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Pool pump and filtration annual maintenance checklist

The annual pool equipment service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions, the applicable health and safety code. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Items
6
Photos required
8

Who runs it

The pool service tech on the annual service visit; chemical treatment and any variance stay with the certified pool operator.

When in the schedule

Once a year, ideally at a shoulder season so the filter can be opened and the internals serviced without taking the pool down at peak use.

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.

01

Filter service

  • Filter opened and internals serviced

    Filter opened, grids/cartridges/media inspected and cleaned or replaced per the manufacturer, o-rings renewed, clean baseline pressure reset.

    2 photos
  • Backwash and multiport valve serviced

    Valve operated through its positions, spider gasket checked, no cross-leak between waste and return, sight glass observed to clear.

    1 photo
02

Pump and circuit

  • Pump internals and seal serviced

    Impeller and diffuser cleared, mechanical seal and gaskets checked or replaced, motor bearings quiet, no leak after reassembly.

    1 photo
  • Full circuit brought up and observed

    System restarted and observed at normal flow and pressure, all returns and suction confirmed, gauges reading against the reset baseline.

    1 photo
03

Safety and records

  • Anti-entrapment cover compliance observed and recorded

    Cover condition and any compliance marking re-checked at the drain, replacement flagged to the operator if degraded, condition photographed for the record.

    2 photos
  • Service report filed with the round record

    Service tech's report attached to the maintenance record, media/parts replaced noted, next-due interval set.

    1 photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

  • Filter backwashed for years but never opened, so torn grids or channeled sand let the filter pass debris it should be catching.
  • Pump and valves serviced but the anti-entrapment cover's condition and compliance never revisited, so a degraded cover stays in service.

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 8 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.

Submission state

Mandatory items answered6 of 6
Photos attached5 of 8
Submit locked, 3 photos missing

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 pool pump and filtration annual checklist cover?
6 items across 3 sections, covering filter service, pump and circuit, safety and records. 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 pool service tech on the annual service visit; chemical treatment and any variance stay with the certified pool operator.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?
Once a year, ideally at a shoulder season so the filter can be opened and the internals serviced without taking the pool down at peak use.
Why does every item ask for a photo?
8 of the 6 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 pool pump and filtration annual inspection?
Filter backwashed for years but never opened, so torn grids or channeled sand let the filter pass debris it should be catching. Pump and valves serviced but the anti-entrapment cover's condition and compliance never revisited, so a degraded cover stays in service.
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.