Your pool filter needs backwashing.

Yes, high pressure on your pool filter gauge usually means the filter is dirty and needs cleaning.

Most pool filters (sand, cartridge, or DE) have a normal operating pressure range, usually marked or known from clean filter baseline. When the gauge reads 8-10 PSI above that, it’s time to backwash (sand/DE) or clean the cartridge. The filter is clogged, restricting water flow, and the pump is working harder than it should.

There are other possibilities—a closed valve, a blocked impeller, or a gauge that’s just broken—but in my experience, nine times out of ten it’s a dirty filter. Save yourself the headache: check the pressure when the filter is clean, note the number, and backwash when it jumps 10 PSI.

Don’t ignore it. Running the pump against a clogged filter can damage the pump or blow the filter apart. Not worth it.