Pump Lids, Baskets & O Rings

Pool Pump Baskets

To ensure proper filter pressure and pump operation, always check to see if your pool pump baskets need to be cleaned out. Make cleaning and emptying out your pool pump basket part of your regular pool maintenance routine. 

A cracked or damaged pool pump basket can cause larger pieces of debris to slip through and if you’re lucky, just clog up the impeller. The worse case scenario for having large pieces of debris slip through your pool pump basket is that it could hit and damage your impeller and you’ll end up spending a lot more for pump repairs and impeller replacement.

Replacing a broken pool pump basket is as easy as swapping out your old damaged pump basket for a new one so there really isn’t a reason not to replace damaged ones as soon as possible. 

Mr Pool Man Carries pump baskets for all of the trusted pool pump brands in Australia like Water TechniX, Astral, Davey, Zodiac and More!

Tip: Be gentle when opening and closing your pool pump lids whenever you check your pool pump baskets since they can get damaged if handled too rough. And also make sure that your pump lid O-rings are clear of any dirt and debris whenever you open and close the pool pump basket compartment. 

Pool Pump O-Rings

A pool pump O-ring is a solid-rubber that’s usually round (for standard applications) or it may have a special shape (for pump body O-rings) designed for a specific use. When O-rings are compressed in between two surfaces, it creates a seal and blocks water or air from passing through. 

Common Causes of O-Rings Damage

• Lack of Lubrication - O-rings are made out of rubber and over time will dry out and crack. Be sure to lubricate it every few months (for pump lid o-rings) or whenever you need to open the pump’s housing (pump body O-rings), with a silicone based lubricant like the Aussie Gold Lubricant.
• Petroleum Jelly - This is a common mistake that people do. NEVER lubricate your O-rings with petroleum jelly as this breaks down rubber. 
• Wear and Tear - O-rings on your pool pump lids will eventually wear out from frequent opening and closing of the lid. 
• Trapped dirt and debris - Always check your pump lid O-rings for dirt and debris before closing them to prevent trapped debris from damaging your O-ring or creating a channel that prevents the O-ring from forming an effective seal. 

Replacing Broken or Damaged Pool Pump O-rings

Replacing a damaged O-ring is quite straightforward. Simply take out the old O-ring and put in the new one. Just make sure to thoroughly clean the surfaces or grooves of where the O-ring will rest to make sure that there’s no debris hiding underneath. Also apply a fresh coat of lubricant to the new O-ring before installing as many O-rings do not come pre-lubricated when packed by the manufacturer. 

To familiarize yourself with the different O-rings of your pool pump, we invite you to check out our blog post highlighting the different parts of your pool pump. 

Pool Pump Lids

Unknown to many people, pool pump lids actually serve a number of important functions for your pool pump. 

• Since pool pump lids are transparent, they allow you to check if your pump baskets need cleaning without having to open up the lid
• Pool pump lids also allow you to check if water is properly being drawn into the pump
• Pool pump lids (along with their included O-ring) seals the pump basket compartment to ensure that there’s a vacuum for the pump to pull in pool water properly
• Pool pump lids allow access to the pump basket compartment for cleaning and for access when you need to push out pool line blockages with a drain king attachment

Problems caused by a damaged Pool Pump Lid 

A damaged pool pump lid can cause your pool pump to surge or pulse by preventing a proper vacuum from forming and allowing air and water to leak out of the pump basket compartment.  So at the first sign of cracking, or damage, replace your pool pump lid immediately to prevent further damage to your pool pump. 

Pool Pump Lid Maintenance

• Maintaining your pool pump lid is pretty straightforward, be gentle with the lid. Even though it’s made from very tough weather-treated materials, too much physical pressure when opening and closing it can cause tiny cracks which may lead to larger cracks and damage it altogether. 
• Lubricate the pump lid O-rings every few months with a silicone based lubricant like the Aussie Gold Lube it. 
• Make sure that there’s no dirt and debris caught on the O-rings whenever you close up your pool pump lids

Pump Housing Damage

There will be cases where the pump body housing near your pump lid will be cracked, this can be caused by a number of things and there's no easy fix for this. Even if you get a new lid, the possibility of leaking is still there. We invite you to check out our Pool Pump Spare Parts Collection to see if a replacement pump housing is available.