Pump badly corroded - replace or repair?

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lowercase

Member
Jan 2, 2023
15
Las Vegas
Our Pentair Intelliflo pump (011018) started making a louder running noise this week, so I took it apart and discovered some very bad corrosion/calcification.
Looks like there has been a long running leak that wasn't caught and this is the end result. My goal was to replace the shaft seal and o-rings, but wasn't expecting to find this sort of damage!

My question is, can this be repaired? Even if I take wire brush and clean everything out, what next? It has even stripped the paint off the inside of the housing.
The pump must be 10 years old and was inherited with a house we bought.
Would it be worth buying just a new motor if this part is not salvageable (for $600)? Or should we just buy a completely new pump (for $1800)?

Any help or advice appreciated.

PXL_20230102_172309990.jpgPXL_20230101_214342540.jpgPXL_20230102_175015230.jpgPXL_20230102_175025397.jpg
 
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lowercase said:
Our Pentair Intelliflo pump (011018) started making a louder running noise this week, so I took it apart and discovered some very bad corrosion/calcification.
Looks like there has been a long running leak that wasn't caught and this is the end result. My goal was to replace the shaft seal and o-rings, but wasn't expecting to find this sort of damage!

My question is, can this be repaired? Even if I take wire brush and clean everything out, what next? It has even stripped the paint off the inside of the housing.
The pump must be 10 years old and was inherited with a house we bought.
Would it be worth buying just a new motor if this part is not salvageable (for $600)? Or should we just buy a completely new pump (for $1800)?

Any help or advice appreciated.
Click to expand...

Just a seal replacement would not be enough, you've lost the bearings. There are a few motor shops willing to replace bearings in my area, not sure about Vegas, but the cost is high. Typically $300-$350 here, just check two weeks ago. With that type of corrosion, the motor may not be able to be disassembled. Usually, with a Pentair Whisperflow/Intelliflow, that much damage, has already made it difficult to get the bolts out of the sealplate, maybe stripping or pulling them from the plate. A build-up of corrosion will do that as well. That would need replacing also. Best option is a new pump.
 
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If I buy a new pump, do i need to buy everything? Or can I just buy a new motor and re-use my old drive on top? The basket part of the pump is still in fine condition.
Any advantage to buying a new one over just replacing the motor?

And as this model 011018 no longer exists, any recommendations for a new one? This one is 3hp.
 
10 years from a pump is good deal I think. You probably could get away with just a new motor, but for my money I'd go another 3HP pump. That way it will have full warranty and all the bearings, electrics, plastics etc will be new. But hey the pool shop may have some motors new or used available. Guess its how the motor comes away from the pump housing.

If you go new you may want to consider a variable speed over a single speed, but that may require some upgrades to the brains of it all. I find I only need full power for start up, vacuuming, or circulating for testing, all the filtering is done on 1/2 speed.
 
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lowercase said:
If I buy a new pump, do i need to buy everything? Or can I just buy a new motor and re-use my old drive on top? The basket part of the pump is still in fine condition.
Any advantage to buying a new one over just replacing the motor?
Click to expand...

You would be making a big bet on your old drive lasting much longer. The motor + drive costs more than a new pump.

lowercase said:
And as this model 011018 no longer exists, any recommendations for a new one? This one is 3hp.
Click to expand...

011056 IntelliFlo VSF or 011075 IntelliFlo3

Pentair IntelliFlo Pumps - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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Check under the new pump periodically for any sign of a leak (at least weekly).

Have a new seal ready to go and replace the seal immediately on detection of a leak.

I have a webcam mounted below my pump so that I can watch for any sign of a leak.

The video is always in picture-in-picture on any screen I use.

The camera also has A.I that has been trained to spot leaks.

I have a "Go-Kit" with all of the necessary parts, tools, supplies etc. and I practice daily responding to a leak.

My goal is to be able to replace the seal within 10 minutes of the first sign of a seal leak.

It's a little bit OCD, but it works for me.
 
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Thanks to everyone for the advice. I will go with the new pump so I don't have to worry about anything else failing.
One more question, do the new pumps still work with our Intelliflo Easytouch remote and panel? We just plug the cord into the new pump and those things will continue to work?
Or does this signal the end of our Easy Touch components?
 

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Connecting to an Automation System

All IntelliFlo3 VSF and IntelliPro3 VSF pumps are compatible with Pentair automation systems.

*Note: When connecting to a Pentair Automation System, connect 18 to 24 AWG, two conductor cable to the DATA+ and DATA- terminals only.
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