Keep your pool clean with pool pumps and pool filters
A swimming pool is one of the best ways to cool down in the heat of the summer. To keep your pool water sparkling clean, pool pumps and pool filters are a must have.
What do pool pumps do?
A swimming pool that’s just been filled with water is crystal clean and blue, but it won’t stay that way for long if you don’t use a pool pump to keep it clean. Pool pumps force water to circulate in your swimming pool, and any debris that exists in your water will be filtered through the pump. Pool pumps also create a flow of water that will circulate added chlorine and other chemicals so your water stays free of algae and other build up.
How does a pool pump work?
A pool pump facilitates water flow in your pool. It works by pulling water from the skimmer into the pump. The water is pushed through a pool filter where any debris is removed. If you have a pool heater, the pool filter will push your water through the heater back into the pool. Without a heater, the pool pump will filter your water and push it straight back into your swimming pool.
Do you need a pool filter?
Pool pumps siphon any debris from your water, but a pool pump needs a filter to really clean the water. Pool filters come in a few varieties, with the most common being a cartridge style pool filter and a sand pool filter.
A cartridge pool filter uses a cartridge that looks like an air filter. It’s usually made from fabric or paper. As water moves through the pool pump into the pool filter, any small particles will be trapped inside. Some pool pumps only use one filter while others use multiple filters. There are pool filters that will only filter out debris, but you’ll also find pool filters that can filter out bacteria and other particles.
What size pool pump should I get for my pool?
The size of pool pump you’ll need for your swimming pool should be determined by how many gallons of water your pool holds and how often you’d like to filter your water. Most pool owners will want to run their pool pumps around 8 hours per day.
You can use a calculation to determine what type of pool pump you’ll need. A small above ground pool may be around 500 gallons, while a larger in-ground pool could be 20,000 gallons or more.
To determine what type of pool pump you need you’ll divide the number of gallons by 8 hours, so a 20,000 gallon swimming pool divided by 8 hours of run time equals 2,500. Because one hour of run time equals 60 minutes, you’ll divide 2,500 by 60 to determine how many gallons your pool pump will filter per hour. In the case of a 20,000 gallon swimming pool, that number is approximately 41 gallons per minute. Once you know your gallons per minute requirement, you can choose the best pool pump for you.
You can find all types of pool pumps and pool filters at Best Buy.