Multiport valve handle extremely hard to turn

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kymom73

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Jul 13, 2015
22
Independence, KY
The handle is extremely hard to turn; I'm afraid it's going to break. The pool store told me to get any silicone lube to put on the spider gasket so I did. It didn't help at all. Then they told me to replace the spring and washer for the handle. Haven't done that yet.
I saw on this site to use Magic Lube. Will this work better or do we need to replace the spring and washer?

(We did not replace the gasket because it would not come off--pool builder must have glued every inch of it in. Frustrating! Any tips on how to get it out?)

Thank you so much!
Dave
 
I highly doubt your PB is the one who glued it in. Chances are the PB didn't even open the multiport valve. The gasket was probably glued in by the manufacturer.

Are you pushing the handle down fully before attempting to turn it?
Are you only turnkng the handle in one direction? This is highly recommended.
You could try applying some silicone spray (silicone, NOT oil based, like WD40) to the shaftthe handle is attached to. Spray a little silicon spray on it and push the handle down. Apply a little more silicone spray and work the handle up and down a few times. Spray it one last time, push down fully and try rotating again (one direction only). Sometimes that will free it up. Mine gets a bit of dirt/dust along the shaft and it makes it more difficult to operate.

If that doesn't work, you may need to disassemble the multiport, clean the shaft and replace the shaft seals.
 
Mine became really hard to turn and the cause was a cracked washer. I was able to see the crack beneath the handle so I ordered a new one and watched a YouTube video on how to replace. I added a little magic lube when replacing. Now good as new.
 
kymom73 said:
Yes I am pushing the handle down fully before even though it is very hard to do. I did not know to turn in one direction; I will start doing that. Will try the spray. I googled and saw a 3M spray. Is that okay?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
As long as it's 100% silicone spray. You can probably find it at Home Depot or the other big box places.

If it doesn't work, you will probably need to take the multiport apart and replace the washer (under the handle), spring, shaft o-rings. Use pool lube in the re-assembly.
 
sktn77a said:
Can you elaborate on how tight you consider "hand tight"? That seal is under pressure so those bolts need to be pretty snug to seal.
Click to expand...
When we torqued it tight using an electric drill/screwdriver on the bolt and a wrench on the nut, the multivalve handle would not move. When using a hand held screwdriver on the bolt and a wrench on the nut, we tightened it as much as we could by hand. Only then were we able to turn the handle. We think we over tightened it using the electric drill. In both cases, we lubed the gasket pretty well.
We have not put it under pressure yet. We think it will not leak. I guess we should test it before suggesting it. :scratch::thumleft:
 
mariane said:
We have not put it under pressure yet. We think it will not leak. I guess we should test it before suggesting it. :scratch::thumleft:
Click to expand...
Just a follow-up: We tested the replacement multiport and the hand tightening held pressure and no leaks from the spider gasket. That seems to have been the case.
 
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