Overview
Pool equipment work is the repair side of a service route: diagnosing pumps, heaters, filters, and chlorinators at the stop, deciding what to repair, replace, or hand to a specialist, and quoting the job so it pays. These guides are written for the operator and the route tech, not the homeowner with a toolbox.
A route tech stands next to the equipment pad at every stop, which makes a service company the first to see a failing pump seal or a heater that will not fire. The guides here cover diagnosing the common failures, the repair-or-replace call, what to tell the customer, and which jobs belong with a licensed specialist.
PoolBoss keeps the equipment record per pool: see equipment tracking for filter pressure and equipment history, and the billing guides for pricing one-time repair jobs.
Diagnose at the stop, not on a second trip
The tech is already standing at the pad every week, so the walk-around is free: pump basket and seal, filter pressure against the clean baseline, heater display, chlorinator output. Catching a failure early turns an emergency call into a scheduled repair, and the customer hears about the problem from you instead of discovering it as a green pool.
Know which repairs to sell and which to hand off
Most pad work - seals, gaskets, cartridges, timers, valves - fits inside a service company's day and margins. Gas heater internals, electrical panel work, and structural leaks usually belong with a licensed specialist, and several states draw hard licensing lines around them. The profitable habit is quoting what you are set up to do well and keeping a trusted sub for the rest.
Guides
Equipment and repairs guides
The first guides in this section are on the way. Check back soon.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Should a pool service company do equipment repairs?
Most pool service companies take on pad-level repairs - pump seals, filter parts, timers, valves - because the truck is already at the pool and the margins are good. Gas, electrical, and structural work usually goes to a licensed specialist. Start with the repairs your techs can finish in one visit and build from there.
How do I diagnose pool equipment problems on a route?
Make the equipment pad part of every stop: check the pump basket and listen to the motor, read the filter pressure against its clean baseline, glance at the heater display, and confirm the chlorinator is producing. A weekly look catches most failures early, when the fix is a scheduled repair instead of an emergency call.
When should I replace pool equipment instead of repairing it?
Compare the repair quote against the equipment's age and what a new unit costs to run. A pump that needs a motor at year ten is usually a replacement, since a variable-speed unit pays part of its own price back in energy. A two-year-old filter with a cracked gasket is a repair. Give the customer both numbers and the reasoning.
