Our field technician, Ed, had seen more pump rooms than he can count. We asked him to give us a little insight into what he’s learned over his years in the field. Here’s his list of the top 10 must have tools that every pump room operator should have.
- VOLTAGE METER (DC AMPS/VOLTS) – A must have for diagnosing any number of electrical problems in the building or with equipment, such as incorrect incoming voltage or a failing chlorine generator.
- SALINITY METER – A necessity for saline pools, of course, but also essential for understanding the Langlier Saturation Index of any pool or spa.
- STANDARD AND MICRO SET OF SCREW DRIVERS – As computers become more integrated with pump room equipment, the micro sizes of screwdrivers are just as necessary as standards.
- STRAP WRENCH – There are often many unions found in pump room plumbing, such as those that allow a chlorine generator cell to be removed for cleaning or inspection. You won’t damage the pipe with a strap wrench.
- MAGIC LUBE – Necessary when installing new o-rings, great for resealing and lubing existing ones, and even helpful in sealing leaks.
- ELECTRICAL TAPE – Useful any time you’re working on wiring. (Note: Be sure to use a licensed electrician when the situation calls for it)
- WIRE STRIPPER – Again, very useful when doing basic electrical work. No need to fuddle with a pocket knife or scissors when you can get a clean, correctly size, quick strip of the insulation with this tool.
- 15/16″ SOCKET – Since you’ll find 15/16″ bolts on many flanges within a pump room, having the correctly sized socket makes a huge difference when one needs to be opened.
- ADJUSTABLE WRENCH – Adjustable to fit any size nut you may come across. Also useful in conjunction with a socket wrench.
- TAYLOR TEST KIT/PHOSPHATE TEST KIT – You can’t run a pool without a good test kit. You just can’t
So there you have Ed’s top 10 (in no particular order) must have pump room tools. What do you think? Have anything to add? We’d love to hear what your top 10 are!