How Do I Know If My Pool Filter Is Bad
There are ways to tell if the swimming pool filter is bad. If the water turns cloudy, then you know that your filter is not functioning properly. Leaking multi-port valves, broken or bad laterals, valve failure, tank failure, and pressure issues are some of the other indicators that the pool filter is bad.
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Constants And Terms Used:
7.5 = Number of Gallons Present in a Cubic Footr = distance across the center of a circular pool divided by 2 = a constant used in calculating area or volume of a circle
Square or Rectangular Shaped Pools w/Uniform Depth
x x x 7.5 = volume
Square and Rectangular Pools w/Shallow and Deep Ends
Length x width x AVERAGE DEPTH x 7.5 = volume AVERAGE DEPTH = /2
Circular Pools w/uniform depth
x radius squared x AVERAGE DEPTH x 7.5 = volume
Circular Pool w/Deep and Shallow Ends
x radius squared x AVERAGE DEPTH x 7.5 = volume AVERAGE DEPTH = /2
Kidney or Irregular Pools
Divide your swimming pool into smaller regular shapes, then use the above formulas to calculate their volumes. Once you have the volumes of the smaller pieces, add them up.
Why Doheny’s Inground Pool Pumpswhy Doheny’s Inground Pool Pumps
Doheny’s Inground Pool Pumps deliver outstanding performance and reliability at a fraction of the price of the big name brands. Heavy-duty construction and advanced engineering provide high efficiency and quiet operation. Doheny’s Inground Pool Pumps are designed and manufactured to meet all CSA and ETL requirements.
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Calculate Flow Rate And Turnover
Flow rate is the number of gallons the pump moves per minute, and turnover is the minimum about of time to circulate all water through the filter.
Use this formula to determine your turnover rate:
Pool Volume in Gallons ÷ Turnover Rate in Minutes = Flow Rate
Example: If you have a 25,000-gallon pool, and you want the water to turn over once every eight hours:
25,000 ÷ 480 = 52 GPM
Your 25,000-gallon pool needs an output of 52 gallons per minute to circulate the water once every eight hours.
What Is Pool Flow Rate
The flow rate of a pool is the speed at which the water is being circulated through the pools circulation system at a given time. Pool flow rate meters usually display the flow rate in gallons per minute or liters per minute .
The ideal flow rate for small pools is between 40 GPM and 60 GPM. Bigger pools will require a flow rate between 80 GPM and 100 GPM.
These flow rates will depend on your plumbing and also the size of your equipment .
A 0.5 to 1hp pool pump will do this in most residential pools.
If youd like to know what your pool flow rate is without the math, check out our article:
But lets not guess. Heres how to choose a pool pump, step by step:
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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
Dont Hesitate To Call A Pro
If you can repair it, you have the tools you need to do it properly, and youre comfortable taking apart a pump motor or working with an electrical system, by all means do it. The DIY approach can save you money, plus you get the satisfaction of fixing something yourself.
But if you dont have the necessary knowledge or skill, or youre uncomfortable tackling a repair on your own, by all means, call in a professional.
After all, this is the heart of your pools plumbing system. If you arent confident in your ability, you could actually do more harm than good. Call in a pool pro to take care of the repair the right way the first time.
And hey, you can watch what they do so you might be able to take care of the problem on your own next time.
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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
- For each 2.5-inch intake line, the maximum flow rate is 120 GPM
- For each 3-inch intake line, the maximum flow rate is 160 GPM
Swimming Pool Salt Calculator
Adding salt to your swimming pool is fairly straight-forward. However, calculating how much salt to add can complicate things. What you need is a swimming pool salt calculator.
Usually, there are two reasons why you would need to add salt to your pool. Either your salt chlorine generator alerted you that your pool was low in salt or you recently drained your pool, for whatever reason. Whether youre adding salt to your swimming pool or diluting it, knowing how much salt to add back into the water is crucial to balancing your pool.
Lets take a look at how pool owners can determine when their salt is low and how they can calculate how much salt to add.
