Inspecting Pentair Superflo VS Internals

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butterblum

Active member
Oct 1, 2022
25
Ohio
Pool Size
10800
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
While closing my pool last season, my relatively new Superflo VS (2 seasons = 10 months of use) started losing voltage/tripping it's breaker. It happened relatively quickly after running dry for a few minutes. I had never had any electrical problems with my setup before.
The problem seemed to go away after a day or so, but it was as I was closing the pool - I'm not sure I have enough data to gauge whether the problem will show up again this year.
I have opened the pump up, and have found pretty significant gouging on the front of the impeller and on the bronze diffuser bushing. There is also some white powder/residue on the backside of the seal plate (the motor side of the seal).
Is there any reason to be concerned about this wear? Should I replace the components?
Any chance this could be causing water to leak into the motor?
What could the white residue be?
Thanks

IMG_20230207_210705__01.jpgIMG_20230207_210612.jpgIMG_20230207_210636.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
butterblum said:
I have opened the pump up, and have found pretty significant gouging on the front of the impeller and on the bronze diffuser bushing.
Click to expand...
Doesn't look like a superflo VS...can you post the model # of the pump, or a pic of the pump and/or sticker with model #?
 
butterblum said:
While closing my pool last season, my relatively new Superflo VS
Click to expand...
This statement threw me. Pentair changed the diffuser 6/17/19. that diffuser is the old style. Yours may be "two years old," but was mfg before then.

Confirm the part looks like this?


butterblum said:
I have opened the pump up, and have found pretty significant gouging on the front of the impeller and on the bronze diffuser bushing.
Click to expand...
Stone or some other debris got it there and got spun. Should not impact the pump, as long as there is clearance between them when installed and spins freely.
butterblum said:
There is also some white powder/residue on the backside of the seal plate (the motor side of the seal).
Click to expand...
Do you have a salt water pool? Likely your shaft seal has failed.
butterblum said:
Is there any reason to be concerned about this wear? Should I replace the components?
Click to expand...
Shaft seal likely failed and got water in the motor.
butterblum said:
Any chance this could be causing water to leak into the motor?
Click to expand...
Yes.
butterblum said:
What could the white residue be?
Click to expand...
Salt from your pool left when water that leaked, evaporated.

 
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Pump was manufactured March of 2021 - not sure why it appears different.
My pool is not salt water, so I'm not sure what the residue actually is - I will swap out the seal to be safe and will probably upgrade to one of the nicer seals.
Side note - just noticed your profile info - my Dad grew up in Ashtabula in the 70s; he and his brothers went to Edgewood High and lived down by the ford on Stevens Rd.
 
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butterblum said:
Pump was manufactured March of 2021 - not sure why it appears different.
My pool is not salt water, so I'm not sure what the residue actually is - I will swap out the seal to be safe and will probably upgrade to one of the nicer seals.
Side note - just noticed your profile info - my Dad grew up in Ashtabula in the 70s; he and his brothers went to Edgewood High and lived down by the ford on Stevens Rd.
Click to expand...
Does your diffuser look like this?
69349_0_201812152332.jpg


Or this?
355949Z-1.jpg


When I converted to SWCG, my salt was 2000ppm, Chlorine and Muriatic Acid leave salt in the pool. Likely salt. Can you get some (scrape) and see if it dissolves in water? Not necessary, but fun to find out.

Nice Ashtabula connection...!
 
PoolStored said:
Does your diffuser look like this?
69349_0_201812152332.jpg


Or this?
355949Z-1.jpg


When I converted to SWCG, my salt was 2000ppm, Chlorine and Muriatic Acid leave salt in the pool. Likely salt. Can you get some (scrape) and see if it dissolves in water? Not necessary, but fun to find out.

Nice Ashtabula connection...!
Click to expand...
The diffuser is the latter - it is almond colored, and not black.
I will have to try it out!
Also, I'm seeing some information that the stock Superflo VS seal is 5/8" diameter, but that the US Seal Mfg seal you linked is 3/4" - are you able to confirm?
 
butterblum said:
The diffuser is the latter - it is almond colored, and not black.
I will have to try it out!
Also, I'm seeing some information that the stock Superflo VS seal is 5/8" diameter, but that the US Seal Mfg seal you linked is 3/4" - are you able to confirm?
Click to expand...
Great catch. My fault...Standard is PS-200, SCS/Commercial/Residential is PS-1901 on the Superflo...was a row off on the grab.

1675912691446.png
 

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PoolStored said:
Great catch. My fault...Standard is PS-200, SCS/Commercial/Residential is PS-1901 on the Superflo...was a row off on the grab.

View attachment 472556
Click to expand...
No dice....it appears the PS-1901 mating ring only has a diameter of 1.25" - the bore on the sealplate for the Superflo VS is closer to 1.375".
The PS-1903 is no better.....it doesn't look like US Seal has a product with a 5/8" ID and a 1.375" OD.
 
PoolStored said:
On the road, see this post. Got any pics?

Post in thread 'Superflo VS Shaft Seal'
Superflo VS Shaft Seal
Click to expand...
I figured this all out - I had to scrounge around online and take some measurements from the old seal.
Pentair changed the internals of this particular pump in 2019 - if the pump was made BEFORE 6/17/19, it uses Pentair seal #354545S; if it was made AFTER 6/17/19, it uses Pentair seal #17351-0101S.
The latter number is actually equivalent to U.S. Seal PS-1908 - this seal DOES work, because it seals against THE IMPELLER SHAFT, and NOT the motor shaft. The motor shaft is 5/8" diameter, but the impeller shaft is 3/4".
So long story short, the first product # you sent me was correct.
 
White powder in pumps can be aluminum oxide due to water touching the motor housing. A seal leak as @PoolStored said, which can be tiny, even unnoticeable without disassembly. Time does the damage. Or maybe it's calcium/other mineral.
 
For future reference - I bought two PS-1908 seals (one is a backup) through Motion Industries and got the old one replaced using the advertised lubricant (which dissolves/disintegrates when exposed to water).
I have been running 24/7 for the past 2 weeks and haven't had any issues with the pump shutting off.
 
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