Preventing critters from chewing on our brand new Pentair Superflo VS pump over the winter

ba67

Well-known member
Oct 17, 2018
128
Southern Kentucky
Pool Size
18000
Surface
Fiberglass
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Our pool backs to a farm so we get a lot of mice, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, and other critters in our yard and they like to chew on the pool equipment over the winter when the equipment isn't running. Two years ago, something chewed on the sand filter drain pipe and we ended up having to replace the sand filter upon opening because we couldn’t get it to stop leaking. Last year, we noticed that something had been chewing on the multiport that sits on top of the sand filter because there were bite marks all around it. We wrapped a thick garbage bag around the multiport at closing and nothing chewed on it over the winter. 

We put a thick plastic cap with a hole on the end on the sand filter drain pipe to protect it. We can tell that some critter chewed on that cap over the winter last year but the cap protected it from damage.

We’ve got a brand new expensive Pentair Superflo variable speed pump and I’m worried that some critter is going to chew on it over the winter and damage it. What can we do to protect our expensive new pump from being chewed on by critters over the winter? Is there something that we can put around the pump to prevent critters from chewing on it? We really don’t want to bring the pump inside because we don’t want to have to pay someone to uninstall it, plug up the holes in the pipes so mice can’t get in, and reinstall the pump in the spring unless we have no other alternative. Uninstalling the pump, plugging up the holes so mice can't get in the pipes, and reinstalling the pump in the spring is not something that my husband and I feel comfortable doing so I hope someone on here has some suggestions for us.
 
It helps to know what type of critters are causing the problem to build the correct defenses. I have set up motion sensing cameras around areas that have critter problems to see what is going on.

Then I think steel mesh installed around the area to keep the critters away from the pump and other equipment can work. How high and how dug in the mesh needs to be depends on the type of critters.
 
It helps to know what type of critters are causing the problem to build the correct defenses. I have set up motion sensing cameras around areas that have critter problems to see what is going on.

Then I think steel mesh installed around the area to keep the critters away from the pump and other equipment can work. How high and how dug in the mesh needs to be depends on the type of critters.
I don't think I could install a motion sensing camera in this area to see what is going on because I can't get a very good wifi connection near the equipment. I'm guessing that squirrels, mice or rabbits are responsible for chewing on the multiport and sand filter drain since we see a lot of mice, squirrels and rabbits in the yard. We know that we have raccoons in our yard too but I don't know if they are responsible for chewing on the equipment. If I put steel mesh around the pump, it would have to be very tight mesh that a tiny field mouse can't get through, and I don't know how I'm going to anchor it to the ground since the pump is sitting on a concrete pad. Is there something that I could wrap around the pump to prevent a critter from chewing on the plastic lid or the pump itself?
 
Setup a standalone trail camera that records on a SD card...


So get some tight mesh and use some bricks to hold it down.

Anything that is flexible to wrap around the pump critters can chew through. You need to keep them away from the area.
 
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We can help you learn how to prepare your pump so you can bring it in to be on the safe side.

I have heard that steel wool will keep a critter from chewing on something but don't know that for a fact. Maybe you can do some "practice" with it inside some wire to see if it will stop them.
 
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