Pool Pump Leaking from Lid – Problems with Solutions

The pool pump can start leaking for various reasons. The leakage due to the lid is one of those reasons. Pool pump leakage from the lid is one of the hazardous problems of having a pool pump. It is hazardous because it is very hard to find the leakage in the lid area of your pool pump. 

For environmental reasons or overuse, the lid area of your pool pump can get damaged. Both of the upper areas of the lid and the inside area can get damaged, and then the water leaking starts. So you need to find the leakage area as soon as possible.

You can use some easy methods to get the leakage area, like using dish soap, shaving cream, or incense. If the lid gets damaged, you have to change it. If the leakage is occurring because of an O-ring in the lid, you have to change or repair it. Take the necessary steps to stop the leakage in your lid area or your pump could be damaged completely because of it.

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Why your Pool pump leaking from lid?

There are some reasons why your pool pump is leaking from the lid. Let’s see them.

Is the pool pump’s lid actually leaking or not?

Sometimes you can see your pool pump squirting out water, and after seeing it, you can freak out as it is leaking water. It happens when the pool pump is turned off, making the event more anxious. But it isn’t a problem with your pool pump. 

The pump squirts a little water because it wants to equalize the air pressure inside the pool pump with the environmental air pressure. As a result, when you turn on the pool pump, water will begin to flow normally. 

If you try to tighten the lid harder after the water event, it will create an extra problem for you. It not only makes the lid tough to remove but there can also be damage to the lid area.

Water leaking as a result of pool pump lid damage

If the problem with your pool pump is not the water squinting when it is turned off, but the water squirting from the lid when the pool pump is running, it is leaking. As a result, you must first inspect the lid to see if there is any damage. For environmental reasons, the pool pump lid area can be leaked. 

When the air pressure of the pool pump and the air pressure of the outside area isn’t equivalent, the pump can get damaged because of extra pressure. It can also be damaged when it is too old to use. A single pool pump can run for at least a decade, and as it is running for a long period, the lid area can get damaged.

The pool pump leaks because the O-ring area underneath the pool pump is damaged

There can be a leak from your pool pump lid area because it is not attached perfectly. The lid of the pool pump is attached to the pump with an O-ring. If the O-ring does not fit in the pool pump lid area, the lid will not fit properly on the pool pump. 

So it will start leaking water. Also, the o ring can be damaged because of excessive usage. When you have been using your pool pump for a couple of years, the O-ring can fade away because of excessive air pressure. It can also get damaged when you try to solve the leakage problem.

When your pool pump leaks water because of the attached O-ring underneath, the O-ring will start to fade away if you use vaseline on it. So after a couple of days, you can see the radius of the O-ring increasing. At that time, if you attach the O-ring to your pool pump lid area, it won’t fit perfectly. So the pool pump will start leaking water.

Finding the leakage area

If you want to solve your pool pump lid area leakage, first you need to find where the leakage is. To do it, you can follow some methods:

Using incense around the possible leakage area

To do it:

• First, grab a perfectly dried stick that can be used for flaming up and making some incense.
• Then use a lighter to fire the stick. 
• Take the burning stick which is creating the smoke to the possible leakage area of your pool pump lid area.
• Don’t take the burning stick too close or it can damage the lid area of your pool pump. 
• You can see how the leakage will suck in the incense. 
• Then mark the leakage area. 

But this method can be problematic when it is a windy day. So try to cover your inspecting spots so that no air can disturb your leakage inspection. 

Using shaving cream to point out the leakage

If you cannot use the incense method because of too much wind, you can use the shaving cream to point out the leakage area. 

To do it:

• First, you need to grab a can of shaving cream. 
• Spray the shaving cream on the suspected leakage area. 
• Use your hand to apply the shaving cream perfectly to the possible leakage area of the lid area of your pool pump. 
• Check for dimples in the suspecting area.
• If there are dimples on the shaving cream, there must be leakage. 
• Point out the area with a marker pen. 

Using dish soap with water

You can use dish soap mixed with water if you don’t have a shaving cream can nearby.

To do it:

• Put some dish soap in a bowl.
• Put some water in it. 
• Mix them perfectly to make a mixture.
• Use the mixture on the possible leakage area.
• Check if the mixture is being drawn in or not.
• If the mixture is drawn in, use a marker pen to mark the place.

How to solve Pool pump leaking from lid?

Changing the lid area of the pool pump 

If the leakage is in the lid of your pool pump, you have to change it as soon as possible. Or it can damage the pool pump completely. 

To do it:

• First, you need to turn off the pump. 
• You will see two handles on the lid of your pump.
• Grab the handle of the lid with your hands.
• Put pressure in a circular motion on the lid to open it up. 
• If you cannot open the lid with your hands, you can use a hammer to hammer any handle to provide more force. 
• Don’t apply too much pressure, or you could damage the pump itself. 
• Then grab a new lid for your pump. 
• You can buy it from your local pump mechanic shop.
• When buying the lid, you must check if the lid fits your pool pump by taking an accurate measurement of the lid.
• Put the lid on the lid area.
• Again, use your hand to grab the handles.
• Use the circular motion to attach the led to the pool pump that is the opposite of the previous circular motion that you used to open the led. 
• Attach it perfectly so that there will be no air holes. 
• When the attachment is over, use the upper methods to check if there is still any leakage or not on the lid area of the pool pump.

Changing the O-ring of the lid

If the leakage is occurring because of the O-ring in the lid of the pool pump, you need to remove it and attach a new O-ring to the lid.

To do it:

• First, turn off the pool pump. 
• Use the handles to open the lid area of the pool pump. 
• You will see the defective O-ring attached to the lid area.
• Use your hands to grab the O-ring.
• Unwrap the O-ring from the lid.
• Grab a new O-ring.
• You can buy it from your local pump mechanic shop.
• While buying the O-ring, you must choose the perfect size. 
• Use your hand to attach the O-rig to the lid of your pool pump. 
• While attaching, you must be aware that no debris will fall into the lid area.
• Then attach the lid to your pool pump. 
• Don’t tighten the lid too much with the pool pump.

FAQs

Why is the top of my pool filter leaking?

The top of the pool filter can leak due to the lid area leakage or the O-ring being damaged. The lid area of your pool pump can be damaged because of both environmental problems and overuse. The same problem can occur if the O-ring of the lid is not tightened enough anymore. These problems can be the cause of the leakage from the top of your pool filter.

Why is my pool pump motor leaking water?

The pool pump can leak when

• The seal of your pool pump has broken. 
• The bolts or clamps in the pump housing get loosened.
• The pool pump drain plugs can start dripping even when the pump is not running.
• The O-rings in the lid get loosened.
• The outlet of your pump is not fitted enough.
• The inlet of your pump is not fitted perfectly. 
• The pump lid gets damaged because of environmental problems or overuse.

Conclusion

To enjoy the pool, you need to fill it with the pool pump. But the filling can be problematic because of leakage in your pool pump. Leakage can be caused by different parts of the pool pump, and a damaged lid is one of them. Pool pump leakage from the lid is very hazardous because it can completely damage your pool pump.

But when you try to fix the leakage, you can face problems because the leakage area in the lid is very hard to find. So you need to follow some steps to mark the actual leakage area. When you find the leakage, you need to fix it as soon as possible. Leakage can occur on the upper side of the lid or in the O-ring area that is attached underneath the lid.

You must change the damaged parts to fix the leakage. When you buy a lid or O-ring to change it, don’t buy cheap products. Attach the parts perfectly to the pool pump to stop the leakage and get the proper enjoyment from your pool.