What Kind Of Pool Pump Do I Need

Choose Your New Pool Pump Wisely

Your new pool pump is an extremely vital piece of equipment it is the heart of your swimming pool. Just as your heart circulates the blood throughout your body, a pool pump circulates the water throughout your pool.

A pool pump consists of an electric motor and wet end assembly. The motor spins an impeller inside an air tight housing which creates suction, to pull water from the pool, and push it through a filter and back to the pool. Pool water needs to be regularly and fully circulated to stay clean and clear. Without a pool pump circulating your pool water, or a filter to remove contaminants, a swimming pool quickly becomes stagnant and unpleasant.

First, water is drawn from the pool through a hose or pipe called the influent line. The influent line leads into the pump where water is passed through a strainer basket and on to the impeller. The impeller, a rotating turbine that is attached to the electric motor shaft, creates centrifugal force as it spins. This centrifugal force, meaning the outward movement of the water caused by the impellers rotation, is what forces water out through the effluent hose or pipe, leading to the filter.

Drawing Up A Diagram Of The Pool Technical Room

This plan must be carried out after the piping layout from the pool to the pump room. Indeed the positioning of the pipes and valves depends partly on the entry into the technical room. Therefore each plan should be unique if you would like us to guide you through this installation, please contact us.

What Swimming Pool Pump Should I Buy

If you are in the market for a swimming pool pump then have a look at the options below. Each of these pumps has been tested by our in-house engineers and are the highest quality pumps available on the market.

Calpeda NMPM Pool Pumps 240

Crafted out of the finest cast iron with a compact, built-in strainer, the Calpeda NMPM swimming pool pumps are close-coupled, self-priming centrifugal pumps.

Suitable for:

• Clean or slightly dirty water
• Both commercial and domestic systems

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What Pump Should I Use For A Waterfall

A submersible pump specifically designed for waterfalls is best for a homemade waterfall, since it will be powerful enough to send the water from the pump back to the top of the waterfall. Even so, not all pumps are created equally check the gallons per hour rating of your pump to make sure it can handle the height of your waterfall.

Calculation Of Sizing A Heat Pump

Believe it or not, youre half done with the sizing stuff. Now, for ensuring accuracy, you just have to use some mathematical formula. Follow these steps:

From above, Target temperature-the average temperature= degrees

So, the temperature increase number is 20 degrees.

Length x Width= Surface area= ft= 450sqft

Temperature increases x Pool surface area x 12= BTUs=20 x 450 x 12= 108,000 BTUs

You are done! If you calculate like this example, if a heat pump size is 108,000BTUs or more, its a good fit.

Now, know something else for having a better idea about your heat pump.

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How Do I Get Water Out Of The Bottom Of My Pool

Since both draining methods will not drain pool water to the last bit, you need to remove the extra liquid left at the bottom. To do so, you can:

Faq Draining Your Swimming Pool Water

1. Where do I drain my pool water? In Litchfield Park, where I live, the city doesnt allow draining pools into the street gutter, so I drain the water on my lawn.

2. How much water do you drain? My pool is 22,000 gallons, and I drained out about 15,000 gallons.

3. How long will it take to drain your pool water? With my 1/2 HP submersible pool pump, it took about 8 hours to drain out about 15,000 gallons at ~2000 GPH.

4. Does all that water on your lawn flood your backyard? Actually, I was surprised by how quickly the water got absorbed into the ground. Never did it look like it was puddling.

5. How much did your water bill cost for refilling your pool? Last July, my water bill went up about $28.65 when I refilled my pool at .00191 cents per gallon.

That concludes this DIY tip, and now its your turn

Every pool is different, so would you share your pool water story in the comments below? It would be a great addon to this best pump to drain pool water tips.

Also, if youre a new pool owner whos just learning how to service your swimming pool, I also recommend that you check these DIY pool maintenance tools.

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How To Choose The Right Size Of Filter For Your Pool

Choosing the right size pool filter for your pool is not always a simple task, but it is crucial to ensuring that your pool stays safe, clean, and open. The first step when picking the right sized pool filter is picking the right size pool pump.

Choose the Right Size Pump

Many people err on the side of caution and purchase a pump that is far bigger than what they need. This can be a costly mistake. Larger pumps are more expensive, and may increase your energy bill compared to an appropriately sized pump. Worse, a pump that is too large can overpower your filter system. A pump that is too small may lack the power needed to effectively pump and filter your pool. This can lead to a buildup of bacteria and algae.

