Six positions or seven, and a gasket that is the whole failure mode

The best multiport valves for 2026

A multiport valve is the handle on top of a sand filter, and it is the part that turns one tank into six or seven machines. The position count is the headline: filter, backwash, rinse, waste, recirculate and closed make six, and the seventh where it exists is usually a dedicated winterise position that leaves every port cracked open so nothing traps water over a frost. Seven is better, but the count is not where valves differ in practice. Two other things are. The first is the connection: 1½" and 2" threads and 32/38 mm hose tails all appear on this shelf, and a valve that does not match the tank flange or the pipe is unusable — the flange bolt circle matters as much as the port size, and top mount and side mount are entirely different products. The second, and this is the honest failure mode of the whole family, is the spider gasket: the star-shaped rubber seal inside that separates the ports. It hardens, it compresses, and when it goes the valve passes water from filter to waste continuously — the pool drains slowly while the filter appears to run normally. The question to ask before buying a valve is therefore whether its spider gasket is sold separately, because a valve whose gasket is not available is a valve with a three-season life. Then the pressure gauge, which is how a sand filter tells you it needs backwashing. We compare positions, connection type and size, mounting, gasket availability, gauge and body material.

These parts, one figure beside another

1. 

   STEINBACH Bypass-Set 3-way

   A three-way bypass set for diverting flow to a solar panel or heat pump. It is not a filter valve: it has no backwash position and does not go on a filter vessel.

   Positions

   3-way. For directing water flow, not for filtering — no backwash, rinse or waste position

   Connection type

   Hose, with tails and clamps supplied

   Connection size

   Ø 32/38 mm hose connection

   Mounting

   In-line in the hose run. Not mounted on a filter vessel

   Gasket availability

   Not published. PTFE tape supplied for the threads

   Pressure gauge

   Not applicable — none fitted and none needed on a bypass

   Body material

   High-quality plastic, no polymer named

   Amazon reference

   B006528USQ (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   9008748600453

   • A complete bypass in one box — valve, T-piece, three tails, six clamps and PTFE tape
   • Publishes exactly what it is for: solar installations and heat pumps
   • Not a filter valve — no backwash, rinse, circulate, waste or winter position

   Best for: A pool with a solar mat or a heat pump, where the flow has to be split and throttled

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2. 

   OKU 6-Way Top-Mount Valve 300919

   A six-way top-mount valve with its O-ring, sold as a set for OKU ECO and Bali filter vessels. The listing is two lines; the same part number appears in this family under another brand.

   Positions

   6-way. Positions not individually named in this listing

   Connection type

   Not published

   Connection size

   Not published

   Mounting

   Top-mount, stated. Fits OKU ECO and Bali filter vessels

   Gasket availability

   O-ring supplied with the valve, stated — one of two listings in this family to include one

   Pressure gauge

   Not published

   Body material

   Not published

   Amazon reference

   B07KBVVW7R (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4260456784664

   • The O-ring is in the box, which is the part that perishes and the part that leaks
   • Names the two vessel ranges it fits rather than claiming universal compatibility
   • Two lines of listing: no connection size, no material, no positions named

   Best for: Replacing a failed valve on an OKU ECO or Bali vessel where everything else is still good

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3. 

   POOL Total OKU 6-Way Top-Mount Set

   The most completely specified valve on this shelf: six positions named, three 1½" threads, Ø 50 mm standpipe, a Ø 177 mm clamp ring, a Ø 145 × 8 mm O-ring, a gauge and a winter drain valve.

   Positions

   6, all named: filter, backwash, rinse, circulate, empty and winter

   Connection type

   Three 1½" female threads plus hose tails. Compatible with Ø 50 mm PVC pipe via optional fittings

   Connection size

   1½" threads, hose tails for Ø 32/38 mm, standpipe seat Ø 50 mm

   Mounting

   Top-mount. Fits OKU filter vessels and many pool vessels of Ø 300, 400 and 500 mm. Clamp ring Ø 177 mm

   Gasket availability

   O-ring Ø 145 × 8 mm supplied, with the clamp ring and mounting hardware

   Pressure gauge

   Included

   Body material

   Not published as a polymer. Brass screw connection and durable seals, stated

   Amazon reference

   B0G447LN6Q (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4251002883160

   • The only valve here to name all six positions and publish every fitting dimension
   • A Ø 177 mm clamp ring published, which is the figure that decides whether it fits a vessel
   • Carries the same manufacturer reference as another listing in this family at the same price

   Best for: A first fit or a full replacement on a Ø 300–500 mm sand filter vessel

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4. 

