Do I have too much pump for my pool?

pushin glass · Mar 7, 2018

This was the pump that came with my pool when we bought our house. It still works fine and I don't really intend to replace it, but after reading about pumps and performance on here, I'm wondering if this is too much pump for my pool and if it can cause any problems long term. My water pressure rarely exceeds 20 psi, all of my plumbing is 2", and I don't have any water features, spa jets, or inline cleaners. It sounds like a two speed pump is probably a better fit for my pool. Thoughts?

JamesW · Mar 7, 2018

I would say that it's oversized. Typically, a total of 1.0 hp is enough for almost any pool.

It's not so oversized that it would cause any issues other than total energy use.

pushin glass · Mar 8, 2018

Good deal. I'll let it run its course and then probably replace it with a 1.0 hp two speed pump when the time comes.

kadavis · Mar 8, 2018

It appears that your present motor is a 1 1/2 uprated motor, which is equivalent to a full rated 1 hp. Since your plumbing is all 2" and you have a 4.9 sq. ft. filter I believe it is the right size pump. Going with a two speed or variable speed will save you energy cost if you and when you replace it

JamesW · Mar 8, 2018

The current pump will do about 95 gpm during a backwash, which comes out to about 19.3 gpm/sqft.

The 1.0 hp total model will do about 75 gpm during a backwash, which comes out to about 15 gpm/sqft.

The 1.0 total is a better fit and will provide more than enough flow for 2 skimmers.

The current pump uses about 2,000 watts, which is a huge waste of energy.

pushin glass · Mar 9, 2018

So which pump(s) would you recommend I look into for the future?

JamesW · Mar 9, 2018

Either a variable speed pump or a two speed with a total of about 1.0 hp.

mas985 · Mar 9, 2018

I think you could go with almost any size pump and be ok. I have a very small VS pump and I can run it as low as 30 GPM and there is still more than enough flow for 2 skimmers. Based on my own testing, the skimmers I have only need about 15 GPM each to run properly.

Also, I don't think backwashing should be a big issue either. As long as the backwash flow is greater than the filter flow rate, which should always be the case, it should be sufficient to push any dirt out of the sand. (Force in < Force out). Plus if you run mostly on lower speeds, the dirt should be even easier to backwash at higher speeds.