Swimming Pool inspection

[Douglas Hansen]

There are limits to what one can learn from a strictly visual inspection of a pool. To really know if everything is working properly requires operating the pumps, timers, heaters, etc.

I once did a home inspection where the pool equipment house had dried blood and brains all over the place. The pool inspector made a fatal error in the settings of his valves as he attempted to test the backwash, resulting in a pressure buildup and subsequent explosion that drove the valve piston through his face. I saw that as a reinforcement of my decision to limit my pool inspections and exclude operation of equipment, other than the pool light.

A visual inspection usually finds enough low-hanging fruit in terms of defects, be it corrosion, leaks, lack of GFCIs, barrier issues, cracks, etc, to keep you busy. Around here, pools don't really add value - some folks like them, more often they fill them in after purchase.