Pentair's WhisperFlo has been a standard in-ground pump for years, and the IntelliFlo is its variable-speed descendant. They share more than the family resemblance suggests.
The shared seal
Both use seal 71734. You will find it listed under Pentair, under Purex, and under both pump names — Purex having been absorbed into the Pentair line years ago.
If your search turns up the part under a brand that is not on your pump, you have still found the right seal.
Variable speed changes the wear pattern
A single-speed pump runs one long cycle. A variable-speed pump spends much of its life at low RPM, which sounds gentler and mostly is — but the seal faces rely on a fluid film that establishes with rotation. At very low speed that film is thinner.
The bigger factor is start count. Variable-speed schedules often mean more starts per day, and every start is the moment of maximum face wear. Two pumps of the same age can be in very different condition depending on programming.
Symptoms
- Water between the motor and wet end — the seal, and it feeds the bearing
- Rust staining on the motor face or the pad below
- A whine or growl that tracks pump speed
See shaft seal diagnosis to confirm before ordering.
Before you reassemble
Seat every o-ring with a thin film of food-grade silicone. Dry rings pinch and take a set. Aqua Flex Food Grade Silicone Lubricant is what ships in our kits.
O-rings only. Never lubricate the polished faces of a mechanical shaft seal.
Beaver Island Parts Company is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any equipment manufacturer named on this page. All brand names, model numbers and part numbers are the property of their respective owners and are used solely to identify the equipment our replacement parts fit.