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Intex Krystal Clear Sand Filter Pump For Above Ground Pools
- Pump flow Rate: 12100 GPH. System flow Rate: 1, 600 GPH
- 6 function control enables pool owner to filter, backwash, rinse, recirculate, drain & close system
- 24 hour automatic timer Maximum pool size : 12,800 gal
- Strainer basket easy cleaning, prolongs life of sand
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The Hayward ProSeries 16-Inch Above-Ground Pool Filter System includes an 16 polymeric tank, a 7-position filter control valve and a 1 HP PowerFlo LX pool pump, and its performance matched with the above-ground pump series to ensure a system that maximizes its filtration ability. It utilizes a precision-engineered umbrella-fold self-cleaning lateral system to provide efficient flow and evenly distributed water for long lasting performance.
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Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
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Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
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| Easy to use operating system. |
| Best above ground pool pumps and filters |
How To Select The Best Pool Pump
Picture this: You wake up to a loud sound coming from your back yard. Its a piercing noise that hurts your ears, like nails on a chalkboard times ten. You run outside and find the noise is coming from your pool pump, and it stops when you turn the pump off. But that relief is only temporary because now you know youre going to be shopping for a new pump in the morning.
Whether this is familiar, or your pump just suddenly died, or you need a new pump for a new pool, you want to choose the best one for your pool and your budget. And remember, youre making a long-term investment in your pools health. The key is knowing what your pool needs, and what features to look for. And while youre at it, dont forget to brush up on some pool pump troubleshooting for those inevitable problems that will crop up.
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Find The Right Size Filter
Now that you have found the appropriate pump size for your pool, you will need to find the correct pool filter size to match. See below:
500 W goes with 20 filter
750 W can go with 24 filter
750 and 1100 W can go with 25 and 28 filter
1100 and 1500 W can go with 28 filter
1500 and 2000 W can go with 33 filter
Source: Fiberglass Media Filter Resources> Manual
Find out more about the detailed calculations here or get in contact with one of our specialists if you need further assistance in your search for the right pool pump for your swimming pool.
How To Calculate The Appropriate Pool Pump Size For Your Swimming Pool
Here is how you go about determining the best pool pump for your swimming pool:
Step 1: Figure Out Your Swimming Pools Water Volume
To come up with a pool volume in gallons for your swimming pool, you have to take into consideration several pool dimensions. These include:
- The shape of your swimming pool
- The length and width of your swimming pool
- The average depth of your pools shallow end
- The average depth of your pools deep end
You can use this handy pool volume calculator from calculator.com to avoid stressing out over determining how many gallons of water are in your swimming pool.
For our calculations here, we will say our pool has a 30,000-gallon capacity.
Step 2: Determine the Minimum Flow Rate Necessary to Filter Your Pool Efficiently
This is a fairly easy calculation once you know your swimming pools gallonage. You use the following formula.
Pool gallonage x 2 ÷ daily hourly run time ÷ 60 .
So, for a 30,000-gallon pool that runs continuously , the formula is:
30,000 x 2 ÷ 24 ÷ 60 = 41.6 or rounded up its a 42 GPM minimum flow rate.
Step 3: Establish the Maximum Flow Rate Necessary to Filter Your Pool Efficiently
To establish the max flow rate needed for your swimming pool, I like to go by filter surface area.
Here is a chart containing filter surface area and associated maximum flow rates:
| 144 GPM |
You should be able to find his information on the label of your pool filter or by referring to the website of the manufacturer of your pool pump.
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Do I Need A Swimming Pool Pump
Swimming pool pumps are essential devices for efficiently filtering a pool and leaving you with clean and safe water to swim in.
Traditionally, pools would be cleaned by hand – removing objects with a skimmer. Unfortunately, while this is an effective way to remove large debris like leaves, its not effective at removing fine debris such as dust, sand and dirt.
If you appreciate swimming in dirt-free pool water then a swimming pool pump can efficiently remove the fine matter that settles at the bottom of the pool.
Swimming pool heating pumps also offer an efficient and effective way of heating a swimming pool. By using advanced technology to capture heat found in the outside air, the pump can transfer the heat into the swimming pool, making the water more comfortable and significantly extending the seasonal period of the pool.
