Do you have a puddle of water under your pump all the time? Can’t figure out where it is coming from?
This is one of the most common repairs we deal with (at least 5 a week). A pump seal leak is caused when the rubber o-rings fail that connect the motor shaft to the impeller (or in other words, between the motor and the pump basket housing). What’s the big deal you ask? Well, remember, it was “just an o-ring” on the fuel tank that failed that caused the space shuttle to explode.
So while the stakes aren’t that high with your pool.. in the long term it will cause the motor to fail but in the short term, you are loosing water every minute of every day that pump is running. And if you have checked your water bill lately, you know what I mean when I say that water is not “free.” So it is costing you money each and every day.
How much does it cost to fix? Usually about $150 for the service call and about $50 in parts. A new pool motor is $325 plus $200 to put it in. So that is a $500 repair you could avoid. If we have to replace the entire pump and motor, that will cost $900. So the $200 to replace the seal when it first starts is a much better investment for you than a $500 or $900 repair.