Pool pumps

As swimming pools are becoming more and more popular, home owners need to choose the right pump for their pool. Choosing the right pump can save maintenance and energy costs. Before you decide to buy a specific pump, always try to compare several brands in terms of design, energy consumption and power. Not only the choice of brand is important, but also specific model suitable for the given size of your pool.

Pumps have been a part of everyday life for many years. The first modern filtration systems for swimming pools used gravitational force to filter water through a filter. This method has been extremely inefficient over the last 40 years and these pumps have been replaced by modern pressure filtration systems. Pumping technology is constantly evolving and designers are creating more efficient and quieter pumps for commercial swimming pools.

Choosing a pump may seem like a very complicated task. Not only does it require considerable knowledge of the industry, but also knowledge of the individual types and kinds of pumps. All variants must be carefully considered. Most typically people oversize its capacity - the pump is too big. The following lines may be helpful for better understanding and advice on selection.

How to handle your pool pump

Pool pumps often run longer than necessary. Water circulation in the pool mixes the chemicals and removes the mud. However, when water is circulating during the actual application of the chemicals, the chemicals remain mixed and permanent circulation is not necessary. Even to remove small dirt, it is not necessary for the water to be constantly circulating, a large amount of dirt in the pool can also be removed with a skimmer or water vacuum cleaner. In addition, permanent circulation does not guarantee a reduction in algae growth, a better alternative is to use chemicals and clean the pool walls.

Reduce filtration time to 6 hours per day. If the water does not appear completely clear, increase the filtration time by 30 minute increments until the situation improves. In the above study, owners who reduced the filtration to 3 hours a day were still satisfied with the quality of the pool water with an average saving of 60%.

It is also possible to install a timer. If small dirt is a problem, it is advisable to let the timer switch on the pump several times at small intervals during the day. This variant is more suitable than letting the pump run, for example 3 hours, then for another 21 hours your pool would collect dirt. Several shorter cycles will keep it clean throughout the day.

Keep the filter grids as clean as possible. Clogged drains force the pump to work harder, which consumes more energy. Wash your filter regularly to save energy.

Rules for savings

When choosing a pump for your pool, the size of the pump must be taken into account, the smaller the pump, the more energy you will save. On the other hand, the pump must be powerful enough to handle the entire volume of water. In general, however, the pool pump does not need to be oversized. By following the rules below, some users have obtained energy savings of up to 75%. Aspects to consider when operating a pool pump are the following:

* The above data are presented based on research by the Florida Atlantic University. They may vary depending on the destination / price of energy. However, by streamlining the pump parameters, you can generally save between 40-75%

The larger the pump, the higher your maintenance costs. Therefore, it is optimal for the pump to be as small as possible for a given pool size. Studies show that a pump with a power of 0.75 horsepower (= 560 W) is generally sufficient. Smaller pumps can also be used when you reduce the hydraulic resistance in the pool circulation system by doing the following:

Installing a larger filter (more precisely, you need a filter that is designed to handle 50% more flow than is the real flow in your pool)

Increasing the diameter or length of pipes, another option is to get new pipes with 90 degree angles, 45 degrees or flexible. By reducing the hydraulic resistance, you can reduce energy consumption by up to 40%.

Calculation of the pump requirements

Here are some basic calculations to help you choose the optimal pool pump.

First, you need to calculate the pool capacity using the formulas below.

Pipes, bends, etc. must be routed correctly for optimal operation. See the chapter about savings.