Good evening all! I've come to pick some brains. So I have recently upgraded the pump that was installed by the pool contractor at our new home. It was a 1.5hp no-name VS pump with 1.5" ports. It didn't push enough volume to get up to the roof top solar and keep everything flowing so I purchased a used but seemingly very nicely cared for Pentair 3hp IntelliFlo that needed motor bearings. While apart I decided to get the wet end wear parts as well. When disassembling I noticed there was no diffuser O-ring where it goes into the volute. There wasn't even a witness mark of where one used to be on either side. I studied it for a bit and decided it must be a tight tolerance and that it may have always been like that. I installed the pump and it works like it just came out of the box! Primes instantly, has great flow, no air bubbles or cavitation. I couldn't ask for anything better. However, it's been weighing on me because every diagram I've seen of the pump breakdowns have the O-ring. Should it not work very well without it? Curious to see what the group thinks on this.
Rebuilding pump, missing seal
- Thread starter gman4dx266
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,167
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Good question. You're right that all the parts lists clearly show it, so I don't know.
Let's tag @1poolman1 to see if he's experienced this in his travels.
ferretbone
In The Industry
Don't all jump on me at once because this is something we don't say out loud, but I have seen tons of pumps with no diffuser Orings. And they prime up, and run fine and effectively without them. Ferretbone how can you know that they run fine and effectively without them for curtain? Because we mostly have/use flow meters, and vacumm gauges on commercial pools.
On the flip side of that coin, I have also had pumps that would not prime unless that oring was lubed up as well.
The right advise is to slap an Oring on the diffuser with lube when you get a chance. But if you do not, sleep better because I see this every three or four weeks with no issue.
On the flip side of that coin, I have also had pumps that would not prime unless that oring was lubed up as well.
The right advise is to slap an Oring on the diffuser with lube when you get a chance. But if you do not, sleep better because I see this every three or four weeks with no issue.
