CAN YOU TOP THIS?

Welcome to the latest edition of our popular “Can You Top This?” column, featuring the newest entry in the Service Industry News “Horror File. ”

This issue’s entry comes to us from Robert C. of Bob’s Pool Maintenance & Repair, in Whittier, California.

“Being in Southern California, a little rain can go a long way,” writes Robert.

“At 4:55pm (5 minutes before I left for the day) I got a call from the customer: “I think my pump is underwater!” When I arrived I cut the power. The equipment sub panel was in the back corner behind the heater, so I reached down from the wall above, rather than wading through the water, and began draining the water. The float arm of the sump pump in the equipment area sump failed. The deck drains were plugged and had a backup overflow line that dumped into the equipment area. Although the pool pump and heater were up on cinder blocks, the water still topped the pump and submerged the burner tray of the heater.”

Wow Robert, thanks for sending. Other publications like to print lots of pretty pictures of beautiful pools, spas and well engineered installations. At Service Industry News, we would rather go behind the scenes and take a closer look at the type of stuff our readers encounter everyday — cracked tiles, spaghetti plumbing, rats in heaters, cars in the pool and more!

When you are out in the field and you see something that doesn’t look right, send us an email along with a picture and a brief description: Attention Horror File, serviceindustrynewscd@yahoo.com.