Chapter One: The Clues
It was a hot afternoon when I arrived. The pool sat quiet, the surface still, with only a faint ripple near the skimmer. The homeowner waved me over, frustration painted across their face.
“The pressure gauge is low. The water isn’t moving. But I did everything!” they declared.
Famous last words.
I scanned the scene. The pump hummed faintly but sounded tired. The basket was overflowing with leaves. The water test kit lay unopened on the deck, like a witness no one had bothered to question.
Chapter Two: The Interrogation
“Walk me through your routine,” I said, notepad in hand. The homeowner rattled off what sounded impressive at first.
- Brushed the walls weekly.
- Backwashed the filter “when it looked dirty.”
- Skimmed the surface daily.
- Added chlorine tablets like clockwork.
“And when’s the last time you cleaned the pump basket?” Silence. Then a sheepish shrug.
“What about the impeller?” Another blank stare.
It was all becoming clear. A clogged pump basket and likely a blocked impeller were silently sabotaging the whole system.
Chapter Three: The Scene of the Crime
I opened the pump basket. Packed solid with leaves and twigs, it looked like a squirrel had been storing snacks in there for months. After clearing it, I checked the impeller. Sure enough, debris was jammed inside, strangling the flow.
The homeowner watched, eyes wide, as the water began to move again. The gauge climbed. The return jets danced.
Case Closed
I handed them their checklist:
- Check and empty the pump basket at least twice a week.
- Inspect and clean the impeller if flow slows down.
- Backwash or clean the filter regularly.
- Run the pump long enough for full circulation.
- Test water chemistry to make sure nothing else is lurking.
They nodded, grateful and slightly embarrassed. The mystery was solved. Sometimes the smallest, most obvious details hide right under your nose.
And just like that, case closed.
