Is Your Pool Heater or Pump Leaking from the Bottom? It Could be the Drain Plug O-Ring - Easy Fix!

If you find water leaking in your equipment area you may think you have a major problem. I get called often for leaks around the equipment area and in a lot of cases it is simply the Winterizing Plug in the pool heater or sometimes in the pool pump. These plugs are used to drain the heater or pump in regions where it gets freezing temperatures to avoid equipment damage. But in most areas we never drain our heater or pump and the tiny o-ring in the plug never gets serviced.

I just received a call this month where the customer turned his pool off due to a major leak by the equipment. When I turned on the equipment I saw the drip leak coming from the heater at the plug. When the pool is running for hours a pretty large puddle can form, especially if it is on a cement pad. This can also happen at the pump but is easier to spot since many times the pump will not prime. Air will be sucked in through the plug area and prevent the pump from priming. To fix this leak all you need to do is replace the small o-ring on the threaded part of the plug.

My supplier carries a universal o-ring that works for most heaters and pumps. Here is the part number for SCP and Superior: ALA-601-4724 for AMP/EZC/JAC/PAC/POL/STA 0-39-9 O-RING

Here it is on Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/2pgU3Bi

You can also find it in your local pool store, probably for less then the price online.

One way to prevent this is to inspect the plug o-ring every season if you live in an area like mine where we never remove the plug. Over time the chemicals in the water will wear out the o-ring and a drip leak will start. Or just change it out when you see a leak forming. One of the first things I look for when I get to an equipment pad with any type of a leak is the drain plugs. It is a much more common source of a leak then any other part, save for the pump discharge from the top of the pool pump. Over time even a drip leak can cause the pool water level to drop, so addressing the problem in a timely manner is important. It really does no harm to the equipment but it can appear to be a major leak in some cases.

So if you go out to your equipment area and see a puddle of water, I suggest looking at these plugs carefully to see it that is the source of the leak. It is a very easy thing to fix and check so I would start at the plug first.

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