Pool repairs are skills most consumers thinks any pool guy or gal can do. In Florida, that is not the case. In this state, anything that requires a tool, requires a license. Technically speaking, you need a license to replace a pressure gauge on a filter. Pool repairs is something that you should seriously look into choosing a licensed swimming pool contractor. There are many benefits to doing so. Feel free to reach out to us here if you have any questions. You can verify Florida Pool Contractor Licenses here!
Contractors Have a Good Understanding of Equipment
Pool Contractors have demonstrated they have an understanding of how equipment and structural pool repairs work, in order to acquire their license. The unlicensed people have demonstrated over and over they do things incorrectly (Look at the pictures below). I have personally seen things installed against manufacturer specs and installed outright dangerously. Take a look at this picture. There is not a practical reason to mount the pump on the wall in this manor. This certainly is not to manufacturer specs, but an unlicensed person did this which is costing the homeowner more money in the near future.
Contractors Will Optimize Your Repair Dollars Spent
When someone is doing pool repairs, it’s important to make sure that your dollars are going towards something that will last for a long time. If someone is routinely installing stuff improperly, it will fail prematurely. So instead of getting 3-5 years out of a pump, I’ve seen them fail in as little as one. One recent situation was an unlicensed person hooked a pump to a 40a breaker with 12AWG wire. The wire was overloaded, burnt, and killed the pump in quick fashion. A licensed pool contractor surely wouldn’t have done this. The end result was the home owner paying me to fix it correctly so the pump I installed will last much, much longer!
Contractors are Insured & Bonded
The comforting thing about hiring a licensed pool contractor for pool repairs is if they do happen to mess up, they are insured. Providing general liability coverage is one of the requirements of being a pool contractor. The home owner below chose an unlicensed person to install pool equipment. I got the call after it all caught on fire and the homeowners were lucky the entire house didn’t catch fire. The unfortunate thing about all of this, is the homeowner was left to deal with the aftermath because of course the unlicensed person did not have insurance. Ironically, I was too expensive to fix it correctly haha (Go Figure!)
Contractors Can Provide A Warranty
The manufacturers are getting behind the licensed pool contractors who are installing their equipment for pool repairs. They are doing this by giving us a longer warranty than those installing equipment who are unlicensed. Some of the manufacturers give ZERO warranty for unlicensed or homeowner installs. Others will provide up to 60 days for unlicensed or home owner installs. However, for those who are licensed they can give up to 4 years of warranty on a single piece of equipment (depending what it is and who makes it). So as the homeowner you need to ask yourself if saving $100 for an unlicensed company is worth it when the warranty is so much stronger and piece of mind knowing a licensed person is installing your equipment. Below is a picture taken from a manufacturer’s site.
I hope this makes you think about who you hire to do pool repairs next time you need them.
