Swimming Pool Pumps

Many people expect to see their water bills go up when a new pool is installed. After all, it takes a lot of water to fill that new toy. Not everybody takes into consideration the increased electricity bill the pool will bring, though.

The increased electricity is for powering the swimming pool pumps required to safely circulate the water in the pool to keep it as clean as possible. Without the pump, the water becomes stagnant and too dirty to be safe for swimming.

Swimming pool pumps pressurize the water from the pool and force it through a filter that traps hair, lint, and plant debris that falls into the water. Once filtered, the cleaned water is routed back into the pool.

Swimming pool pumps vary in power levels but it's safe to expect to use from 750 to 1500 watts per hour when the pump is in full operation. Typical pumps generate 3/4 to 1.5 horsepower of energy and will most likely run a good 12 hours per day during peak swim season.

To conserve energy, some swimming pool pumps operate on two motor speeds, switching to lower energy levels when appropriate. Energy conservation is optimized in certain Italian-designed swimming pool pumps and those made in other parts of Europe are cost effective, too.

Swimming pool pumps above water level are self priming, meaning they cycle on and off based upon a timed schedule. Below water level, swimming pool pumps are gravity fed. These pumps come on and off according to the level of water accumulated in the pumping system.

Installing a swimming pool comes with many choices to be made, some fun and some more practical. All in all, your own pool is a great place to spend the summer.