Fleck 24944 - Seal and Spacer Kit 4600/9000 Hot Water Upper

The Fleck 24944 is the upper seal and spacer kit for hot water rated Fleck 4600 and 9000 series control valves, stocked by WrekinWater to service softeners running on domestic hot water feeds that are leaking to drain or losing hardness control. It's built with heat-resistant seals specifically for the demands of hot water applications.

Technical specifications

Symptoms that mean you need this part

• Water leaks from the drain line even outside of a regeneration cycle
• The softener starts producing hardness leakage despite the resin bed being in good condition
• Seals removed from the upper piston look shrunken, discoloured or brittle rather than simply worn
• You notice a warm or hot water smell or slight weeping around the valve body joints

Why it fails / why it matters

On hot water rated valves, the upper seal and spacer stack has to withstand higher operating temperatures as well as the usual mineral content passing through, which puts extra stress on the rubber compounds compared with a standard cold water valve. Heat accelerates the natural hardening and shrinking of rubber seals, so they lose their grip on the piston sooner than a cold water equivalent would, leading to leaks and hardness bypass if they aren't renewed.

Why buy this from WrekinWater

WrekinWater has served more than 50,000 customers over 15 years from Bettisfield, Shropshire, and as UK Company No. 11000488 we stock genuine Pentair Fleck parts alongside Autotrol, Clack, Kinetico and other major brands, rated Excellent on Trustpilot. Choosing the correct hot-water-rated kit rather than a standard cold water equivalent matters here, and we can confirm compatibility if you're unsure which your valve needs.

How to fit it

1. Turn off the water supply and switch the valve to bypass
2. Remove the piston retainer clip or cap screws and slide the upper piston assembly out of the valve body
3. Strip off the old seals and spacers, noting the order and orientation they came off in
4. Fit the new heat-resistant seals and spacers from the 24944 kit in the same sequence, lubricating lightly with food-safe silicone grease
5. Reinsert the upper piston assembly and refit the retainer clip or cap screws
6. Restore the water supply, take the valve off bypass, and run a manual regeneration to check for leaks and correct operation