Choose the Right Size of filter

Even if you have the right sized pump, if you choose a filter that is too small, the pump will generate too much pressure, causing the filtering material to break down and rendering the filter ineffective. The pressure build-up caused by small filters causes pressure to build up in your pump, and in some cases this has resulted in explosions, or serious damage to your pump.

The correct sized filter and pump should be able to fully cycle all of your pool water in about eight hours. This simple guide will show you how to find the right sized pump and filter for your pool.

Step 1: How Much Water Does Your Pool Hold?

Step 2: Turn Cubic Feet into Gallons

Step 3: Gallons Per Minute

Step 4: Feet of Head

Step 5: Choose Your Pump

Other Factors That You Need To Consider

In this article, we have highlighted the most fundamental factors that you have to consider. However, below are additional factors that will be instrumental when finding the right size sand filter and above ground pool pump.

The GPM of your pool pump will be lower depending on the location distance from your pool. Note that the GPM might also be a bit restricted depending on the pipe construction.

You will need a bigger pump if you have extra water features such as spas, fountains, and waterfalls. Understand that your pump will have to serve the additional water features as well as your above ground pool.

Always ensure that the pool pump size matches the filter size. However, you can always use a larger filter but never a smaller filter. Notice that large filters will reduce the workload for your pool pump. You will, therefore, enjoy long-lasting services from the pool pump.

Never go for the highest HO or GRM that you come across in the market. Notice that you will end up with inefficiency when you get a pump that is bigger than what you need. Notice that the pressure and movement of water in your pool need to match for efficient performance.

Always go for larger pipes when designing your above ground pool. Note that large pipes will increase the flow rate. What this means is that you will get more gallons per hour without having to increase the pump horsepower. Notice that you will also save a lot of energy and enjoy reduced bills. There is never any harm with going green.

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Considering Speed When Choosing A Pump

Pool pumps come with different options of pumping speed: low, medium, and high, which are all necessary when you need to regulate the pumping speed depending on the status of the swimming pool to save on power consumption. Remember:

• The faster a pool pump, the less power will be used.
• The slower a pool pump runs, the more the power will be used.
• They come in single, dual, or variable speeds.

Filter Pump Calculator & Guidance:

Your filter may also add pressure head to your system. Most pressurized filters add 35 feet of head. A few models add up to 10 feet, which youll usually see in the user manual. UV clarifiers add 12 feet. Make sure to clean your filter regularly, too. As filters become dirtier or clogged, less water can pass through them, increasing the pressure.

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Sizing It As Accurately As Possible

Before drawing the swimming pool pump room diagram, it is important to confirm the dimensions of the room itself.It should be remembered that below 2 m2 no authorisation is required in France. From 2 to 20 m2 a Déclaration préalable for minor works, possibly the same as for the swimming pool, must be filed. Above 20 m2 a building permit will be required. If you wish to know more about the French regulations, you can find more information here.2 m2 seems enough for a skimmer pool, but an average surface of 4 m2 is usual for an infinity pool the main thing is to design a pump room where you can house additional equipment later on.Many people recommend using the pump room to store chemicals we dont do it because it can damage the equipment even if the room is well ventilated.

What Is A Pool Pump And How Does It Work

The pump is the equipment that is in control of the whole pool water circulation system. The entire operation of circulation, cleaning, and filtration depends on the operation of the main pump, and without it, the water will get stagnant .

The pump pulls water through the skimmer and the main water drain, pushes it through the filter, and then returns it via the main returns. Ideally, the pump consists of three major parts:

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Pressure Head & Max Head

Pressure head is the resistance from devices that use pressure to operate. You may need to include pressure head if your pump is going to power a pressurized filter, UV clarifier, or spray nozzle.

After adding up all your sources of head, youll need to find a pump that supplies the right flow rate at that height. If you need 3,000 GPH at 10 feet of head, a pump that can give only you that flow rate at 5 feet wont be strong enough. Manufacturers usually list the flow rates their pumps provide at several head heights. One of these will be the max head height, which is the furthest distance a pump can lift water. At the max head height, the flow rate is basically zero. You can use pumps max head heights to compare how strong they are.

These general guidelines are useful for understanding what flow rate and head height can tell you about a pump. The next step is applying them to your particular setup. Below, weve laid out some specific details about sizing pumps for water features, and for filtration and circulation.

