Reading this guide will help you to replace Ball Valve O-Rings.The O-Rings in a simple Ball Valve cannot be accessed so there is no way to replace them. When the valve starts to leak, the whole Valve has to be replaced. If you want to access the O-Rings, you must buy a Ball Valve that has one or two unions. The Ball Valve shown here has a single union that will allow you to pull out the Valve Stem and replace damaged O-Rings. You will still have to cut out the Valve on the side that has no union.
1. BUY PARTS - Buy the replacement parts ahead of time so you will have them on hand when you need them. To change the O-Rings on a Hayward Ball Valve with a single Union, you will need a Hayward Stem & End Connector O-ring Kit (spx0722gh). This kit is for a 1 1/2" diameter Hayward Ball Valve.
2. TURN OFF PUMP - Turn off power to the pool pump. For maximum safety turn off the power at the circuit breaker to the pump.
3. RELIEVE PRESSURE - Relieve the pressure in the lines by turning the relief valve on top of your filter counter-clockwise. You should see the pressure reading on the filter pressure gauge go to 0.
4. CUT OUT BALL VALVE - Since this Ball Valve only has one union, you will have to cut the non-union side out of the system piping. Use a sharp hacksaw and leave enough room in the piping to install the Ball Valve back with a coupling.
5. REMOVE HANDLE - Lift off the Ball Valve Handle. It should lift off easily.
6. REMOVE UNION COLLAR - Remove the Union Collar by screwing in in a counter-clockwise direction.
7. REMOVE BALL VALVE - Using a flat-headed screwdriver, gently pry the Valve off of the Union.
8. VIEW VALVE - This is a picture of the Ball Valve separated from the Union. Note the Union O-ring.
9. VIEW VALVE BALL - Turn the Valve on end and look at the Valve Ball inside the Valve body. It is connected to the Valve Stem that you turn with the handle to open or shut off water flow.
10. LIFT OUT VALVE BALL - Lift out the Valve Ball. Note the groove on the Valve Ball that lines up with the squared off end of the Valve Stem.
11. REMOVE VALVE STEM - Remove the Valve Stem by pushing the top end of the Stem into the Valve body.
12. SLIDE OFF STEM O-RINGS - Remove the two Valve Stem O-Rings by pulling the out of their grooves and sliding them off the end of the Valve Stem.
13. INSERT NEW O-RINGS INTO GROOVES - Slide the two new Valve Stem O-rings on to the end of the Valve Stem and insert them into their grooves.
14. LUBRICATE VALVE STEM O-RINGS - Lightly lubricate the Valve Stem O-Rings with a silicon or Teflon lubricant.
15. REMOVE UNION O-RING - Pull the Union O-ring out of its groove and remove it.
16. INSERT NEW UNION O-RING - Slide a new O-Ring onto the Union and insert it into its groove.
17. LUBRICATE UNION O-RING - Lightly lubricate the Union O-Ring with a silicon or Teflon lubricant.
18. PUSH IN VALVE STEM - Turn the Ball Valve on its end and push in the Valve Stem from the inside. Make sure it is pushed in all the way and that both Valve Stem O-Rings are in the hole.
19. VIEW VALVE STEM PLACEMENT - Rotate the Valve Stem so that the squared end is position up and down as shown.
20. SLIDE IN VALVE BALL - Line up the Valve Ball so that its groove slides onto the squared end of the Valve Stem as you replace the Ball into the Valve Body.
21. REATTACH PIPE END OF VALVE - Glue on the pipe end of the Ball Valve onto the system piping using a straight connector. Make sure the handle of the Valve is orientated up or in the position you want it.
22. LINE UP VALVE WITH UNION - Line up the Valve with the union as shown. Make sure the Union Collar is lying on the pipe.
23. PUSH VALVE AND UNION TOGETHER - Push the Valve onto the Union until the O-ring is covered.
24. REPLACE UNION COLLAR - Screw the Union Collar onto the Union in a clockwise direction. Hand tighten.
25. PRESS ON HANDLE - Press the Valve Handle onto the Valve Stem. The Ball Valve should be in the "open" position - handle parallel to the pipe.
26. TURN ON POWER - Turn on the power to the pump at the circuit breaker.
27. CLOSE RELIEF VALVE - Close the Relief Valve on the top of the Filter when water starts to spray out.
28. CLOSE BALL VALVE - Close the Ball Valve to make sure the Valve is under pressure.
29. CHECK FOR LEAKS - Look for leaks around the Union Collar and the Valve Stem Shaft. If the Valve is on the suction side of the pump, spray the top of the Valve with a soapy solution and look for soap bubbles being sucked into a suction leak. If the Valve is on the discharge side of the pump, look for water squirting out around the valve union or shaft.
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