URGENT HELP PLEASE. My pump is leaking!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
S

Steveo McNello

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Dec 30, 2010
2,009
2
53
SW Burbs of Chicago
I unplugged it, closed the valves, and took it out for pictures. I left 2 power heads in my pond just to keep some water moving. I have no idea what to do.

I did my best to show where the waters coming from. You can see water drips and where it was pooling on the pump. Turns out its been leaking a while. All the wood on the bottom of my sump stand is wet.

Please help : (

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you're gona need to take it apart to see if any seals are worn out.
 
should check out the manual, it should show you how to do maintenance on the pump. you just need to take off that front assembly im guessing. im guessing it is a seal tho i've never seen a pump like yours where there's that separation you put your finger in.
 
anarekist said:
should check out the manual, it should show you how to do maintenance on the pump. you just need to take off that front assembly im guessing. im guessing it is a seal tho i've never seen a pump like yours where there's that separation you put your finger in.
Click to expand...

And if it is the seal... Is that a part I need to wait a week for through dolphin, or like a universal o ring from lowes or something? Dude thanks a lot for your input too.
 
Most costly direct drive pumps will have a rebuild kit available for them. Google the model number and "rebuild kit". The kit will have all the seals you need to return the pump to like new condition. The seals usually are not a Home Depot available part.
 
It's definitely a bad seal. They aren't too hard at all to replace, but the longest my direct drive pump lasted before needing a new seal was only 3 months, so I changed to a mag-drive style pump.

Did you buy it new? If so it might still be under warranty and you can have the manufacaturer send you a replacement seal. I pulled this from Dolphin's website: "Our confidence is evident in our warranty 2-3 years full including shipping and coverage on the complete pump, including the seal." Hopefully they will honor that and overnight you a seal kit with instructions if it's still under warranty.

After my bad experience with direct drive pumps (I had 4 separate pumps and replaced seals on 3 of them for a total of 7 bad seals over a period of 5 months) I'm not so sure I will every try them again.

Some good options for replacement mag drive (sealless) pumps are the Sicce Synchra HF series or the Laguna Max Flos. The Max Flos will require a little more customizing in that they have a quick connect fitting (versus the universal fittings on the Sicces), but the Lagunas are also about half the cost.

In any case good luck! I feel your pain amigo.
 
aldiaz33 said:
It's definitely a bad seal. They aren't too hard at all to replace, but the longest my direct drive pump lasted before needing a new seal was only 3 months, so I changed to a mag-drive style pump.

Did you buy it new? If so it might still be under warranty and you can have the manufacaturer send you a replacement seal. I pulled this from Dolphin's website: "Our confidence is evident in our warranty 2-3 years full including shipping and coverage on the complete pump, including the seal." Hopefully they will honor that and overnight you a seal kit with instructions if it's still under warranty.

After my bad experience with direct drive pumps (I had 4 separate pumps and replaced seals on 3 of them for a total of 7 bad seals over a period of 5 months) I'm not so sure I will every try them again.

Some good options for replacement mag drive (sealless) pumps are the Sicce Synchra HF series or the Laguna Max Flos. The Max Flos will require a little more customizing in that they have a quick connect fitting (versus the universal fittings on the Sicces), but the Lagunas are also about half the cost.

In any case good luck! I feel your pain amigo.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much guys. My only problem is I have no idea how to get to where I'm pointing in the last picture. I can take the front off (left of the big #1 in pic 3) to view the pump chamber, but I can't get behind it. Meanwhile I'm searching for my manual.
 
Those seals shouldn't be going bad that quickly. Did you lube them up regularly? I used to work on paint pumps, and with routine maintenance they lasted a long time.

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