Swimming Pool Pumps & Motors - An Intro
What Does a Swimming Pool Pump & Motor
Do?
The swimming pool pump & motor, commonly referred to
as the pool pump, is one of the most important parts of the swimming pool.
Just as it would be impossible to swim in a pool without water it would
be impossible to keep that water clean without proper circulation and
filtration. Basically, the swimming pool pump is the piece of equipment
that draws water out of, and pushes water back into, your swimming pool.
The pipes and additional pieces of equipment, known as plumbing, that
the water passes through after leaving the pool, will determine the size
and power of pool pump & motor you will need. For that reason, the
most important issue involving swimming pool pumps is sizing your pool
pump correctly. If this task is carried out successfully, your swimming
pool will run at an optimal level and you'll experience fewer problems,
easier maintenance, lower utilities costs, and longer equipment life.
Sizing Your Swimming Pool Pump
Sizing the swimming pool pump that is right for your pool
involves calculating the following information:
- Pool Volume
- Capacity
- Flow rate
- Total Dynamic Head
These four factors are described in greater detail in the article: How
To Size Your Swimming Pool Pump & Motor. Once you are able to determine
the flow rate you need you can be confident to select the swimming pool
pump that is right for needs. When choosing a pump you should also make
yourself aware of some of the features and terminology used to describe
swimming pool pumps.
How Swimming Pool Pumps Work
When looking to purchase a swimming pool pump you may run across some
scientific-sounding terms that may make things sound more complicated
than they really are. Here we will cover just how pool pumps work and
describe the meanings of some of these terms. We all know that swimming
pool pumps move the water in our swimming pools but just HOW that task
is accomplished is a different matter. First, water is drawn from the
pool through a hose called the influent line. The influent line leads
into the pump where water is usually passed through a strainer basket
and on to the impeller. The impeller, a rotating piece of the pump that
is attached to the electric motor shaft, creates centrifugal force by
spinning. This centrifugal force, meaning the outward movement of the
water caused by the impellers rotation, is what forces water out through
the hose leading to the next piece of equipment (usually the pool filter).
This hose is called the effluent line.
Priming Swimming Pool Pumps
The word prime as referred to in pool pumps is the act of filling the
influent line with water so that the pump, once started, fill force any
air in the lines out the effluent line. If a pool pump fails to prime
or does not prime completely, air pressure will keep your pool pump, and
the rest of your filtration and plumbing, from working correctly. All
inground pool pumps must be self-priming as the pump usually sits above
water level. Although many above ground pool pumps are also self-priming,
some are not, allowing the water that inevitably drains from the pool
into the influent line and thus to the pump, to prime the pool pump.
Standard Pool Pump Circulation Rates
The industry standard efficiency for a swimming pool pump and motor is
the capacity to circulate the entire volume of pool water in 8 hours.
Therefore, whichever pump you choose, will need to have this capacity
for proper circulation, and thus filtration, etc. How the specification
of your pool plumbing determine the size pool pump you need is talked
about in more detail in the article: How To Size Your Swimming Pool Pump
& Motor. Read the article to determine the flow rate necessary for
your application.
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