The Complete Pool Repair Kit Buying Guide: How to Find the Right Kit for Your Pump, Filter, Valve, or Chlorinator

If your pool pump is dripping, your filter is weeping at the band clamp, or your multiport valve is leaking out the handle, you do not need to replace the whole unit. You need a repair kit. A good kit will get a 10-year-old pump running like new for under fifty bucks and an afternoon's work. The hard part is buying the right kit. Pool equipment manufacturers have hundreds of overlapping model lines, and a kit that fits a Hayward Super Pump will not fit a Hayward Power-Flo, even though they look almost identical from the outside.

This guide walks you through how to pick the exact kit your equipment needs, what the kit will and will not include, and the upgrade options worth paying for. It covers the four main kit categories we stock, the difference between a Repair Kit, an O-Ring Kit, and a Go Kit, and the pre/post-date-code traps that catch most first-time DIYers. Use it like a service manual: skim to your equipment type, then drill in.

If you already know what you need, jump straight to the Repair Kits collection and use the Kit Type filter to narrow by Pump, Filter, Valve, or Chlorinator.

The three kit types: Repair Kit, O-Ring Kit, Go Kit

Before you shop for a brand, you need to know which type of kit fits the job. The packaging will say one of three things.

Repair Kit

The standard service pack for a pump, valve, or chlorinator. Includes the shaft seal, all O-rings and gaskets, and any small wear parts needed for a complete teardown and rebuild of the housing. A Pump Repair Kit usually has the mechanical shaft seal plus the lid O-ring, diffuser gasket, and housing O-ring. A Multiport Valve Repair Kit has the spider gasket plus the diverter and stem O-rings. This is what you want 80% of the time.

O-Ring Kit

Just the elastomer parts, no shaft seal. Used for filter housings (cartridge, sand, and DE filters do not have shaft seals) and for refreshing pump O-rings between full rebuilds. If your filter is leaking at the band clamp or the air-relief tower, you want an O-Ring Kit, not a Repair Kit.

Go Kit

A full rebuild kit. Everything in a Repair Kit plus bearings, impeller, diffuser, and other consumables that wear out on a longer cycle. Worth the extra cost if your pump is 8+ years old, has been run dry, makes grinding noises, or is going back into service after winter storage with visible corrosion. We sell Go Kits for the Polaris Booster Pump, Jandy MHP/MHUP and HHP/HHPU, Hayward Power-Flo, and a handful of Jacuzzi WPA pumps, among others.

Identify your equipment first, then shop

Every kit on the market is tied to a specific manufacturer, model, and often a date code. Buying by appearance alone is how you end up with a Hayward kit that does not fit your Hayward pump. Spend two minutes finding the model number before you click buy.

On a pool pump

The label is usually on the motor's data plate, a silver or black sticker on the side of the motor housing opposite the shaft. Look for two things: the brand and model name (Hayward Super Pump, Pentair WhisperFlo, Sta-Rite Dura-Glas, etc.) and the part number stamped on the wet end (often on the pump body itself, near the volute discharge). Snap a photo of both, then cross-reference the model to the right kit.

On a filter

The label is on the side of the tank or the top of the filter head. You want the model designation (e.g. Hayward C900, Sta-Rite DEP51, Pentair FNS Plus) and the band-clamp diameter if you have a cartridge filter. The grid configuration also matters on a DE filter, since older Sta-Rite DEP and newer DES use different O-rings on the bulkhead.

On a multiport valve

The model is cast into the top of the valve body just under the handle, or molded into the bottom flange. Common families: Hayward SP710-series (top mount), SP715 (side mount), SP710X (Vari-Flo XL), Pentair Pac-Fab 1.5-inch (small body) and 2-inch (large body), Praher TM-12, and a half-dozen others. The plumbing size (1.5 in vs 2 in) is the most common point of confusion.

On a chlorinator or chemical feeder

The model is on the lid or the side of the housing. Hayward CL200 and CL220 use the same kit family. The C-Series commercial feeders (CL100, CL110) use a different one.

1. Pump Repair Kits

Pumps are the #1 thing pool owners need to repair. The shaft seal is a wear part by design, the mechanical face starts leaking after 5 to 8 years of normal use, and once that seal fails the leak runs down the shaft into the motor bearings, killing the motor next. Catch it early with a $15 Repair Kit and you save a $400 motor.

