Most pool leaks are discovered in April, but they were created in January — rubber sitting compressed and cold for months, taking a permanent set. Opening is the moment of discovery, not the moment of failure.
Before you start the pump
1. Refit the drain plugs with new o-rings
You removed them at closing so the housings could not trap water. Do not reuse the seals — they are cheap, they are on the suction side, and a failed one causes air ingestion rather than an obvious drip.
2. Inspect every lid and union o-ring before assembly
Take each one out, clean the groove, and assess it honestly. Hard, flattened, cracked, glazed or chalky means replace. If it is good, lubricate it with silicone and refit — a dry ring can leak air even undamaged.
3. Look at the chlorinator lid seal specifically
If tablets sat in the feeder over winter, that seal has spent months in concentrated chemistry with no flow. It is the harshest position in the system. Consider moving to FKM — see why chlorinator o-rings need FKM.
4. Check the filter tank band and lid
See our filter seal guide for which seal does what.
Starting up without damaging anything
- Fill the pump housing manually before starting. Never start a pool pump dry — seconds of dry running scores the shaft seal faces.
- Open all valves before switching on.
- Watch the strainer basket. It should fill and clear. Persistent air means a suction-side leak — see finding the air leak.
- Check the gauge once flow establishes and note the clean pressure for the season.
- Walk the pad after ten minutes and look at every joint.
If something leaks
Work systematically rather than replacing at random. Water outside the equipment is a seal. Water going to waste while filtering is a valve. Air in the basket with no visible water is a suction-side leak. Water between motor and wet end is the shaft seal, and that one is urgent — see shaft seal diagnosis.
Next autumn
Most of what you are fixing now was preventable at closing. See the closing checklist — particularly backing off the pump lid so the o-ring is not compressed all winter.
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.