The Size Of Your Pool Matters

One of the most important things to consider is the size of your swimming pool in gallons. Use a standard pool gallons chart or an online pool water volume calculator to determine your pool’s size.

You should then divide the total gallons your pool contains by 8 to get the flow rate per hour you will need your pump to have.

A pump is always labeled with GPM and consequently, you will need to divide your total result by 60 to get the number of gallons your pump will circulate per minute. Here is another guide for how to size your pool in gallons.

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Bringing It All Together

The best pool pump for you then, is that particular pump that can deliver the flow rate to match your pool filters design flow rate while overcoming the resistance in your system.

That may be the exact same pump that you are replacing. Unless you had real performance problems with your pool pump, the best pump for you may be the same make, model and horsepower pump.

Bigger is not Better! If two pump curves come close, choose the smaller pump. When it comes to pool pumps people tend to think bigger is always better. Indeed, this is not true with pool pumps. A larger pump will cost more money to operate and if too large it will start to cavitate, making lots of noise, and overworks the motor. Pool pumps that are too large also compromise filtration and can even damage a filter that is too small.

The same pool pump will also match up to the plumbing pipes, but a different pump will have a slightly different height and depth where the pipes connect.

Another option with less math involved, is to buy a variable speed pool pump. You can set multiple speeds to match your existing equipment, and at the same time cut your electrical usage in half. Prices on VS Pool Pumps have come down to the $750 range.

our Techs for help in selecting your next pool pump, or send an in with all the pertinent information about your pool and pool equipment and our guys will give you some options for the best pool pumpfor you and your pool.

Calculate Maximum Flow Rate

The size of your pools pipes determines the maximum flow rate.

Count the number of intake lines for your pool and refer to the common pipe sizes below:

• For each 1.5-inch intake line, the maximum flow rate is 42 GPM.
• For each 2-inch intake line, the maximum flow rate is 73 GPM.

Example: Two 1.5-inch intake lines = 84. The maximum flow rate is 84 GPM.

This number is important because your pool filter has a maximum flow rate, which is measured in GPM. The pool pump’s GPM rating should be below the pool filter’s maximum flow GPM rating.

If the pool’s turnover rate is higher than the filter’s maximum GPM, the filter is undersized and will not work properly. If the filter is undersized, it should be replaced, or the pump should be undersized to prevent damage to the filter.

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The Pump Motor Is Making Noise

All pump motors will make some noise. But if your pump is making a racket that sounds different from when its running normally, you could have a problem.

If its just vibration, placing the pump on a rubber pad may do the trick. But if its a low, growling sound, the problem could be cavitation, which means the pump isnt getting enough water, and is taking in air.

First, prime the pool pump.

If priming the pump doesnt stop the noise, check the intake lines for clogs, and make sure none of the lines are leaking. Once those things are fixed, the pump should quiet down.

If the pump is making a screaming noise, its likely the bearings have gone bad. Or its being terrorized by the neighborhoods feral cats. But its probably the bearings. If so, youll need to replace them.

While the parts are inexpensive, this fix will require quite a bit of labor as the motor will have to be shut off, disconnected, and disassembled. So have your tools ready for this one.

What Size Swimming Pool Pump Do I Need

When trying to find the right size pump for your swimming pool, there is generally one specification that you should be aware of – flow rate.

Flow rate

Flow rate is the volume of liquid that passes through the pump per minute.

For swimming pool pumps, flow rate will range from 30L/PM to over 5000L/PM.

To find the correct pump size for your swimming pool, you need to find the flow rate that corresponds with the volume of water in your swimming pool.

To do this, follow the simple steps below.

Step 1: Multiply your pools volume in litres by two

This will give you the litres per day that the pump needs to circulate so that the water will turn over twice.

Step 2: Divide your new swimming pool volume by 1440

This will give you the number of litres per minute that the pump needs to circulate so that the water will turn over twice.

Step 3: Match the L/PM with the correct swimming pool pump

When purchasing a swimming pool pump, your pump will have a Maximum Flow Rate in the specifications tab. Make sure to match your L/PM with the correct swimming pool pump.

If you found the above confusing, then take a look at the calculations for a pump below.

Look:

Step 1: Multiply your pools volume in litres by two

My pool is 25 metres in length, 10 metres in width and 1.5 metres in depth.

I then times my new swimming pool volume by two – 375,000 x 2

This equals 750,000 litres.

Step 2: Divide your new swimming pool volume by 1440

There are 1440 minutes in one day.

750,000 ÷ 1440

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