Leaking Sta-Rite Cartridge Filter

[1poolman1]

Nope, didn't lube it.

Very unusual for that tank to leak after a new OEM O ring is used. All of the suggestions here are good and really don't add much time the the replacement. Cleaning top and bottom shell, lightly lube the top and bottom shell or put a glob of lube in the palm of your hand and pull the ring through it. That gets a light coating all the way around the ring protecting it completely. Light means the ring is shiny with the grease, that's all that is needed. Tapping the clamps as they are tightened in a star (crisscross) pattern should help. If it still leaks you will have to check for a crack, or carefully examine where the leak is actually coming from. See if the air-relief assembly has a slight leak. It will flow down the tank and look like the tank is leaking at the O ring.
Those tanks have never been known to warp, regardless of the climate. They are actually the strongest filter tanks made in this country. I installed the second one in my area (got it as a "try me" from the local rep, lower cost) right at 30 years ago and it is still going strong.

 

[Newdude]

put a glob of lube in the palm of your hand and pull the ring through it

That's what I do with latex gloves on. The stuff schmears pretty far.

 

[jtb777]

Ok, take it back apart and clean everything up. The technique with these is maybe a bit art.. put lid on. Screw all 8 in just enough they won’t fall off. Then in crisscross fashion, push the clamp against the filter and tighten to take up all the slack in the bolts. Finally, go around in criss cross fashion and do equivalent turns. Choose say 1/2 turns. Keep going around tightening in 1/2 or later 1/4 turns. The point is that if you fully tighten one, then do the next all the way around the filter, you will have one side more tight than the other…make sense?

Thanks for your reply. We did take off the lid for cleaning/replacing the o-ring and tightened just as you described. When that didn't fix it, I had a pool service take everything apart, clean and put back together in case I did it wrong. So, I should try this a third time? I appreciate the help!

 

[jtb777]

Very unusual for that tank to leak after a new OEM O ring is used. All of the suggestions here are good and really don't add much time the the replacement. Cleaning top and bottom shell, lightly lube the top and bottom shell or put a glob of lube in the palm of your hand and pull the ring through it. That gets a light coating all the way around the ring protecting it completely. Light means the ring is shiny with the grease, that's all that is needed. Tapping the clamps as they are tightened in a star (crisscross) pattern should help. If it still leaks you will have to check for a crack, or carefully examine where the leak is actually coming from. See if the air-relief assembly has a slight leak. It will flow down the tank and look like the tank is leaking at the O ring.
Those tanks have never been known to warp, regardless of the climate. They are actually the strongest filter tanks made in this country. I installed the second one in my area (got it as a "try me" from the local rep, lower cost) right at 30 years ago and it is still going strong.

Wow, that's great the filter can last that long! I wonder what's going on with mine? I checked again, and the leaks are appearing directly under three of the filter clamp assemblys. Is the air relief assembly the part with the dial and where you release pressure -- that's dry.

Also, I thought Sta Rite filter o-ring wasn't supposed to be lubed? Thanks so much!

 

[Newdude]

Is the air relief assembly the part with the dial and where you release pressure -- that's dry.

Yes that's the one.

Also, I thought Sta Rite filter o-ring wasn't supposed to be lubed?

It's not per Sta-Rite. My PB told me to lube mine, which I did for 6 years pre-TFP, and it worked fine. I am currently not lubing my new one for comparison, but will in a heatbeat if i see any drips. With nothing else to lose, you should try it too.

 

[jtb777]

I really appreciate all the help with this issue. Another question, is it possible for the filter clamps to go bad? I was looking at the leak again, and water is coming out from under three of them. When we first took it apart, a couple of the clamps had a strange looking substance inside (like dried glue). Thank you!

 

[Newdude]

When we first took it apart, a couple of the clamps had a strange looking substance inside (like dried glue).

Did you post about that last year ? I remember helping on one exactly like that.

Easiest way to see if its the clamps is to swap the clamps and see if the leak goes to the other side.

Like the filter housing though, they're all be indestructible.

 

[JamesW]

Cleaning top and bottom shell, lightly lube the top and bottom shell or put a glob of lube in the palm of your hand and pull the ring through it.

In my opinion, pulling stretches the O-ring and pushing is better to avoid stretching the O-ring even though it's more work to push than pull.

 

[1poolman1]

In my opinion, pulling stretches the O-ring and pushing is better to avoid stretching the O-ring even though it's more work to push than pull.

Hard to get a firm grip that would stretch that 1/2" piece of greasy rubber.

 

[1poolman1]

I really appreciate all the help with this issue. Another question, is it possible for the filter clamps to go bad? I was looking at the leak again, and water is coming out from under three of them. When we first took it apart, a couple of the clamps had a strange looking substance inside (like dried glue). Thank you!

That's normal for those clamps.

 

[JamesW]

In my opinion, pulling is bad practice as it stretches the O-ring and it can make it too big.

 

[jtb777]

Did you post about that last year ? I remember helping on one exactly like that.

No, this is the first time I’ve had this problem.

 

[Newdude]

No, this is the first time I’ve had this problem

There was another that had what looked like flattened hot glue on the insides of the clamps and the filter was leaking IIRC.

Swap them and see if the leak follows to prove the clamps.

I've had 2 of these filters (small sample size, YMMV) and neither of them had the glue.

 

[jtb777]

So a strange turn of events... the filter is no longer leaking and I haven't touched it yet. I'm not sure what to think, lol.

This weekend, I was going to take all advice about reopening the filter and switching the clamps to see if clamps were the issue. My cleaner has been running for the last 3.5 hours, and it's bone dry back there.

I'm wondering if this means the filter leak is just gone now? I really appreciate all the extremely helpful advice in this forum!

 

[Newdude]

I'm wondering if this means the filter leak is just gone now?

Was it particularly cool last week ? Maybe the gasket/O-ring was shrunk and now it's returned to normal size.

Best wishes that it remains OK.

 

[jtb777]

Was it particularly cool last week ? Maybe the gasket/O-ring was shrunk and now it's returned to normal size.

Best wishes that it remains OK.

It's been coolish in the mid 60's. Thanks! I sure hope the leak stays away.