
There is a general rule we use that makes it very easy to pick. For round above ground pools up to 24 ft. (pools with less than 15,300 gallons) use a 1 HP pump. For round above ground pools over 24 ft. (pools with more than 15.300 gallons) use a 1.5 HP pump.
What size pool pump do I need for my Pool?
Now that we have the minimum and maximum flow rates for your pool setup, put them together to get to your flow rate range: one of the two main specs for determining the pool pump size you need. So, let’s say you have a 15,000 gallon inground pool. With two turnovers per day, your minimum flow rate comes to 20.8 GPM.
How do you calculate gallons per minute for a pool pump?
So, if your pool has 24000 gallons of water, the equation would look as follows: Since pumps are categorized by the gallons, they move every minute, you’ll need to divide the number above by 60. Determining the gallons per minute: The flow rate of any given pool system is limited by the equipment and the size of the piping.
How long should I Run my pool pump?
Run the pool pump for 24 hours per day, which decreases the flow rate needs. Run the pump twice a day with a turnover rate of 6-, 8- or 10-hour cycles. What you need to do here is to consider balancing electricity consumption with the pump horsepower. If you use a low horsepower pump for long, you gain better water chemistry balancing.
How many turnovers should a pool pump have a day?
That’s why your pool pump’s calculated turnover rate should be capable of 3 to 4 turnovers per day. The flow rate is the measurement of how many gallons a pool pump can process every minute or every hour. We can use the pool volume and desired turnover rate to calculate what flow rate we need.

What size pump do I need for a 24 pool?
For round above ground pools up to 24 ft. ( pools with less than 15,300 gallons) use a 1 HP pump. For round above ground pools over 24 ft. (pools with more than 15.300 gallons) use a 1.5 HP pump.
How many gallons does a 24 ft pool have?
11,895 galsAbove Ground Swimming Pool Water Volumes in Gallons by Size18ft Round7,646 gals8,602 gals21ft Round9,106 gals10,408 gals24ft Round11,895 gals13,594 gals27ft Round15,054 gals17,205 gals9 more rows
How do I know what size pump I need for my pool?
Divide the pool volume by the number of hours that you would want the pump to be running, so that would be 65,947.5 divided by 6. This would give you 10,991 which means your pump should be able to turn around this much water in 6 hours.
Can a pool pump be too big?
However, a pump that is too big can cause serious problems. To get the right size pump, you need to know the volume of water in your pool. The volume is the pool's total capacity, which is measured in gallons. Start by figuring out the average depth of your pool.
How many gallons of water are in a 24 ft by 4ft pool?
How many gallons of water are in a 24ft round 4ft pool?...Asked by: Amy Morrison.Above Ground Swimming Pool Water Volumes by Size24 ft Round11,895 gals13,594 gals27 ft Round15,054 gals17,205 gals2 more rows
How much shock do I need for a 24 foot pool?
Typically for granular shock, you'll need one pound for every 10,000 to 13,500 gallons of pool water. With over 8 million residential swimming pools across the US ranging from 5 thousand gallons to over 30 thousand gallons, the amount of shock you need to treat a swimming pool isn't a one-size-fits-all answer.
Can I replace my 1 HP pool pump with a 1.5 HP?
So to answer the question, yes, you can replace your 1hp pool pump with a 1.5hp pool pump, but only if your situation calls for it. If you've determined that your current pump is too small for your pool, then we'll suggest replacing it with a larger ECO pump like the Water TechniX Pump Alpha ECO.
How many gallons per minute does a 1.5 HP pool pump?
Pool Pump Operating CostsPump SizeGPM (varies with plumbing)Cost/Hour1.0 HP60$0.061.5 HP68$0.092.0 HP76$0.123.0 HP85$0.181 more row•Nov 4, 2019
Is more HP better for pool pump?
The higher the horsepower, the greater volume of water pumped. Additionally, the faster it'll filter through your pool water.
What happens if pool pump is too small?
If your pool filter is too small for the pump, there will be additional strain on the pump motor as it tries to push water through and encounters resistance at the filter. This will eventually burn out the pump motor and your filtration will also be compromised.
What happens if I oversize my pool pump?
