Pool help in Orlando

Last updated October 28, 2026 · Reviewed by the Pool Helpline tech team

Power out? Electric utilities in the Orlando area

• OUC (Orlando Utilities Commission): Report an outage or problem
• Duke Energy: Outages

OUC serves much of Orlando, and Duke Energy serves much of the surrounding Central Florida area. Some homes are served by a co-op or another city utility instead. Use the outage page for the utility on your bill.

How Pool Helpline works in the Orlando area

We're a video service, not a local pool company, and we don't have an office in the Orlando area. You book a call, point your phone at the equipment pad (pump, filter, heater, salt cell and any display codes) and a real pool tech guides you by voice. Many problems can be diagnosed, and often fixed, in one call. If yours needs hands-on work, we'll help you find a local pro.

Flat prices, shown before you book: Quick Fix $49 · Full Diagnostic $89 · Priority Fix $139.

Power outage or a tripped breaker?

When the pump and the rest of the equipment go quiet in the Orlando area, first work out whether it's the pool or the grid. If the neighbors and streetlights are out too, it's an outage: report it to your utility (links above). If everyone else has power, the problem is on your side, usually a tripped breaker or GFCI for the pool equipment. Reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off and call a licensed electrician (see pool light or electrical problem).

Anyone in the water who feels tingling, or a pool light flickering or on when it shouldn't be, is an emergency sign, not a repair to try: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says to get out of the water, turn off all power, and call 911 if someone may have been shocked. During an outage, SRP suggests turning off appliances so there's no surge when power returns; when it does, check that the pump primes and that the timer or automation clock didn't reset (see pump not priming).

Lightning season: out of the pool when thunder roars

The National Weather Service in Melbourne calls Central Florida the "Lightning Capital" of the United States, with thunderstorms almost daily from mid-May through mid-October as the sea breezes collide inland. Lightning can strike more than 10 miles from a storm, farther than thunder usually carries, so get everyone out of the pool at the first rumble or darkening sky and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before swimming again.

Storms also mean power flickers and outages. When the power comes back, check that the pump primes and that the timer or automation clock didn't reset (see pump not priming). If a breaker or GFCI keeps tripping after a storm, leave it off and show a tech by video or call a licensed electrician.

Heat, rain and algae

Central Florida heat and sun burn through chlorine, and afternoon downpours dilute it. The CDC recommends a home pool pH of 7.0 to 7.8 with at least 1 ppm free chlorine (at least 2 ppm with stabilized chlorine such as trichlor tablets), and testing often. When it slips, water can turn cloudy or green within days. During hurricane season (June 1 to November 30), the Florida Swimming Pool Association says to keep the pool full rather than drain it before a storm.

Orange County pool barrier rules

In unincorporated Orange County, a building permit is required to install a swimming barrier. The county's Division of Building Safety says every door and window that opens directly from the house to the pool needs an exit alarm (UL 2017, at least 85 dBA at 10 feet), or doors can use a self-closing, self-latching device with the latch at least 54 inches above the threshold, or the pool can have an alarm certified to ASTM F2208. Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (Section 515.29) also requires the barrier to be at least 4 feet high on the outside, with outward-opening, self-closing, self-latching gates. The City of Orlando and other cities set their own permit rules, so check with yours.

Orlando pool not working? Start here

• Pump not priming: Pump runs but the basket won't fill. Almost always air or water level.
• Heater won't fire: No heat, a flow or pressure code, or an ignition lockout. Flow comes first.
• Salt cell / chlorinator codes: No Flow, Check Salt, Inspect Cell and what the IntelliChlor LEDs mean.
• Green pool water: Green means chlorine ran out. Find out why so it doesn't come back.
• Electrical safety & pool lights: Tingling, flickering lights or a GFCI that won't reset. Treat it as an emergency.
• Need a replacement part? Send us your model and the old part's label, and a tech matches the exact part.
• Need someone on site? Tell us your ZIP code and we'll help you find a local pro.

Common questions

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