Major pump families we stock kits for:

• Hayward: Super Pump, Super II, Power-Flo (1500 and 1700), Max-Flo (1800-2800 and 700), NorthStar (pre-2003), Matrix, EcoStar / EnergyFlo TriStar
• Pentair: WhisperFlo (standard and XF), SuperFlo / SuperMax, Challenger
• Sta-Rite: Dura-Glas / Maxi-Glas (pre-1998 and 1998-to-present have different kits), Max-E-Pro, Dyna-Glas, J-Series, CF / CF6, P2R / P2RA, P4E / P4EA
• Pentair Pac-Fab: Pinnacle, Hydropump, PE / P2, Challenger
• Jandy: Stealth (SHPF / SHP), MHP / MHUP / MHPU, JHP / JHPU, HHP / HHPU
• Jacuzzi: Magnum, R / RC, Cygnet, PJM, ULSB / ULSC, and the long L-series family (LPH / LPC / LCU / LTCU / SLPH / SLTPH / etc.)
• American Products: Americana, Maxim II, Ultra-Flo, American Eagle
• Aladdin Dominator: pre-1995 and post-1995 are different kits
• Polaris: Booster Pump Go Kits, split by manufacturing date (pre-December 2011 vs 2011-and-later)

A few of the most-requested pump kits on the store:

Don’t see your model? Search all 71 pump kits in the Kit Finder →

Pre/post date-code traps to avoid

Several pump families changed their wet-end design partway through their production run. Buying the wrong era kit means the shaft seal does not seat correctly and the pump leaks immediately. Always verify your date code or pump serial against these splits:

• Sta-Rite Dura-Glas / Maxi-Glas: 1998 and later use a redesigned seal plate. Pre-1998 needs a legacy kit, post-1998 is the current standard kit.
• Aladdin Dominator: 1995 design change. Pre-1995 and post-1995 are separate part numbers.
• Hayward NorthStar: a major bearing redesign happened in 2003. Pre-2003 kits are now legacy-only and may be hard to source.
• American Products multiport valves: split in 1976. Pre-1976 valves use a different spider gasket geometry than post-1976.
• Polaris Booster Pump (PB4-60): December 2011 cutover. Pre-Dec-2011 Go Kits include a different bearing set than 2011-and-later kits.

If you cannot find the date code, count the bolts on the seal plate and the diameter of the shaft seal seat. Our team can confirm fit if you email a photo of the pump label.

2. Filter Repair Kits and O-Ring Kits

Filters do not have shaft seals, so 95% of filter service kits are O-Ring Kits. The wear parts are the band-clamp O-ring (which sees pressure cycling every time the pump turns on and off), the air-relief tower O-ring, the drain plug O-ring, and the bulkhead union O-rings. On DE filters add the air-bleed O-ring at the top of the tank and the manifold O-rings inside.

The three filter families and their typical kits:

Cartridge filters

If your cartridge filter is weeping at the band clamp every time the pump cycles, it is the main O-ring. Order the O-Ring Kit matched to your filter family.

• Hayward Star-Clear, Star-Clear Plus, Star-Clear II, and the C-Series numbered models (C100, C120, C200, C225, C250, C500, C750, C800, C900, C1200, C1500, C3000, C3000S, C4000, C4000S)
• Pentair Pac-Fab Clean & Clear, CF25 / CF150, MY-Series (MY50, MY80, MY100), MA60, FMY, MYT-B, Mitra-SS
• Sta-Rite Posi-Flo and Posi-Flo II
• American Products Commander and Quantum
• Astral Terra, Rainbow 25 / 50 SF, and various spa cartridge housings (Waterway, Leisure Bay)

Sand filters

Sand filters share the same wear pattern but use different O-ring sizes per family. The lateral seal at the bottom of the tank and the multiport-to-tank flange are the parts that usually fail first.

• Hayward S-Series: S140T, S160T, S180T, S190T, S200, S210, S220, S240, S244T, S245T, S270T, S310T, GM, Pro Series
• Sta-Rite PTM: PTM70, PTM100, PTM135. TXR-series: TX-35, TX-50. TXC, HRP36, Pantera
• Pentair Pac-Fab: TR series, TA series, PF35, PF50, PF100
• Baker Hydro (and the smaller Baker Hydro Mite), Jacuzzi Laser / MFM / RMST, American Products Titan, Tahitian

DE (Diatomaceous Earth) filters

DE filters have the most O-rings of any filter family, between 6 and 12 per kit depending on the model. Always order the kit matched to your exact model number, even within the same brand.

