottom main drain only as I was refilling the pool. Later on it was still surging when I opened up the skimmer line too. I believe it had to do with my sand filter because I ran it through some backwash-rinse-filter-backwash-rinse-filter cycles and then let it run for a few hours and now it's back to running smoothly with a "clear" appearance through the strainer lid. I never got back to reading up on the sand filter deep cleaning to see if it mentioned this or something I missed doing upon pool opening.

I still have the leaking issue with the strainer lid. Local pool store says it's likely just the o-ring (will pickup tomorrow) and that most people only get 2 years out of them (I'm on 4 years now). She also chewed me out for opening that lid so frequently and said I should NEVER have to open it during the season. I held back from responding to her. There is NO WAY I could let it go all season. I bet I open it every week, maybe 2 weeks to clean out grass and hair that accumulates in there! I always keep the o-ring covered in plumbers silicone. Besides, if you weren't supposed to open it frequently then why do they design it to be do easy to do so? And since I got 4 years out of the o-ring with my frequent removals of the lid I think I'm doing just fine!
I sure hope it's just the o-ring though my o-ring looks to be in great shape fitting snuggly in the lid groove. The lid does go on a little too easily so I guess it's possible that the o-ring has worn down narrower.

-Garry

- - - Updated - - -

Oh I forgot to mention, my pressure gauge is reading about 16psi now too. Is that normal? (Remember, this is a new high quality gauge.) I can't remember what it used to run at but swore it was more like 8psi. I vaguely remember something about a pressure change when I swapped over to my new modified slotted return jet.

-Garry

 

[garrybunk]

Well I replaced the o-ring, lubed her up with the silicone grease and it still leaks! (Pretty steady fast drips all around the lid.) Ugh! Guess I need to try a new lid. Like I said above, I have a co-workers old pump, so I'll try cleaning up his lid and put my new o-ring on that one.
I'm ticked off at Lowes and Home Depot too! Lowes changed brands of the "Plumber's Silicone Grease" (and made it harder to find) and the new Oatey branded stuff is thin and runny. I go to Home Depot, can't find any "Silicone Grease" so an Associate swears to me to use Oatey "Plumber's Faucet and Valve Grease" saying "it's the same thing". Good thing I looked into it before even opening it up. It's NOT the same thing and not to be used on o-rings! Package is void of any information to know what the heck it contains and whether or not it could/should be used on o-rings! Lowes, please oh please bring back the good ol' Gunk branded Plumber's Silicone Grease! I'm tempted to just order a large 5.3oz tube of Dow Corning 111 and be done with it!

-Garry

 

[Richard320]

If you restricted the flow at all with a new return jet, pressure will increase. 16 psi doesn't sound outrageous, though.

I bought a tube of pool lube a few years ago at the pool store. Even if it was overpriced, a tube lasts for years.