Stenner Pump tubing cracks

[squib]

Installed a Stenner pump in the spring, and it has worked great---when working. About a month ago, I came home from vacation to find that the clear plastic tubing running from my tank to the pump had developed some cracks and the pump had lost suction. I figured the sun was degrading the plastic, so I ran new tubing and wrapped it.

Fastforward about a month: I go out today, and my tubing is cracked again--this time very close to where the tubing runs into the pump and was unwrapped. Now, I have lost suction again and am getting no injection.

Is this a common problem? Any other form of tubing I could run?

 

[440dodge440]

I'm looking into a Stenner and one of the options is a black UV resistant tubing, which would lead me to believe the other tubing options are not UV resistant.

 

[squib]

Thanks, 440. I'll go on the hunt for UV resistant tubing

 

[VAPoolboy788]

Who installed the stenner pump and is the tubing clear? If so the tubes are probably just water line for a fridge and will not handle sun and chemical degradation. There is nothing wrong with this approach because it is much cheaper and depending on the run from chemical tank to pump it probably wasn't sold with enough hose. You will probably pay 3x the cost for good hose, justify how often you need to replace the hose because it will cost around $1 per foot for good hose

 

[darinhouston]

I don't think it's UV - I am having the same problem with UV resistant tubing and it's happening every couple of months - it's so close to the pump ferrule that I think it's the oscillations of the pump operation causing stress to the tubing and eventually cracks. The problem with mine I think is the curvature of the tubing coming from the opposite side of the inlet/outlet. So, I'm considering making a curved ferrule extension tube to take the strain off of it. Maybe I'll 3d print something. But, maybe even a spring support at that point might help relieve the stress like some high end garden hoses.

 

[jonpcar]

I think @darinhoustons hit it on the nose. I have had this “occasional” problem as well (maybe once a year) near the output/input ferrules where the tubing naturally loops downward and the vibrations seem to exacerbate the stresses until a leak occurs. In my pad rebuild I repositioned (turned it) my stenner so that the ferrules/tubes go straight downward, no it’s not a standard installation placement. I’m on vacation now and can’t post a more specific picture, but here is the closest I have now from previously posted pictures…so far no problems.

See the 2nd photo here:

Tight pad equipment rebuild with SWCG addition and other changes

Last September I did some exploratory excavations to see if my pad could be remodeled to accommodate some changes I wanted to make. I’m finally getting close to being finished after long periods of inactivity…weather, trips, holidays, laziness, etc. Here are some pictures of what I found early...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[jonpcar]

Back from vacation so, in case there is any interest, here are a couple closer photos of my last stenner pump install to avoid the problem talked about above. So far a year+ and no issue. As I mentioned, it’s not a “standard” orientation for the pump.