Sealant + lube: is either/both/neither needed for shaft seal replacement?

[Hot_Rod]

Hi - I have the parts to go deep into a bearing replacement on my Intelliflo. I have read that I should be replacing the shaft seal at same time, so I also bought a GoKIT32 and a new PS-1000 seal for that.

1) before I start - I can't find on TFP/amazon reviews / etc what to do about sealant and lube for the install of the seal.

what is the answer:
a) Sealant and Lube both essential
b) Sealant essential, lube not required
c) lube essential, sealant not required
d) neither is required

for lube, I read in some places to use water based. I have some Aladdin Magic *Lube* on hand from other pool repairs but I understand that is not recommended for sealant or lube since not water based?
for sealant: I have GE 100% silicone in the caulking toolkit but I don't know if that is pool/water safe (should be since 100%?). Some people even say to just use dish soap or vegetable oil (?) Boss 315? Sealube?

Anyhow - some people say to use silicone as sealant under on side of seal, and a water based lube for install of the rest, but no one seems to mention what product they are using for these, and some do one and not the other so am open to ideas before I get the motor cracked open, thanks!

2) PS1000 is unbranded in a white box that just says PS1000 with no logos (supposed to be Aladdin kit but no Aladdin markings), I have read some ppl say to not skimp on the seal and buy the Pentair OEM part, and mine is not even the U.S. Seal branded box. This GOKIT32 from Liberty Pool on Amazon so I am wondering if they just put generic parts together to match Aladdin kit contents?

 

[kadavis]

I would use the PS 3865R Viton seal. You put a little silicone on the metal half of seal that gets pressed into seal plate. Use a little soapy water or the seal lube from Us Seal on half that fits in impeller. Be careful not to touch the face of either half

 

[Hot_Rod]

I would use the PS 3865R Viton seal. You put a little silicone on the metal half of seal that gets pressed into seal plate. Use a little soapy water or the seal lube from Us Seal on half that fits in impeller. Be careful not to touch the face of either half

Thanks for the reply. Do you mean my GE 100% silicone is sufficient or do I need a special sealant? I will research PS 3865R though at first glance it is intended for saltwater pool so may be overkill for my BBB setup.

EDIT: I just bought an OEM Pentair 071734S. If I do this repair I want to do it right and not mess around with an off brand seal like the PS-1000 I have, and the PS 3865R was going to be the same price.

 

[JamesW]

You definitely will benefit from the better seal. A seal can rotate over a billion times in the lifetime of a pump. A cheapo seal will wear out and leak.

The best seal is a PS-1905, but it's about $43. It's expensive, but if it can prevent a seal change even once, it's worth it. It's silicon carbide, so it's super tough and can survive a run dry condition better than any other seal.

The PS-3865R is a good choice for most applications.

For the silicone, I would suggest an aquarium sealant on the metal cup part. Available at any hardware store. Use a very thin even layer. This will help with installation and sealing.

Use a 1" PVC schedule 40 coupling and a rubber hammer to make sure that the seal is fully seated.

HowTo: Repair a Pentair WhisperFlo Pump - poolplaza.com - YouTube

Don't get silicone on the seal faces.

For the part that goes into the impeller, you should use seal lube or dish soap.

You want the lube to wash away as soon as the water hits it.

 

[Hot_Rod]

You definitely will benefit from the better seal. A seal can rotate over a billion times in the lifetime of a pump. A cheapo seal will wear out and leak.

The best seal is a PS-1905, but it's about $43. It's expensive, but if it can prevent a seal change even once, it's worth it. It's silicon carbide, so it's super tough and can survive a run dry condition better than any other seal.

The PS-3865R is a good choice for most applications.

For the silicone, I would suggest an aquarium sealant on the metal cup part. Available at any hardware store. Use a very thin even layer. This will help with installation and sealing.

Thanks for all the info. I bought some of the DAP silicone that is Aquarium safe.

Does anyone know how the OEM part 071734S seal from Pentair compares in quality to these various aftermarket U.S. Seal ones (PS-1905, PS-3865, PS-1000, etc.)? I can still return the OEM one if needed. It was $25, wondering how much of a difference the ~$20 makes to step up to PS-1905 from the 071734S.

 

[JamesW]

In my opinion, the regular PS-1000 is junk and should not be used.

The OEM is probably ok. Probably close to the PS-3865R.

The PS-1905 is really good.

Considering the cost of a leaking seal, going with a quality seal is definitely worthwhile.

A leaking seal can ruin a motor plus the cost of replacing the parts plus labor.

Considering that the PS-1905 is not that much more than the PS-3865R, it's probably worth the upgrade.