Should you repair or replace your pool pump?

• Dry or crushed cover seal: a part costing a few euros.
• Blocked or chipped impeller: part €30 to €80.
• Bearings that squeal: part €20 to €50, dismantling more technical.
• Mechanical seal leaking: part €30 to €60.
• Cracked pre-filter: part €40 to €100.

In all these cases, labour makes up most of the quote, but the total stays well below a replacement.

• Burnt-out motor (burning smell, smoke, no noise at all).
• Cracked pump housing (structural gap or leak).
• Pump over 12 years old already repaired several times.
• Undersized pump for the pool (insufficient output in peak season).

In these cases, repairing costs almost as much as a new one, without the warranty or the energy savings.

The rule we apply at Pool-Hero:

• Repair under 40% of the price of a new one → we repair.
• Repair over 60% of the price of a new one on a pump over 8 years old → we replace.
• In between → we look at age, remaining warranty and current consumption.

A recent variable-speed pump uses 2 to 3 times less energy than a 10-year-old single-speed pump. Over a year, the extra cost is often paid back within 2 or 3 seasons.

Three criteria:

• Flow rate: must be able to filter the pool's full volume in 4 to 6 hours.
• Variable speed: real savings and much quieter running.
• Compatibility: fittings, voltage, plant room space.

A professional avoids the classic mistake: oversizing it "to be safe", which degrades filtration quality and dislodges sand from the filter.

• Seal or impeller change: 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Mechanical seal change: 2 hours.
• Full replacement: 2 to 3 hours, including commissioning and testing.

The water stays in the pool, and the pool is usable right after (unless filtration was off more than 24 hours during high heat — in which case a shock treatment is advised).