Sun is what wears out a sticker on a pool site, followed by pressure washers and strong chemicals. Rain and splashes don't lift laminated vinyl. Quick answers live on our pool and spa page. This is the longer version.

Sun

Pool equipment sits outdoors in the open, which is the hardest sun a sticker gets. Print holds 3 to 5 years outdoors before it starts to fade, and an equipment pad in full sun is at the short end of that. How long stickers last outdoors has more.

Where you have a choice, put the sticker on the shaded face of the housing. Reds and bright colors fade first.

Water

Water itself isn't the problem: laminated vinyl is waterproof, and rain and splashes don't lift it. A sticker kept underwater all the time is a different matter, because no sticker is made for that. Two things related to water do cause trouble:

Applying to a wet surface. Adhesive bonds to whatever it touches, so wipe the spot dry before you apply the sticker.
Pressure washing. A jet aimed at the edge will lift any sticker. Place stickers where a pressure washer won't catch a corner.

After applying, wait 24 hours before the sticker gets wet, and 48 hours before anything scrubs it. Adhesive builds most of its strength over the first day or two.

Chemicals

A chlorine and acid store is harder on a sticker than the pool is. The laminate resists a lot, but no printed sticker stands up to direct contact with concentrated chemicals forever.

In a chemical store, plan to replace stickers on a schedule, and keep important safety information on rigid signs, not on a sticker. See chemicals and cleaners.

Surfaces that reject adhesive

Pump housings and filter bodies are usually textured plastic, which standard vinyl doesn't grip well. High-Tack vinyl is the same print with a much stronger adhesive, and it's the answer for those.

Service tags

Choose matte so a technician can write the date and initials. Preprint the company name, license, and phone number, and leave real room for what changes. If you'd like us to add sequential numbering or QR codes for tracking equipment, we can help: reach out for a quote. Pool service tags and equipment numbering covers the layout.

Ordering

Minimum: our pool and spa stickers start at 50 of a design on vinyl, or 100 on High-Tack vinyl or on a roll.
Production: 4 business days after you approve the proof, on vinyl or on a roll. Rush is available for a fee.
Testing first: to try adhesion on your own pump housings before a full run, order a small first run. A Sample Pack with all six sticker materials, High-Tack included, is also coming to our samples page.