Water feature pump annual maintenance checklist

Feature closed to the public for the drain-down

Dry-feature window agreed with the owner, barriers and signs round the empty basin as a fall and slip hazard, kept up until it is refilled and running.

Basin drained to the discharge point the site allows

Feeders stopped first, treated water sent to the sanitary drain or wherever the site's discharge rules allow, never to a storm inlet unless the owner confirms it.

Pump, lights and fill locked out before anyone steps in

Every basin circuit and the fill valve locked and tagged before entry. Cutoff and restart tests use the temporary release after refill, all out of the basin, then re-lock.

Pump pulled, impeller and seal inspected and serviced

Impeller free of debris and wear, shaft seal replaced or confirmed sound, volute clean, bearings quiet on a bench spin.

Pump cord and its plug or leads checked full length

Cord jacket free of cuts, sun cracking and abrasion from the basin edge, strain relief tight at the motor, no splice in the run, plug pins or landed leads clean.

Underwater light fixtures opened and resealed where fitted

Fixture lifted to the deck on its cord loop, no water or corrosion inside, lens gasket and screws renewed to the maker's instructions before it goes back.

Junction boxes and connection points opened and inspected

With the circuits locked, lids off, no water, corrosion or nesting inside, cord grips and gaskets sound, splices dry, lids back on with every screw.

Bonding of metal parts measured by a qualified electrician

Continuity read between the bonding conductor and metal nozzles, niches, rails and pump housing, compared with last year's values, lugs re-torqued only where loose.

Every basin circuit traced to its ground-fault protection

Pump, fill and any lighting transformer circuits traced to a GFCI receptacle or breaker, each named in the panel directory, none fed from an unprotected circuit.

Filter media cleaned or replaced and basin drained and scrubbed

Filter or cartridge cleaned or renewed, basin drained free of algae and sediment, drains and overflow clear, refilled clean.

Basin shell and joints inspected while the basin is empty

Walls, floor and coping checked for cracks, lifted liner and failed joints, suspect spots marked against the quarterly water-use trend.

Suction outlet covers removed and their rating recorded

Covers taken off, sumps and screw inserts checked, the marked flow rating and service life recorded against the pump, cracked or expired covers replaced.

Level control, timer and low-water cutoff verified through a cycle

Auto-fill and low-water cutoff proven by drawing the level down, timer or controller running the schedule, pump stops before dry.

Treatment feeder and controller serviced where fitted

After refill, feeder or dosing pump cleaned, tubing checked, controller probes calibrated to the maker's instructions, water brought to the operator's targets.

Feature restarted and the barriers lifted

Lids and covers fastened, each lock and tag removed by whoever hung it, pump primed and run with no leaks at the unions, then barriers lifted and the owner told.