Doughboy Filter Leaking

I have a 10 year old Doughboy sand filter and I can't get the leak to stop by the bolts.


Hi. The only way you are going to get it to stop leaking is if you open the tank and replace the o-ring. A Doughboy dealer should have the part on hand, if not he should be able to order one.

The only time this job gets difficult is if the bolts are rusted solid and will not come loose. In that case they need snapped off and replaced. A half inch drive ratchet on the top and a boxed end wrench on the bottom is usually enough leverage to break the bolts either loose or in half.

When the tank is open, dump the sand, and clean it up as best you can. When you pour the new sand into the tank you will want to mound it up in the center as high as you can without getting any sand in the o-ring groove. When the sand has been installed, make sure the groove and top ledge are clean, and then install the o-ring. It needs to lay into the groove all the way around. Once it is in place you can apply some aqua lube to the top of it. Now the top can be reinstalled. Most of these systems had a protrusion on the top half that fit into a hole on the bottom half, this is how you line it up.

When you reinstall the bolts, and tighten them up, the leak should be gone. If not, you need to check the alignment of the o-ring. They like to move sometimes and keeping them in place can be tricky on occasion.