Pool pumps fail, heaters quit, chlorinators clog, and leaks show up in places nobody expected. Almost every expensive pool problem we are called out to fix was cheap to prevent, and knowing the difference between a small repair and a full replacement is often the difference between a few hundred dollars and a much larger invoice.
JK Pools and Spa repairs pools throughout Surrey, Langley, Maple Ridge, and White Rock. With more than 20 years of experience in the Lower Mainland, we can usually tell you quickly whether something is worth repairing or whether you are about to spend good money on equipment that was going to fail anyway.
Common Pool Repairs
Pumps and Motors
Pool pumps are the most common repair call and the hardest to diagnose without experience. A pump that is humming but not moving water is usually a seized impeller or a blockage. A pump that runs but never primes is often a dry run that has damaged the seal, or a water level problem. A pump that trips its breaker points to a failing motor or a short.
We replace impellers, seals, and motors, and install new pumps when that is the more sensible option. The judgement call we bring is knowing which one you are looking at before quoting it.
Heaters
A pool heater that runs but does not heat is usually one of three things: the gas valve or electrical input, the thermostat, or the heat exchanger. A heater that heats slowly or erratically is frequently a scaling problem caused by unbalanced water chemistry, which is a maintenance issue that recurs if it is not corrected at the same time as the repair.
Filters and Plumbing
Leaks, blocked lines, and failing valves are common and often straightforward to trace. Cracks in return lines, fitting failures around older equipment, and connections that weep under pressure all fall here. We find the actual leak rather than guessing, which saves time and money on a repair that does not hold.
Water Level and Underground Leaks
Water loss from a pool is either evaporation, a wet-set leak, or a plumbing leak. Distinguishing those three quickly saves a lot of unnecessary excavation. A simple dye test or a water-level test identifies most cases within an hour, and in many cases the answer is a wet-set fitting that can be fixed for a fraction of the cost of a full re-plumb.
Chemical Equipment
Chlorinators, salt chlorine generators, and mineral dispensers all fail in ways that quietly undermine water quality. A chlorinator that is not feeding correctly or a salt cell that has scaled over will present as a chemistry problem that never quite stays in range, and that is often what leads to the call.
Repair or Replace?
This is the question we get asked most, and it deserves a straight answer.
Repair when the failure is in a component rather than the whole unit, when the rest of the equipment is sound and recently replaced, and when the part is still available. It is also worth repairing when the cost is a meaningful fraction of replacement and the remaining life of the unit is still reasonable.
Replace when the unit is at the end of its expected service life, when a repair would buy a short time on old equipment, or when parts for it are no longer made. Rebuilding a system of twenty-year-old equipment one component at a time is sometimes a false economy, and we will tell you when that is the case rather than selling you a sequence of repairs.
There is no pool equipment that lasts forever. The useful question is what the honest remaining life is, and whether keeping it going is a decision you would make with full information.
Serving the Same Four Cities
We repair pools in the same areas we service, so a problem found during a routine visit can usually be dealt with the same day. Our service area covers:
Request a Repair Visit
If something is not working, call 778-990-4539 or email [email protected]. If you can, tell us what the equipment is doing and what it was doing last. That detail often lets us arrive with the right part. You can also use our contact form.
Related: weekly pool maintenance.
Related: pool remodeling.