Booster pump seal replacement questions

[lvrpl]

My booster pump is leaking and needs the seals replaced (or at least that what the pool inspector told me - we just bought the house and this is our first pool). I believe the pump is a Pentair Letro 3/4 HP (see the picture below). I was hoping to get some input on a couple of questions:

1. I checked out a couple of youtube videos and this looks like a pretty straightforward job - any reason I shouldn't do this myself? FWIW, I'm generally mechanically inclined.

2. Which seals should I buy in advance to replace? Should I be doing the pump seal, volute o-ring, and drain plug o-ring? Any others I'm missing?

Thanks!

 

[jblizzle]

Sorry for the delayed response.

1. Go for it, it is not that hard.

2. Not knowing the history, might want to just buy a go-kit that includes all of the seals. Make sure it includes the shaft seal which is likely the problem.

 

[tkrotchko]

I agree, less than 1 hour if you're doing it the first time. Get the kit and replace all the seals. It will probably run you about $20 plus/minus.

 

[lvrpl]

Awesome, thanks. So here's the next question - it looks like the fitting that goes into the volute also started leaking a couple of days ago. I'm pretty new to this PVC plumbing world so, this is probably a pretty stupid question, but is the fitting in the picture below that goes into the volute easy to replace? Is it likely cemented in, and if so, what's the best way to approach cutting and replacing the fitting?

Thanks again for the (very basic) help.

 

[jblizzle]

It should be just screwed in. Although dealing with the other fittings makes it more challenging.

 

[lvrpl]

It should be just screwed in. Although dealing with the other fittings makes it more challenging.

Is it screwed in on both sides? Or just the side that goes into the volute?

I'm wondering because if the side that goes to the piping is cemented in, it's going to be a huge pain to cut it out and cement in a new one while getting it be located in the same spot as the exiting one, right?

 

[jblizzle]

Likely just the side going into the pump. The rest are usually "glued" together.

You will have to cut the pipe somewhere with enough length (what is above the picture?), screw in a new fitting into the pump and build the rest of the pipe and 90 turn back up.

 

[lvrpl]

Got it, thanks.

So in the picture in my first post, you'll notice that the other line coming off the volute (the one going straight up vertically) is actually a hose. Any reason I couldn't replace the line coming out of the center of the volute with a hose also? Any reason it need to be a pipe? Just wondering what all of my options are.

 

[jblizzle]

The flex PVC costs more, but you can use it if you want.

 

[lvrpl]

One other question - when I fired up the booster pump a couple of days ago (I haven't been using it because we did a replaster as soon as we bought the house a month ago), the return line fitting on the pool wall had a stream of small bubbles coming out (in addition to water). The air bubbles are not coming out of any of the other returns and the cleaner return fitting only returns water when the booster pump is off and the filter pump is on. Would these seal and fitting leaks on my pump be causing those air bubbles in the booster return line?