PSC Ep. 58: What is the correct orientation for my shaft seal?

I’m installing a new shaft seal on my pool pump motor, what is the correct orientation of the two pieces?

The shaft seal is a two-sided gasket that fits around the shaft of the motor to prevent water from slipping through from the wet end of the pump into your electric motor. And as we know, water and electric motors do not mix well. 

What does a Shaft Seal look like?

The shaft seal’s two pieces consist of a springloaded portion and a white ceramic ring surrounded rubber. Typically, this style will be your PS200 and PS201 shaft seals, and the other common type is the PSR1000 that has a stainless steel cup at the base of the spring.

The most important part of orientation is making sure the white ceramic part is facing the black smooth side of the springloaded side. These two sides provide a smooth surface on which the seal can spin but keep your motor dry. These sides will always meet whether this is in your seal plate or in an impeller. These two sides are always going to meet. And the same thing with this, the one with the metal cup. There’s a smooth black side that’s going to be touching the white ceramic. 

If you have any further corrections about the correct orientation for my shaft seal, leave a comment down below or feel free to visit us at www.InyoPools.com

Matthew Simmons

Swimming pool expert at InyoPools and host of Poolside Chat, brings over a decade of experience in the pool industry.

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