Sta-Rite Eyeball Inlet Assembly, 08428-0001

This is the Sta-Rite eyeball inlet assembly, part 08428-0001, in white and sized 1-1/4 inch. It is the gunite version, the inlet that sits in the wall of a concrete pool and carries filtered water back into it.

What the eyeball does

The ball swivels inside the fitting, so the return stream can be aimed. That matters more than it sounds: pointing returns away from the skimmer and toward the corners is how a pool gets even circulation instead of a warm, still patch at one end. A cracked or seized eyeball loses that adjustment, and a missing one lets the return blast straight out at whatever is in front of it.

Numbers to watch

The same fitting appears under two numbers. 08428-0001 is the one carried now, while older paperwork and Swimquip era parts lists show it as 8428-7. If your diagram gives one and your invoice gives the other, they point at this fitting.