Is Your Pool Pump or Chlorinator on Its Way Out?
Your pump and chlorinator do the hard work every day, and most of the time you only notice them when they stop. The good news is that both usually give you plenty of warning first. Late winter is a good time to check them, before the pool needs them working flat out in summer.
Signs your pump needs attention
A screaming, grinding or rattling noise, which often means worn bearings
Water leaking or dripping from under the pump
Weak flow from the returns, even with clean baskets and a clean filter
The pump getting very hot, tripping the power or stopping and starting
Air bubbles in the pump basket lid that will not go away
A blocked basket or a dirty filter can cause some of these, so check those first. If the noise or leak is still there, get it looked at early. A pump that is caught early can sometimes be repaired. One that is left until it seizes usually cannot.
Signs your salt chlorinator needs attention
A low salt or check cell light on the control box
Chlorine readings that stay low even with the chlorinator running
White, crusty scale on the cell plates
Algae appearing even though nothing else has changed
Keeping the salt cell clean
Scale on the cell plates stops the chlorinator making chlorine. Check the cell every few months, and clean it when you see scale building up. Turn the power off first, and follow the manufacturer's instructions and cleaning solution for your model. Wear gloves and eye protection, and never scrape the plates, as that damages the coating. If the scale comes back quickly, the water balance needs looking at, because high pH or calcium is usually the cause.
Repair or replace?
Salt cells wear out over time no matter how well they are looked after. Pumps have a long life but not an endless one. If your equipment is old, has needed repairs before, or parts are hard to get, replacing it is often better value than another repair. A newer variable speed pump can also use a lot less power than an old single speed one.
Not sure what you have?
Send us a photo of your equipment pad and we can tell you what you have, what is worth fixing and what is worth replacing.