They say information is power; well there really is no doubt about that. This phrase is applicable in pretty much all spheres of life, and it is important to take heed of it as you go about your daily undertakings. If you are thinking of purchasing a swimming pool pump; don’t take it as just another task that needs to be completed as soon as possible; here too information is power. You have to familiarize yourself with the various issues related to swimming pool water pumps or you may end up with a product that does not meet your needs.
One of the most important factors you need to look into is the pump’s flow rate. This basically refers to the amount of water a pump can move in a particular period of time. In most cases, the flow rate is usually measured on a gallon-per-minute basis. In order to find a pool pump with the right flow rate for your specific needs, you will have to familiarize yourself with the volume of your pool, i.e. the amount of water it can hold in gallons. You also cannot ignore the daily turnover — this is basically the number of times all the water in your pool is filtered/circulated by the pump in one day. The recommended frequency in this case is once or twice with a single turnover taking approximately 4 to 6 hours.
The next step is to divide the volume of your pool by the number of hours each turnover takes. So, for example, if your pool can hold 12000 gallons of water and you want a single turnover to take 6 hours then you will need a pump with a flow rate of 2000 gallons per hour. Since the flow rate in most pool water pumps at Anchor Pumps is usually indicated in gallons per minute, then you will have to divide the hourly flow rate by 60. In this case the figure will come to 33.3GPM.
Something else that you need to take into account in this calculation is the resistance that exists in your pool’s plumbing system as this can significantly affect the flow rate. This resistance is usually referred to as the “head” and it is measured in “feet of head”. At this point, it might get a bit complicated because there are quite a number of factors that need to be considered including the length of the piping used; the pipe angles etc. Therefore, it would be a good idea to get a pool expert to help you out.