A pool pump that is larger than needed has a more powerful motor and circulates water at a higher flow rate. This uses significantly more energy to pump the same amount of water and puts additional stress on your pipes and filter, meaning you'll need to replace them sooner.
How many hours a day should your pool pump run?
8 hoursThe rule of thumb is generally 8 hours, although it could be anywhere from 6-12 hours, depending on your pool's size. Each pool is unique, so to keep your pool pump efficient and effective, you need to figure out exactly what your pool's turnover rate is.
How many gallons is a 24 foot round by 52 inch pool?
12,481 Gal.Water capacity: 12,481 Gal. Dimensions (L x W x H): 24 ft. x 24 ft. x 52 in.
What size pool holds 10 000 gallons?
Common Pool Sizes and Its Capacity In GallonsPool SizeUS Gallons12 ft x24 ft Oval6,40015 ft x24 ft Oval8,00015 ft x 30 ft Oval10,00018 ft x 33 ft Oval13,0008 more rows
How many gallons is my pool chart?
For example, if the pool is 16 1/2 feet wide, use 17 feet as the width. 2- Put the Diameter in the Length And Width fields for Circular pools....How Many Gallons Of Water Are In My Swimming Pool?SIZEGALLONS OF WATER12' Round3,82315' Round5,97318' Round8,60221' Round11,7086 more rows
How many feet around is a 24 foot pool?
75.4 feetThe circumference of any circle is equal to pi times the diameter. A round pool that is 24 feet in diameter has a circumference of pi times 24, or 3.14 times 24, or 75.4 feet.
How to determine the best pool pump size?
Your best pool pump size must meet your minimum and maximum flow rates, which you get by finding the pool volume first. And for you to get all these, you have to do a series of calculations. In the end, you will have the ideal min-max flow rate range to help you find the perfect pool pump size for your swimming pool.
What is the minimum flow rate for a 50,000 gallon pool?
Assuming you have a 50,000-gallon inground pool and two 12-hour turnovers in a day, the minimum flow rate 69.44 GPM.
What is the minimum flow rate?
The minimum flow rate gives you the number of gallons pumped per minute or per hour to meet the pool turnover.
How to calculate minimum flow rate?
Calculating the minimum flow rate is quite simple; all you need is your pool’s volume in gallons and divide it by the turnover in minutes (GPM) or hours (GPH). If you don’t want to go along with all the math, below is a simplified minimum flow rate calculator.
What are the different types of pool filters?
The next stop is the pool filter. And as you might already know, pool filters are of three types. There is a sand filter, cartridge, and DE filter , and they all have different maximum flow rates.
How many feet of head does an above ground pool have?
If you higher the total resistance to flow, you need a powerful pool pump to overcome it. Most above-ground pools have 30 Feet of Head, and inground pools have 50 Feet of Head.
What is the first metric in pool?
The first metric is the pool volume which will help you determine the minimum and maximum flow rates required.
How fast does water flow through a pool?
Generally, the velocity of the water through the piping shouldn’t exceed 7 feet per second. Count the intake lines as that will determine what the maximum flow into the pump will be. It’s also important to make sure the lines going back into the pool will support the same level of flow.
What determines the maximum flow rate of a pool system?
The flow rate of any given pool system is limited by the equipment and the size of the piping. This determines the maximum rate of flow through the system.
How Much Water Does Your Pool Hold?
The reason for this is that your pool pump should be able to turn over the water in about 8 hours. (For a more exact calculation on how many hours to run your pump, check out How Long to Run a Pool Pump.) In other words, all the water in your pool should run through your pump in that time span. And that should happen once a day.
How to figure out how much water a pool holds?
To determine how much water your pool holds, start by looking at the paperwork that came with your pool. If you can’t find the number of gallons it holds, don’t worry. With a little simple math, you can figure it out on your own.
Why are variable speed pumps more efficient?
These pumps are more energy-efficient because they use a magnet motor as opposed to the induction motors the other two types use. Magnet motors produce less friction, which increases efficiency. They’re also quieter than the other types. You will pay more for a variable speed pump, but save in the long run.
How to find the average depth of a pool?
To determine the average depth in your pool, which you will need for the above formulas, add the shallowest part of your pool and the deepest part of your pool and then divide the number by two.
