Which pool pump should I choose?
The purpose of your pool pump is to draw pool water through the skimmers and pool main drain to channel it towards the filtration system, which will then eliminate most of the impurities. What are the criteria for choosing a pool pump?
How do I determine the correct pump flow rate?
The most important aspect in choosing a pump is the same as for filters: a suitable filtration rate for your pool. This figure is easily calculated by dividing the pool volume by 4, a convention derived from the need to completely filter the pool water every 4 hours. Thus, you will obtain the flow rate in cubic metres/hour (m3/h).
This number corresponds to the flow rate required for correct cleaning of your pool water, under normal conditions of use. It is important to choose a pump with an equivalent, or slightly higher, flow rate (1.2 or 1.5 times higher) if you need to take into account the head losses related to the distance between the pump and the pool, or to piping that follows a sinuous, complicated path.
A higher flow rate is also required if there is abundant vegetation at the edge of the pool, which may create more debris.
What other factors should be taken into account when choosing a pump?
Amongst the important factors that will influence your decision, we have for example:
- Whether or not the pump has a strainer, which will trap the largest debris so the filter can concentrate on smaller impurities;
- Energy consumption, because pumps vary significantly in performance, and electricity bills can quickly ramp up due to an ineffective pump;
- The sound volume emitted by the pump, given in decibels by the manufacturer, is also a factor if you have installed the plant room right next to the pool, or directly below a window of the house.
Why choose a variable-speed pump?
- Silent running: variable-speed pumps are particularly quiet when running at low speed.
- Reduced speed: the advantages of using a variable-speed pump are based on the fact that they can be run longer at low speed, while consuming less energy.
- Energy savings: Hayward Variable Speed Pumps are equipped with Permanent Magnet motors with a smart inverter that provides electricity savings up to 85%*, at low speed.
*Electricity savings of 65% are generally achieved. - Water quality: variable-speed pumps optimise sand filtration quality. The quality of pool water is 80% dependent on the quality of its filtration. Using a variable-speed pump will significantly increase this filtration quality, thanks to the water passing more slowly through the granular filtring media.
- Flexibility: benefit from a wide range of pump speeds to customise your needs according to your pool equipment.
