When your gauge showsHigh pressure

What you may notice

You might notice the gauge on the filter tank reading higher than it usually does. At the return jets, the water flow might feel weak. The skimmer might struggle to pull leaves from the surface. If you have an attached spa, you might notice the hot tub jets feel weak. You might notice the water takes on a dull or cloudy appearance. Your skimmer and pump baskets might fill with debris. A high reading on the filter pressure gauge can point to restricted flow as the filter elements capture dirt.

Common causes in the valley

The monsoon brings storms, strong winds and blowing dust in July and August, according to NWS Las Vegas. When the pump pulls this fine desert dirt through the system, it loads up the cartridge or DE filter elements. The Las Vegas Valley Water District lists the valley tap water at 280 ppm total hardness with 75 ppm calcium. Hard water leaves calcium scale, which can build up inside the filter. The US DOE and InterNACHI state that pool filters commonly last around 10 years, depending on run time and water balance. Heavy debris after wind or monsoon storms is billed separately from weekly service.

What you can safely check

Before scheduling a service call, you can perform a few safe visual checks. Check whether the skimmer and pump baskets are full of leaves or debris. Check whether the water level looks low, which can cause the pump to pull air. Check whether the filter gauge reads higher than it usually does. Look for visible drips at the equipment pad. Look for any error code on a display. Do not open or adjust the filter tank. Electrical sparks, burning smells or water near electrical equipment: turn the equipment off at the breaker only if it is safe to do so, keep everyone away, and call NV Energy or 911 if there is any danger.

When to call a technician

If you have emptied the baskets and the gauge continues to read higher than usual, you can schedule a filter cleaning. A dirty filter can point to weak circulation. We schedule urgent repairs, such as equipment that has stopped circulating the water, a leak at the equipment pad or a failed pool or spa heater, ahead of routine work during business hours. A technician is trained to safely open the filter tank and inspect the internal elements for wear or calcium scale.

How Kingfisher diagnoses it

Our repair diagnostic visit is $85, credited in full toward the repair when approved within 30 days. We provide a written estimate first. For maintenance, a cartridge filter cleaning is $95 and a DE filter cleaning is $115. Filter cleaning is included four times a year on our Full Care Plus plan. The technician evaluates the elements and manifolds. If parts have failed, the technician explains what failed, what a repair costs and what replacement would cost. We recommend replacement only when age, parts availability or repeated failures make a repair poor value. We repair most major brands, including Pentair, Hayward, Jandy, Raypak and Sta-Rite. New equipment we install carries a one-year installation labor warranty plus the manufacturer parts warranty. Our repair labor carries a 90-day warranty.