Polaris PB4SQ Booster pump leak

drsaxman

Well-known member
Jun 21, 2022
52
Mooresville, NC
I have a small drip coming out of the booster pump. It's a slow drip and seems to be originating right behind the Polaris plate in the picture. I can see it originating there, run along the housing and drip below. It 's like a drop a second.
Is this something that I need to be worried about and do further investigation and or repair? Any idea what the steps would be to fix this?
 

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How old is the pump? Make a warranty claim with Polaris. Especially if you have the old style housing.

The Polaris PB4SQ booster pump has been plagued with pinhole leaks and cracks in the housing. Polaris now has a redesigned housing with visible reinforcements. Below are pics of the old and new housings side by side.

Polaris_PB4SQ_Housing_Comparison_.jpg


 
How old is the pump? Make a warranty claim with Polaris. Especially if you have the old style housing.

The Polaris PB4SQ booster pump has been plagued with pinhole leaks and cracks in the housing. Polaris now has a redesigned housing with visible reinforcements. Below are pics of the old and new housings side by side.

Polaris_PB4SQ_Housing_Comparison_.jpg


The pump is only two years old, but unfortunately, I don't have proof of purchase/invoice and I can't call back the person who installed it for me for other reasons. I was a naïve pool owner back then and have learned so much from this site. Do you think it would still be worthwhile to reach out to polaris since I'm hearing you say this seems to be a known issue?
 
@ajw22 I got Polaris to send me a new housing. Is replacing the housing as simple as unplumbing, remove the four bolts, replace the housing and replumb? I looked at the schematics and that seems to be the case, and they have their "you'll need a pool professional to install..." disclaimer on it.
Thanks for your guidance on this one, definitely appreciated.
 
@ajw22 I got Polaris to send me a new housing. Is replacing the housing as simple as unplumbing, remove the four bolts, replace the housing and replumb? I looked at the schematics and that seems to be the case, and they have their "you'll need a pool professional to install..." disclaimer on it.
Thanks for your guidance on this one, definitely appreciated.
Exactly right. Be sure to use new sealant (I prefer Teflon tape with a little silicone sealant) on the hose adapters and a bit of lube on the O rings.
 
I'm doing a housing swap this weekend. What product do you recommend for silicone sealant? I have a salt pool if that matters.
I finally got around to swapping the housing a couple of weekends ago.
The first issue I ran into is that the bolts holding the housing had corroded so I used an impact wrench to get them off. No way were they coming off with a ratchet. Then when I got the bolts out, it was a bit of a challenge getting the housing off as it was on there pretty good and there isn't really a great way to pop it off. I managed to get it unseized by gently tapping on it with a hammer. Once I got the housing off, I replaced the two O rings and used Alladin Magic Lube on the new ones. Then I put some anti-rust lubricant on the 4 bolts before reinstalling. I'm now up and running without any leaks. It took a lot longer than I expected given the seized bolts and seized cover.
 

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I got my replacement directly from Polaris when I complained to them about it and the quality. They replaced it for free due to the factory defect. I've seen them on ebay as well.
My warranty is out and they agreed to replace it but will only pay for the part and not labor. Most places are charging 150 which is about the same as the part.

They also refused to just send me the part only. Did they pay for your labor
 
My warranty is out and they agreed to replace it but will only pay for the part and not labor. Most places are charging 150 which is about the same as the part.

They also refused to just send me the part only. Did they pay for your labor
They did not pay for my labor, I did it myself. The hardest part was removing the shroud. I had to break out my impact drill to get the bolts off and a hammer lightly tapping to get it broken free from the body.
 
Just an update to this thread.
Pool was built in 2019. Original PB4SQ leaked in 2022 (of course right after pool builder warranty). Replaced it. Now, pump leaking again in Nov 2024. Definitely call Polaris. They are very aware and have redesigned the housing as was shown above. The guy I talked with was great, especially in this day and age when companies don't stand by their products. Polaris was great. They will replace the housing and parts, motor is fine. They owned it, explained the issue, what they have done to fix the issue and are making it right. Original design thickness was not thick enough to withstand the pressure over time. They have re-engineered. I will always stay with a company like that.
As to the only sending to pool professional. that is true. Evidently someone got hurt when they used to send to homeowners, so they had to stop that.
 
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