Pool equipment repair in Pakenham & Cardinia Shire.

Pumps.

Pump diagnostics start with a 5-minute check — current draw, prime, noise, seal weep, motor temperature. Common Pakenham repairs: impeller replacement (worn or jammed with debris) $250–$400; mechanical seal replacement (the source of most pump-leak puddles) $280–$380; motor capacitor replacement $180–$240. If the motor is 10+ years old and noisy, we’ll usually quote a variable-speed replacement instead ($1,200–$1,800 fitted) on the payback math, not because the old motor can’t be patched.

Filters.

• Sand filter: sand change every 5–7 years ($400–$700). Multiport valve gasket / spider gasket replacement $120–$200. Lateral cracks (sand getting into the pool) $250–$450.
• Cartridge filter: cartridge replacement $150–$350 (every 2–4 years). Manifold split / housing crack $300–$600.
• DE filter: grid replacement $400–$900. Less common in Pakenham — mostly older pools.

Salt chlorinators.

• Cell electrodes worn out (5–7 year life): electrode replacement $350–$500 if the body is good; full cell $550–$900.
• Cell scaled up: acid bath clean $40–$80 (often part of a regular visit).
• Control board failure: board replacement $300–$600 depending on brand.
• Reverse-polarity switch failure: board or cell-end issue, $250–$500.

Heaters.

• Heat pump: refrigerant top-up, fan motor, control board, expansion valve. Diagnosis $120–$180, repair $300–$1,500.
• Gas heater (water side): heat exchanger, pressure switch, flow sensor, thermostat. Diagnosis $120–$180, repair $400–$1,500.
• Gas heater (gas side): handed to a licensed gas plumber.
• Solar heating: manifold leaks, controller, sensor, back-flush. $200–$800.

Automatic dosers / chemical controllers.

Liquid-feed acid dosers, ORP / pH probe replacement, peristaltic pump tube replacement. Most failures are tubes (cheap, ~$80 fitted) or probes ($150–$300). Full unit replacement $600–$1,500 depending on brand.

Diagnostics, not guessing.

We carry: clamp meter, ORP / pH meter, refrigeration gauges (for heat pumps), photometer, salt and stabiliser test kits, pressure gauges. Diagnostic time is included in the callout fee — we quote you the repair before lifting a spanner, and the diagnostic fee is credited toward any repair we then do.

When the repair isn’t worth doing.

Honest answer first. A 12-year-old single-speed pump with bearing noise + a leaking seal isn’t worth $500 of repair when a $1,400 variable-speed replacement will pay itself off in electricity inside 3 summers and last another 12. A 10-year-old salt cell that’s scaled up for the third time has done its run. We’ll tell you when replacement beats repair, even if replacement is the smaller invoice for us.