The pool pump is an important equipment for any swimming pool, but it is also important that you get the one with the right size for your pool. If you buy one that is too big, it will eat up more energy than it is supposed to, which results in higher energy bills. If you get one that is too small, it will fail to filter your pool sufficiently. Buying the right pump will be important to maintain your pool in the long run.

When you are buying a pump, you can also ask the swimming pool builders for any advice. Here are tips on how to choose the right pool pump:

Size of Your Pool

First, you must measure your pool size. Use a tape measure to get the width, length, and depth of your pool. If the measurements are not in the exact feet, you can convert foot fractions into decimal feet. You have to measure the pool’s actual water level depth. You should not use the depth that your pool can hold.

• Rectangular pool: In gallons = Length x Width x Average Depth* x 7.5
• Ovel pool: In gallons = Shortest diameter x Longest diameter x Average depth x 6.7
• Circular pool: In gallons = Diameter x Diameter x Depth x 5.9

Calculate Your Pool’s Minimum Flow Rate

The water in your pool should make a complete circulation every 8 hours. In order for this to occur, you must figure out your swimming pool’s minimum flow rate. In order to find out, you should take how many gallons of water your pool can hold and then divide it by 8. After that, divide the answer by 60. The result is your pool’s minimum flow rate.

 Horsepower

The power your pump has will dictate the rate of water turnover, so how often you run the pump will depend on that. However, this will also depend on the filter size and filtration system pipes. But in case your system uses 3-inch pipes, you can install a pump with 3 horsepower. This will work a lot quicker.

However, this can be too much if your pool is small, which will just end up wasting energy and costing you more money. Make sure to choose a pump that will not overwhelm your filtration system, but still has enough power to turn over the water pool at a good rate.

Pipe Size

No matter how many GPM the pump can handle, the connected pipe size will determine how fast the water can flow through. For instance, if your pump is 100 GPM, but your pipe is 1-1/2” the pump will only flow at 60 GPM.

Here are the numbers to make sure that the pipes and pump have matching GPM capabilities.

1-1/2” pipe has a maximum flow rate of 60 GPM

2” pipe has a 100 GPM maximum flow rate

2-1/2” pipe has a maximum flow rate of 140 GPM

Buy the Largest Filter

To have the least maintenance, choose the largest filter that your pool pump can take. A larger filter can clean the pool water better, fewer clogs, and require less work.

Voltage

Your pool can be hardwired into your system or it might need an outlet you can plug into. Find out what you are getting into before buying the pool pump.

You would also have to determine if the pump is running on 110 or 220 volts. If you have an in ground pool, it is important to know the exact voltage.

Contact pool design contractor Long Island to have the pump installed.