• Hayward: EC40, EC50, EC65, EC75, DE Series, DE720S
• Sta-Rite DEP: DEP36, DEP51, DEP83. DES: DES25, DES36, DES51 (DEP and DES are not interchangeable)
• Pentair Pac-Fab: Star, SM / SMBW, 2000-Series
• Pentair FNS and FNS Plus (FNS and FNS Plus use different kits)
• Pentair Nautilus Stainless Steel, Jacuzzi Earthworks, Jacuzzi Lateral Slide

A few of the most-needed filter kits:

Don’t see your model? Search all 74 filter kits in the Kit Finder →

3. Valve Repair Kits

Multiport valves are the second-most-common service-kit purchase. The spider gasket sits between the rotor and the valve body. It seals the six (or seven) ports as you turn the handle through Filter, Backwash, Rinse, Waste, Closed, Recirculate, and Winter. After a few seasons of pressure cycling and chlorine exposure, the spider gasket compresses, and water leaks between ports. You will see backwash water flowing back into the pool when you are in Filter mode, or sand coming out the waste line, or pressure dropping unexpectedly.

The spider gasket family you need depends on your valve body. The three big distinctions:

• Plumbing size: 1.5-inch valves and 2-inch valves have different spider gaskets. The number is cast into the valve body near the inlet/outlet.
• Top-mount vs side-mount: Hayward SP710 / SP711 / SP712 / SP714 are top-mount; SP715 is side-mount. Pentair Pac-Fab 1.5-in and 2-in are top-mount; 2-in HiFlow has its own kit.
• With or without spring: some kits include the rotor spring (use these if your handle does not click positively into each detent); others are gasket-only.

Beyond multiport valves, we also stock kits for slide valves (Anthony 1.5-in and 2-in brass, Pentair Pac-Fab, Sta-Rite / Purex), specialty diverter valves (Jandy Never-Lube 2-port and 3-port), and obscure legacy bodies (Ortega, Anthony Pulsator).

Don’t see your valve? Search all 22 valve kits in the Kit Finder →

4. Chlorinator and Chemical Feeder Kits

An offline chlorinator's lid O-ring is the part that fails first. When that O-ring goes, chlorine gas vents up out of the lid, eating the equipment-pad bonding wires and corroding nearby metal. A $15 kit and 10 minutes saves you a $300 bonding-system repair.

The two main feeder families:

• Hayward CL200 and CL220 (residential offline feeders) use the same kit family.
• Hayward C-Series commercial feeders (CL100, CL110) use a separate kit.

See both chlorinator kits in the Kit Finder →

Upgrade options that are worth the extra dollar

Premium Seal kits

On the big-volume pumps (Hayward Super Pump, Pentair WhisperFlo, Pentair Pac-Fab Challenger, Sta-Rite Dura-Glas / Maxi-Glas, Hayward Max-Flo, Jandy Stealth, Pentair Pac-Fab Pinnacle), we stock a Premium Seal version of the standard Repair Kit. The premium kit upgrades the carbon/ceramic shaft seal to a silicon-carbide vs silicon-carbide face pair, which is harder, more chemically stable, and lasts roughly twice as long as the standard seal.

Pay for the upgrade when:

• Your pump runs more than 8 hours a day
• Your pool is salt-chlorinated (salt is hard on the standard seal face)
• You have a UV or ozone system inline (more on this below)
• You have already rebuilt the pump once and the standard seal failed in under 3 years

Skip the upgrade if you have a low-runtime pump (under 6 hours a day) on a chlorine-tab pool with no UV or ozone. The standard seal will last 5 to 8 years and the premium kit's extra cost is not justified.

Ozone-resistant seal upgrades (3865 and 3868)

If your equipment pad has an ozone generator inline (Solaxx Renaissance, ClearWater Ozone, Del Ozone, anything that injects O3 ahead of the pump return), the standard shaft seal degrades in 6-12 months. Ozone attacks the elastomer parts. The fix is the Ozone-Resistant Seal upgrade, which uses Viton (FKM) instead of Buna-N (NBR) for the elastomer.

• 3868 Seal is the ozone-resistant upgrade for Hayward Super Pump and the various pump models that share the Hayward Super Pump shaft size.
• 3865 Seal is the ozone-resistant upgrade for Pentair WhisperFlo and shaft-compatible Pentair pumps.