Some Final Words On Swimming Pool Pump Sizing
Pool pump size is by far one of the most critical aspects when it comes to keeping your pool water clear and having an efficient pool circulation system.
I will also tell you that just because your swimming pool was installed by a professional does not mean that you have the right size pool pump for your filtration needs.
This is something that should be quite obvious to you, so you do need to go through the pool pump size calculation steps just to be sure.
If your pool stays crystal clear with a minimum effort, you have good suction when vacuuming, and the skimmers keep debris and insects off of the top of the pool, then chances are you have the proper pump size for your pool.
On the other hand, if the opposite of the above-mentioned traits is true, then take the time to do the calculations necessary to determine if you indeed have a properly sized pool pump.
If after making these calculations the answer is no, you can save a lot of headaches, time, and effort by installing a properly sized pool pump.
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7 Best Intex Pool Filter Pumps for Cleaner Pool Water. Looking to upgrade your Intex pool pump? Heres what you need to know about Intexs line of pool filter pumps.
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Sizing The Pump For Your Swimming Pool
You might think bigger is better in terms of pump size, but a pump that is too big can cause serious problems.
The first step in sizing your pool is to know the volume of water in your pool, which is the average depth:
Calculation Example
Measure the shallow end depth. 4 feet
Measure the deep end depth. 12 feet
Add them together. 16 feet
Divide by two. 16 ÷ 2 = 8 feet
In the example above, the pools average depth is 8 feet.
Now use the formulas below to determine the volume of water in your pool.
- Circular Pools: Diameter x Diameter x Average Depth x 5.9 = Total pool capacity in gallons
- Oval Pools: Length x Width x Average Depth x 6.7 = Total pool capacity in gallons
- Rectangular Pools: Length x Width x Average Depth x 7.5 = Total pool capacity in gallons
Once you know the volume of water in your pool, youre ready to calculate the flow rate and turnover required to circulate the water in the number of hours you want.
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What Is A Gfci
Youll see this acronym as you browse the best pool pumps, and GFCI means ground fault circuit interrupter. What youre getting is a simple but effective circuit breaker. This electronic device helps to prevent anyone from suffering an electric shock. If there is any discrepancy in electricity flow, the circuit breaker kicks in for safetys sake.
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How To Choose The Right Sump Pump For Your Home
There are many different types of sump pumps on the market today. Some are more effective than others at removing water from basements and crawl spaces. You should consider several factors before purchasing one.
First, you need to determine how much water will accumulate in your basement or crawl space. If you have a lot of rain during the year, you may have to install a larger pump.
Next, you must decide whether you want a submersible or surface-mounted sump pump. Submersible pumps are placed directly under the foundation of your home. Surface-mounted pumps are attached to the side of the structure. Both types work well, but their installation requirements differ.
Finally, you need to factor in the size of the pump you need. Smaller models are easier to install, but they wont be able to handle large amounts of water. Larger pumps are more powerful, but they require more maintenance.
If you live in a flood zone, you should also consider buying a backup pump. Backup pumps are used only if the primary pump fails. Most homeowners dont realize that their sump pumps arent always working.
You should also check with local authorities about the type of sump pump you need. In some states, you are required to buy certain types of pumps. For example, California requires all new construction to include a backflow prevention device.
How To Choose The Right Pool Pump
| Before we get started, Ill give you a chance to get out of reading this article The simple way to address this topic is to purchase one of the new variable speed pumps we have available. These pumps will work on any pool, regardless of plumbing size, filter type/size or feet of head, etc. All terms we would rather not concern ourselves with! And most utility companies offer a rebate if you install one. The most popular variable speed pump on the market that will work on almost every residential pool in the industry is the Intelliflo by Pentair. |
STEP1STEP2minimum
For example: 24,000 gallons / 8hours = 50 gallons per minute ). 50 GPM is the minimum flow you need fromyour pool pump.
| 160 GMP |
For example: If you have two 1.5suction lines then your maximum flow ratewill be 88 GPM .
| DE Filter |
STEP4STEP 5
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