How many gallons does a 1 HP pool pump produce?
There are a few factors to consider when looking for a pool pump.We will run through how to figure it out step-by-step and choose your pool pump.
You need to know how much water is in your pool.The calculation is straightforward and different based on pool shape.We will start calculating the minimum flow rate for your pump after you use our pool volume calculator.
The minimum flow rate for the pump is determined by the number of gallons of water in the pool.Your pool size and the number of turnover you need per day are taken into account.The industry standard for saltwater pools is 2 turnovers per day.
There are a few options before we get into the calculation.You can either run your pump 24 hours per day or twice a day in different segments.The two-a-day segments are usually 6 hours, 8 hours and 10 hours.We need to calculate the minimum flow rate for each option.
The ultimate goal is to balance electricity bill savings with pump horsepower and balanced water chemistry.A more balanced water chemistry can be achieved by running at low power for a longer period of time.The opposite is true for shorter run times.
This is where variable speed pool pumps come in handy, they can speed up and slow down when you need them to, resulting in a much safer pool chemistry and energy efficient setup, which is a nice savings on the electric bill.
You don't have to do a lot of math to figure out our maximum flow rate.It is dependent on your plumbing system and other pool equipment, all of which should have documentation on maximum flow rates.We will start with filters.
All of the pool filters have different maximum flow rates based on their surface area.If you stay below the maximum flow rates for your filter system, you could end up damaging it.The flow rates are for common filters.
Sand filters fall between 19-22 Max GPM per square foot of surface area.
The filters are a lot bigger.You are going to get an average of 0.3 to 0.35 GPM per square foot.
There is a little rangy about the DE filters.If you take the middle of the ranges into account, you'll get 1.75 GPM per square foot.
You don't want to put too much pressure on your pipes.The maximum flow rate of your plumbing setup should be clearly labeled on your system.You can ask your contractor or use the common values.
It's a good idea to know that your plumbing setup may be different across your entire pool environment.The main pool area and the pipes leading to your spa are different.You should always take the lowest maximum flow rates for your pool pump size.You could damage the setup for your pool environment if you don't do that.
Almost there!Now that we have the minimum and maximum flow rates for your pool setup, put them together to get to your flow rate range.
Let's say you have a 15,000 gallon pool.The minimum flow rate is 20.8 GPM with two turnovers per day.
You have a 2.3 square foot sand filter and 1.5′′ plumbing.To make sure you don't overwork any components of your pool, you have to take the lower of the two values.