If you do not know whether your system has ozone, walk out to the equipment pad and look for a small black or blue box plumbed inline with the return line, often with a clear or amber feed tube going into a venturi injector. That is an ozone generator. Buy the ozone-resistant kit. The $5-$8 upcharge buys you years of extra service life.

When to step up to a Go Kit

A Go Kit costs roughly 2 to 3 times what a standard Repair Kit costs. It is worth the price when any of these apply:

• Your pump is 8 or more years old and has never been fully rebuilt.
• You hear grinding, growling, or a high-pitched whine from the motor (bearings are going).
• The motor housing is visibly corroded from a prior shaft-seal leak.
• The pump has been run dry (no prime, no water in the strainer pot) for more than a few minutes.
• You are returning a pump to service after a long off-season and you do not know its history.

If you are just replacing a leaking shaft seal on a pump that is otherwise quiet and well-maintained, a standard Repair Kit is all you need.

Installation tips that save service calls

Pool repair kits are forgiving as long as you respect a few basics. Each of these is a real-world fix to a common rebuild failure we hear about on phone support.

Use pool-grade silicone lubricant on every O-ring

Never use petroleum jelly, WD-40, or generic plumber's grease. Pool chemicals attack petroleum-based lubricants and the O-ring swells and fails. Use a pool-rated silicone lube on every elastomer part before reassembly. A thin even film is enough.

Torque housing bolts in a star pattern

Whether you are bolting down a Hayward Super Pump volute or a Pentair Triton sand filter clamp band, tighten in a star (criss-cross) pattern, going around the circle three or four times and adding torque each pass. Tightening one bolt fully before moving to the next warps the seal seat and creates a leak path.

Dry-fit before you glue

If your repair involves cutting and replacing PVC unions (common on multiport-valve and pump swaps), dry-fit the whole run first, mark each joint with a pencil, then glue. Pool PVC cement sets in seconds and you cannot reposition a joint once it is set.

Replace ALL parts in the kit, even the ones that look fine

The kit was assembled because every part in it has the same expected service life. Reusing the "good-looking" O-rings means you will be back in the equipment pad in three months when one of them fails. Replace everything in the bag, every time.

When to call a pool pro

DIY a Repair Kit if you are comfortable with a strap wrench and a screwdriver. Hire a pro for any of these: replumbing rigid PVC, anything involving the bonding wire on the motor lug, motor swaps (electrical hardwire), heater service, and gas-line work. The rule is simple: if it touches gas or 240V hardwiring, you call a licensed pro.

Use the Repair Kits collection's filters to narrow down

The fastest way to narrow down: the Kit Finder. Type your brand or model and it instantly shows every matching kit we stock, with current pricing, filterable by Pump, Filter, Valve, or Chlorinator.

The Repair Kits collection contains every service kit we stock. On that page you will see a Kit Type filter on the left side with four options: Pump, Filter, Valve, and Chlorinator. Click the type that matches your equipment, then scan the titles for your brand and model.

Each product page lists the manufacturer, the equipment family the kit services, the APC catalog number for cross-reference, and the shipping weight. The product description spells out which equipment the kit fits, what is in the kit, and whether there is a Premium Seal or Ozone-Resistant Seal upgrade available for that family.

If you are unsure whether a specific kit fits your equipment, email a photo of your pump or filter label to PST and our parts team will confirm fit before you order. Better to ask than to install the wrong kit and have to do the rebuild twice.

The TL;DR

1. Find your equipment label. Brand, model, and year if available.
2. Pick the kit type that matches your job. Repair Kit for full pump/valve service, O-Ring Kit for filter weeping, Go Kit for tired old pumps.
3. Pay attention to date-code splits. Pre/post-1976 American Products valves, pre/post-1995 Dominator, pre/post-2003 NorthStar, 1998-and-present Dura-Glas, pre/post-Dec-2011 Polaris Booster.
4. Upgrade to Premium Seal if you are on salt, have ozone, or run long pump hours.
5. Upgrade to 3865 or 3868 Ozone-Resistant Seal if you have any ozone generator on the equipment pad.
6. Lube every O-ring with pool-grade silicone, torque in a star pattern, and replace every part in the kit, every time.

Once you know what you need, head to the Repair Kits collection, filter by Kit Type, and grab the one that matches your equipment. Most pump rebuilds take an afternoon. The leak stops, the motor stays cool, and the equipment lasts another five years.