The pool pump is the most important piece of equipment in your pool’s circulation system. The pool pump sucks water in from the pool, and generates pressure to push that water through the filter and back into the pool, much like the way your heart pumps blood through your body. Selecting the right pump for your pool ensures that the water is thoroughly filtered, your pool’s pipes and filter system will not be damaged by high water pressure, and your pool will function as energy-efficiently as possible.

Here are a few factors to consider when buying a pool pump.

Minimum Flow Rate

The turnover is the minimum amount of time it takes the pump to circulate all your pool’s water through the filter. Ideally, all your pool water should pass through the filter at least once per day to ensure the pool is clean. For most pools, a turnover of 6-8 hours is adequate, with 4 hours being ideal for pools that are used frequently. You can convert this hourly rate into minutes by multiplying the number of hours by 60. To calculate the minimum flow rate your pump will need, simply divide your pool’s volume in gallons by the number of minutes it should take for each turnover.

Maximum Flow Rate

It’s important to coordinate your pool pump with your pool filter, which has a maximum flow rate, also measured in gallons per minute (GMP). The pump’s GPM should be below the filter’s GPM, otherwise the pump could overwhelm the filter with excessive water pressure and cause damage. Your filter’s maximum flow rate is specified by the manufacturer.

Resistance

Every piece of equipment, including heaters and pool cleaners, connected to your pool’s circulation system adds resistance to the flow of water. The greater this resistance, the stronger the pump needs to be in order to overcome it. This resistance to flow is measured in “meters of head”. Most domestic pools have a resistance of 10 m.

Buying Your Pump

Now you can compare all these values to the pump manufacturer performance charts, which show which pumps have what flow rate at what head. You simply choose a pump that has a flow rate between your minimum and maximum.

If you have a basic pool, you can choose a pump on the lower end of this ideal range, however, if you have a pool/spa combination, you will need to choose a pump on the higher end of the ideal scale in order to accommodate the flow requirements of the spa jets. Pumps typically come in single speed, two speed, and variable speed pool pumps. Therefore another option if you have a pool/spa combination would be to choose a multi-speed pump, which would allow you to adjust the speed depending on whether you’re using the pool or spa.

Still feel uncertain about how to choose the right pump for your pool? Visit one of International Pool and Spa’s locations across Ontario, and our pool and hot tub experts can answer all your questions.  You can also check out our full line of swimming pool pumps here.