Hayward Strainer Basket SPX2300M

The Hayward SPX2300M is the pump strainer basket for the Max-Flo XL pump family. It is a new genuine Hayward part, and it may also fit other Hayward pump models.

What the basket is doing

Between the skimmer and the impeller, the strainer basket is the last chance to catch anything solid. Leaves, acorns, hair ties and the occasional pebble all end up in it. When the basket cracks or splits along a seam, that debris carries on to the impeller, and clearing a jammed impeller is a far longer job than changing a basket.

When to change it

Look for cracks, a warped rim that no longer seats properly, or holes in the mesh. Years of sun and repeated full loads make the plastic brittle, and a brittle basket tends to give way exactly when it is packed with debris. A deformed basket is worth changing too, since it restricts the throat and starves the pump of flow.

Fitting

Shut the pump down, release the lid, lift the old basket out and set the new one into place. Check the lid O-ring while the lid is off, since it is the other part in that housing that ages quietly.