   Fluidra ASTRALPOOL Side Valve 1½"

   A side-mount multiport valve in polycarbonate for Astral Fluidra filters up to Ø 600 mm, with a published port spacing of 125 mm — the only such figure in this family.

   Positions

   Multiport, manual. The number of positions is not published in this listing

   Connection type

   1½ inch, or 50 mm

   Connection size

   1½" / 50 mm, with a valve port spacing of 125 mm

   Mounting

   Side-mount, on the flank of the vessel. Stated compatible only with filters marketed by Astral Fluidra, except the Clarity model, up to Ø 600 mm

   Gasket availability

   Not published

   Pressure gauge

   Not published

   Body material

   Polycarbonate — the only polymer named in this family

   Amazon reference

   B00LZVIYM4 (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   8420382320466

   • The only valve here to name its polymer: polycarbonate
   • Publishes the port spacing — 125 mm — which is what a side valve is fitted by
   • Compatible only with Astral Fluidra filters, by the maker’s own statement

   Best for: An Astral Fluidra filter up to Ø 600 mm, replacing a side valve like for like

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5. 

   SHOTT 6-Way Valve XR901N06

   A six-way valve for Shott filters. The listing is a single line, and the compatibility statement is the brand name alone.

   Positions

   6-way, stated

   Connection type

   Not published

   Connection size

   Not published

   Mounting

   Not published — neither top-mount nor side-mount is stated

   Gasket availability

   Not published

   Pressure gauge

   Not published

   Body material

   Not published

   Amazon reference

   B01MRBTFVK (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   8019737000605

   • A named replacement part for a named filter range, which is what a spare should be
   • Six positions, stated, on a valve carrying a manufacturer part number
   • One bullet, and six of the seven figures on this shelf are absent

   Best for: A Shott filter whose valve has failed, where the part number is the whole requirement

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6. 

   Praher Ocean V6 6-Way Side Valve 1½"

   A six-way side-mount backwash valve at 1½", from Praher under the Peraqua name. The listing carries a title and a part number and no bullets at all.

   Positions

   6-way, stated in the title

   Connection type

   1½ inch, stated in the title

   Connection size

   1½"

   Mounting

   Side-mount, stated in the title

   Gasket availability

   Not published

   Pressure gauge

   Not published

   Body material

   Not published

   Amazon reference

   B07BL38CYD (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0754566544798

   • The title alone settles the three questions that matter most: six ways, side-mount, 1½ inch
   • Praher is a valve manufacturer rather than a pool reseller
   • No bullets whatsoever — one of two listings in this family with none

   Best for: A side-mount filter at 1½" where the port spacing has already been measured

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7. 

   Hayward Vari-Flo SP0710XEALL

   The Hayward Vari-Flo at 1½" with a selector handle choosing one of six positions, sold with a stated twelve-month warranty and a named telephone support service.

   Positions

   6, chosen with a selector handle. Filter, backwash and rinse are described individually; the remaining three are not named

   Connection type

   1½ inch

   Connection size

   1½"

   Mounting

   Not published — neither top-mount nor side-mount is stated

   Gasket availability

   Not published

   Pressure gauge

   Not published

   Body material

   Not published

   Amazon reference

   B072F25J17 (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0610377370806

   • Describes what filtering, backwashing and rinsing actually do, which two listings here do
   • Publishes a warranty period — twelve months — and support hours
   • Does not state whether it is top-mount or side-mount

   Best for: A Hayward filter whose Vari-Flo valve has failed, replaced like for like

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