Replacing pool equipment: pump, filter and lights

Equipment is the part of a pool that fails on its own schedule and always at an inconvenient moment. The useful question is rarely "what does a pump cost" in the abstract. It is "do I repair this one or replace it", and the answer depends on what has actually failed.

We are not going to publish a price range on this page. Equipment prices depend on the unit, the size your pool needs, and what is involved in swapping it, and the published figures we found disagreed with each other so badly that quoting them would mislead you more than help. What we can do is tell you how to think about it, then get you real numbers from contractors.

Modern Pool & Repair connects Los Angeles homeowners with pool contractors. Your quote comes from the contractor who would do the work.

Pumps

Repair or replace

A pump that is noisy, leaking at the seal or short cycling can often be repaired. A pump with a failed motor usually is not worth it, because the motor is most of the cost. Age is the deciding factor most of the time: a pump near the end of its life is a poor place to spend repair money, because the next failure is already queued behind this one. If what you have is a leak rather than a failure, start at pool repair instead.

California energy rules affect what can be installed

California restricts what kind of replacement pool pump motor may be installed, and variable speed is now the normal answer for a replacement rather than an upgrade. We are not going to quote you a horsepower threshold or an effective date, because the sources we checked disagreed and we could not read the regulation itself. What matters to you is simpler: a contractor quoting a replacement pump in California will specify a compliant one, and if a quote does not say what pump it includes, ask.

Why a variable speed pump is not just compliance

A variable speed pump runs slower for longer instead of flat out for a few hours. It uses less electricity, it is dramatically quieter, and for most pools it filters better. If your pump is audible from the patio, that is the thing a new one fixes on day one.

Filters

Filters fail quietly. The tell is usually pressure: a filter that needs cleaning more and more often, or that will not come back down to its normal pressure after a clean, is near the end.

The three types behave differently. Sand is the simplest and most forgiving, with the coarsest filtration. Cartridge filters finer and uses no backwash water, which matters in a dry climate. DE filters finest and asks the most of you in maintenance. Which one is right depends more on your water and your tolerance for maintenance than on price.

Lights

Most pool light replacement is a conversion from an old incandescent fixture to LED, and it is one of the few pool upgrades that is visible the same evening. LED uses a fraction of the power, lasts far longer, and colour changing is standard now rather than a premium.

The thing to check before anyone quotes you: whether the existing conduit and niche can take the new fixture. A straight swap and a job that needs the niche addressed are different pieces of work, and that is the question that decides the price.

When to do equipment work

If you are already planning a remodel or a resurface, that is the cheapest moment to replace ageing equipment, because the pool is down and the contractor is already on site. Doing it as a separate visit later costs more for the same parts. What a pool remodel costs covers the rest of that job.

What to ask on an equipment quote

• Exactly which make and model is included?
• Is it sized for my pool, and how was that worked out?
• Is the old unit's removal and disposal included?
• What is the warranty, on the part and on the labour?
• If this is a pump, what is the expected running cost compared with what I have now?
• Can this be done at the same time as other work?

Common questions

My pump is loud. Does that mean it is failing?

Not always. Bearing noise usually does mean the motor is on the way out. A rattle can be as simple as something in the basket. Worth diagnosing before replacing.

Can I just replace the motor instead of the whole pump?

Sometimes, and it can be the right call on a newer pump with a sound wet end. On an older pump it often is not, because you are fitting a new motor to parts that will fail next.

How long does equipment last?

It varies with run time, water chemistry and how it was installed. Rather than a number, the signal to watch is a rising maintenance frequency. When a thing needs attention more often each season, it is telling you something.

Do I have to replace everything at once?

No. But if two items are both old and the pool is coming down anyway, doing them together is cheaper than two visits.