Saturday, November 20, 2010

Inground Pool Pump - How to Buy One

By Jason Grant


An inground pool pump is the core of your pool. It keeps your pool bacteria-free and safe for swimming by redistributing water. It works hand in hand with the pool filter to circulate water and equally disperse chemicals. A high-grade pump should keep your pool looking new for years. It gives you more time for leisurely laps with minimal maintenance.

A pool pump functions by pulling water from a suction port, then forcing it back though a filter before releasing it into the pool's return ports. You must verify your pool volume to make sure you get the right pump. There is a proper pump size and capacity to fit every pool size. Simply put, you should be able to match the flow rate, horsepower, head pressure and pump type to your pool volume.

Power consumption is the most important thing that you need to consider before buying a pool pump. Most manufacturers indicate horsepower on a nameplate attached to the machine itself. When fitted incorrectly, a pool pump can lead to energy wastage. A lot of people install much larger pool pumps than required. You end up needlessly spending money on an oversized pump that doesn't clean your pool any better.

Flow rate is another important consideration when buying pool pumps. The flow rate is the amount of water moved by the main unit within a particular period. It is commonly gauged in liters or gallons per minute. Figuring out the correct flow out can be tricky. As a good measure, you must decide first how often you want water to be redistributed. If you own a commercial pool, it isn't surprising to have a pool pump running for 24 hours. However, this isn't necessary for a pool with very few users. A residential pool typically needs water circulation at least once or twice a day.

A typical pool pump has a flow rate of 250 l/m. This is the minimum rate required for the pump to function properly. Pool pumps with this capacity run on 500 to 1,000 watts of electricity. Bigger pumps that are capable of releasing 350 liters of water per minute require 1200 to 1500 watts.

After checking the horsepower and flow rate, look for a suitable head pressure. An inground pool uses either medium or high-head pumps, while smaller pumps are for above-ground pools. A medium-head pool pump should be enough for a 10,000 to 20,000-gallon pool. If your pool is bigger than this then you should consider a high-head pump. Some pools with a built-in Jacuzzi may require ultra-high head pumps.

Picking an inground pool pump can be a tiring task. Arm yourself with the right information to make sure you buy the best one for your pool. The best way to do this is by researching online. Many consumer reviews are at our disposal and these are very helpful in helping us make an unbiased choice in purchasing products.




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