Free checklist
Water feature pump quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly water feature pump round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against the applicable plumbing code, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 5
- Photos required
- 7
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The maintenance or landscape tech on the quarterly round.
When in the schedule
Every quarter, because a decorative feature loses water to evaporation and splash and a pump that runs dry for a weekend is a pump you replace.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Pump and intake
- 2 photos
Strainer and intake screen clear
Intake screen and pump strainer basket cleared of leaves, silt and debris, not restricting flow, no cavitation noise.
- 1 photo
Pump primed and running quiet
Pump primed and moving water, no air lock, no grinding or dry-run whine, no leaks at the seal or unions.
Water level and fill
- 1 photo
Basin level correct and auto-fill working
Water above the pump intake and the low-water cutoff, auto-fill or float valve holding level, no continuous overflow to drain.
Display and electrical protection
- 1 photo
Flow and display at intended height with no dead nozzles
Jets, weirs or spillways running evenly at design height, no plugged nozzles, flow valve set where it belongs.
- 2 photos
GFCI protection and in-use covers intact
GFCI trips and resets at the receptacle, in-use weatherproof covers in place, cords and connections dry and undamaged.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Pump strainer or intake screen clogged with leaves and debris, so flow drops and the display collapses to a trickle.
- Auto-fill valve stuck or the basin low, running the pump toward dry and burning up the seal.
- GFCI or in-use cover missing, damaged or won't reset, leaving the pump on unprotected power at a wet location.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 7 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Common questions
- What does this water feature pump quarterly checklist cover?
- 5 items across 3 sections, covering pump and intake, water level and fill, display and electrical protection. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The maintenance or landscape tech on the quarterly round.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter, because a decorative feature loses water to evaporation and splash and a pump that runs dry for a weekend is a pump you replace.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 7 of the 5 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a water feature pump quarterly inspection?
- Pump strainer or intake screen clogged with leaves and debris, so flow drops and the display collapses to a trickle. Auto-fill valve stuck or the basin low, running the pump toward dry and burning up the seal. GFCI or in-use cover missing, damaged or won't reset, leaving the pump on unprotected power at a wet location.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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