Fiji Pools Blog
The entire purpose of a pool pump is to move water to/through the filter(s), and often, a heater. “Turnover” is the moving of all of the water through one cycle, which is suggested to be once for every 12 hours. What is it that should be considered to help make sure that the pump you get serves you great?
Pool Pump Considerations: Strength and Energy Consumption
Strength
To get the strength that you need, you first need to determine how much water needs to be circulated in the right amount of time. With the desired turnover to be 12 hours, you will need to divide your pool’s total volume volume in gallons by 12, to get the gallons-per-hour, then again by 60 to get the gallons-per-minute.
For example, a pool with a 10,000 gallon capacity would need to pump 833.33 gallons per hour to have a 12-hour turnover (10,000 gallons/12 hours). From there, it can be determined that the pump needs to function at 13.88 gallons per minute, or 13.88 GPM (833.33 gallons per hour/60 minutes per hour).
Energy Consumption
Energy consumption should always be considered as pool pumps run for several hours each day (in some cases, all day). Generally speaking, the more power to a pump, the more energy it consumes. For example, it takes more electricity to power a 2-hp pump than a 1-hp pump. The goal is to get a pump that can circulate the water at your desired turnover, but not be so big that it is taking more energy than necessary to do so.
The EPA suggests that people run a conventional pump only three hours a day, and increase in half-hour increments as needed, if needed. It also suggests frequent cleaning and the use of chemicals to reduce the need of pump time. Note – the less pump running time, the higher the GPM will need to be. Continuing the above example, only using the pump for three hours, rather than twelve, will change the numbers to: (10,000 gallons/3 hours)/60 minutes per hour) = 55.55 GPM.
Though most motors aren’t designed to run 24/7, variable-speed pool pumps can be used around the clock. Depending on the circumstances, the lack of on-and-off surges can result in reduced energy over conventional pumps.
To determine what would be the best fit for your needs, contact Fiji Pools today!