What is a dual speed pump?
Dual-speed pumps. These pumps have two speeds: low and high . The high-speed setting is equivalent to a single-speed pump, while the low speed is much less. Depending on the size of your pool, the low speed may not be enough to turn over the water in your pool within a day. Variable speed pumps.
Why is it important to buy a pool pump?
When it comes to your pool, it’ s the pump that does all the hard work behind the scenes to push water through your filtration system. That’s why it’s so important to buy the right size pump. Buy the wrong one and it may not be able to keep up with the demand, resulting in cloudy—or worse—green water.
Is a pool pump good for a filter?
You will hear about horsepower when you go to purchase a pump, but just because a pump has more horsepower, that doesn’t mean it’s the right pump for your pool. You need to ensure that the pump will work well with your filter. If the pump is too strong, it can overwhelm the filter, making for an ineffective filtration system.
How many turnovers should a pool pump have?
That’s why your pool pump’s calculated turnover rate should be capable of 3 to 4 turnovers per day.
What is the GPM of a pool pump?
The GPM is the measurement of how many gallons the pool pump can push through the filtration system each minute.
Why is my pool pump so big?
A pool pump can be too big if you do not have sufficient control of the flow rate. Filters only operate effectively within specified ranges of pressure. If your pool pump overpowers the filters, your filtration will suffer. The increased PSI will push those contaminants straight through the filter. For this reason, you should never buy a single-speed pool pump that is rated higher than your filter’s manufacturer’s recommendations. Instead, if you choose to buy an overpowered pool pump, look into variable-speed pool pumps. Dual-speed pumps can work if the lower setting fits within the filter’s effective range.
What is flow rate in pool?
The flow rate is the measurement of how many gallons a pool pump can process every minute or every hour. We can use the pool volume and desired turnover rate to calculate what flow rate we need.
How long does it take for a pool pump to turn over?
For normal day-to-day maintenance, you only need the water to turn over a minimum of once per day to achieve an acceptable level of filtration.
How many turnovers are needed to clean a pool?
Using a standard but unknown pool pump and filter, this duo found that 7 turnovers are needed each day to cleanse 99.9% of the water. Below that, we find the following:
What is pool volume?
Pool Volume: Volume can be measured in a few ways. In this article, pool volume refers to how many gallons fit into your pool.
How should a pool pump be rated?
That being said, it's important to know that pool pumps should really be rated by the gallons per minute of water flow instead of the motor's HP.
How to get the most gallons per minute from a pool pump?
There are ways to get the most gallons per minute from your pool pump with the least horse power motor. Increasing the PVC pipe size from 1-1/2" to 2" will increase any pumps GPM. Other options to make your pool pump more efficient are: Include a pump timer. Opt for a pump with a 2-speed motor.
Why should my pool filter be higher than my pump?
You'll want your filter's GPM to be higher than your pumps to alleviate any additional strain on the pump motor . While some may think it's just easier to go with the highest GPM and HP and not worry about anything further, note that your pool's pipes can only take so much movement and pressure based on their size.
How long does it take to pump water through a pool filter?
What you're looking for is a pump that will be able to pump all the water in your pool through the filter in no more than 8-10 hours. This typically looks likes 40 GPM (gallons per minute) for smaller pools and 80 GPM for larger pools. However, you can determine the more precise needs of your individual pool by following these steps:
How much water can a 1.5 inch pump move?
This means that you can have a pump capable of moving 100 gallons of water per minute, however, if the 1.5-inch piping will only allow 42 gallons per minute you risk damaging your system by creating too much strain on your pump that cannot move water as quickly as it'll be trying to.
How many hours does a pump move?
As pumps are labeled with how many gallons they move per minute, you'll now need to divide the above number by 60 (as there are 60 minutes per every hour). Keep in mind that the desired time frame of turnover is between 8-10 hours, so you get a range by substituting the 8 hours used above, for 10 hours instead.
What is the maximum flow rate for a pool?
For example, if you primarily have 3-inch pipes in the plumbing system of your pool, but also have a spa with a 2-inch plumbing pipe, you're maximum flow rate would be 73 GPM.
