Hello all,
I have an old Hayward DE-4800 filter that came with the house which I moved into a year ago. At the time of moving in, the filter had a constant very small leak from the metal clamp that goes around the middle of the filter. Is is a two-part metal clamp, two C shaped pieces that are supposed to be connected and tightened with two nut and spring tensioners. Both the springs were missing, but the nuts were there. The pressure gauge at the top was broken and the air relief valve was leaking.
I have since disassembled the filter to give it a backwash and clean, which was very much needed, and recharged with DE. I have replaced the pressure gauge and air valve. I have replaced the nuts and spring tensioners on the clamp and I have cleaned the 'lips' where the two fiberglass halves of the filter casings join, cleaned the o-ring and examined for damage, and I have lubricated it using Magic Lube II (the silicone version). I have put everything back together, fired up the pump (which is brand new) and - the leak remains! It is a steady drip that only comes from the joints between the two halves of the metal clamp. I have loosened and re-positioned the clamp at different points - rotating it all around the filter - in case it just wasn't sitting in the 'right' place, and some positions elicit a more aggressive leak than others, but the leak is always there. I have tried tapping the clamp with a rubber mallet (with varied force / exasperation) as I tighten it, and this does allow the clamp to tighten much easier with far less apparent stress on the bolts, but the end result is the same - a steady drip, either from both the joints between the metal clamp halves (ie. where the two nuts and springs are), or from only one joint.
I cannot find the manual for this DE-4800 filter anywhere online, but I am wondering now (having read that some o-rings should actually NOT be lubricated at all) if I should remove all the lubricant that I applied. Does anyone have any experience with these old DE-4800s in terms of lubing vs. not lubing the o-ring - or any other tips that might help me out here?
My sincere thanks in advance!
I have an old Hayward DE-4800 filter that came with the house which I moved into a year ago. At the time of moving in, the filter had a constant very small leak from the metal clamp that goes around the middle of the filter. Is is a two-part metal clamp, two C shaped pieces that are supposed to be connected and tightened with two nut and spring tensioners. Both the springs were missing, but the nuts were there. The pressure gauge at the top was broken and the air relief valve was leaking.
I have since disassembled the filter to give it a backwash and clean, which was very much needed, and recharged with DE. I have replaced the pressure gauge and air valve. I have replaced the nuts and spring tensioners on the clamp and I have cleaned the 'lips' where the two fiberglass halves of the filter casings join, cleaned the o-ring and examined for damage, and I have lubricated it using Magic Lube II (the silicone version). I have put everything back together, fired up the pump (which is brand new) and - the leak remains! It is a steady drip that only comes from the joints between the two halves of the metal clamp. I have loosened and re-positioned the clamp at different points - rotating it all around the filter - in case it just wasn't sitting in the 'right' place, and some positions elicit a more aggressive leak than others, but the leak is always there. I have tried tapping the clamp with a rubber mallet (with varied force / exasperation) as I tighten it, and this does allow the clamp to tighten much easier with far less apparent stress on the bolts, but the end result is the same - a steady drip, either from both the joints between the metal clamp halves (ie. where the two nuts and springs are), or from only one joint.
I cannot find the manual for this DE-4800 filter anywhere online, but I am wondering now (having read that some o-rings should actually NOT be lubricated at all) if I should remove all the lubricant that I applied. Does anyone have any experience with these old DE-4800s in terms of lubing vs. not lubing the o-ring - or any other tips that might help me out here?
My sincere thanks in advance!