I got the call late Saturday afternoon. The client swore their pool pump was running “just fine” but the water still looked like ghost broth. Slightly cloudy, faintly green, and completely untrustworthy.
They’d shocked it. Brushed it. Ran the pump “all day.” But something didn’t add up.
Chapter One: The Scene
The pump was humming. Water was moving. But the pressure gauge was dead low. I glanced at the return jets. Weak. Lazy. Not at all what I expected from a system that claimed to be functioning.
So I followed the plumbing and popped open the filter.
Chapter Two: The Evidence
Cartridge filter. Looked like it had hosted a mud wrestling event. Caked in dirt, sunscreen oil, and probably trauma from three summers of neglect.
“How long since you cleaned this?” I asked.
A shrug. Then, “We rinse it now and then.”
Translation: never.
Chapter Three: The Breakthrough
We gave the cartridge a proper bath. Soaked it in cleaner, hosed it down, checked the pressure again. It bounced back to normal. The water started flowing like it remembered how.
The jets perked up. The suction returned. Within hours, the pool looked visibly less offended.
This Reddit post about filter pressure problems mirrors exactly this situation. Real people. Real problems. Real fixes.
For more breakdowns like this, head over to our pool equipment blog archive.
