Is a bigger pool filter better?

Author: Hermann Robel  |  Last update: Friday, April 22, 2022

The high amount of pressure pushes debris back in your pool and can crack or damage your pool filter. A good rule to remember is bigger, in this case, is better. Although larger filters come with a bigger price tag, they provide better filtering and easier maintenance for pool owners.

Can a filter be too big for a pool?

Oversizing a swimming pools filter is unlikely to cause problems but having a huge pump and a small filter can result in accelerated wear and tear. A larger filter with a smaller pump reduces the work the pump must do to keep the swimming pool's water clean.

How big should my pool filter be?

Filter Size

The filter flow rate must be rated at least the same GPM as your pump, or higher. With pool filters, it's best to err on the larger size so it can handle the power of your pump. A helpful rule of thumb is to choose a filter with at least 1 square foot per 10,000 gallons pool capacity.

What happens if pool pump is too big for pool?

Too large of a pump can cause poor filter performance and even damage it, if the filter is not also oversized accordingly. Another possible consequence is pump cavitation in which bubbles form in the water inside the pump and then burst with great force, resulting in damage to the impeller and other internal parts.

Is a bigger pool pump better?

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.

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What size pump do I need?

A good rule of thumb is that pumps should be able to pump out about half the pond volume every hour. For example, a pump that moves 500 gallons per hour would be appropriate for a 1,000 gallon pond. You don't have to refer to a fountain pump size chart to figure out the best water pumps for your garden.

What size pool pump do I need for my above ground pool?

What Size Pool Pump is right for my Above Ground Pool? Round Above Ground Pool: For pools up to 24 Ft Round, use a 1 HP pool pump. For pools over 24 Ft Round, we recommend using a 1.5 HP pool pump.

Can I replace my pool pump with a bigger one?

Yes. You can, but what's more important to answer is do your really NEED to change your pump to one with a higher horsepower rating? If you have complete information on you pool and you've determined that your current pool pump is not enough for your needs, by all means, go ahead and change your pool pump.

Can a pool pump be too powerful?

The more powerful your pool pump is—the more horsepower it has—the faster it will turn the water over, which means you can run it less often and for shorter periods of time. But this is also dependent upon the size of your filter and the filtration system's pipes. A too-powerful pump can be too much for a small filter.

Is it OK to run pool pump 24 hours a day?

The size of your pool, the efficiency of your pump and filter, and how dirty your pool is are just some of the factors you need to consider. Nevertheless, most pool cleaning professionals would advise against running a pool pump for more than 8 hours a day.

How many hours a day should you run a pool pump?

Overall, the lessons learned today is you should run your pool pump an average 8 hours a day to properly circulate and clean your water. The pump should push your entire pool in gallons in this 8 hour period of time. Residential pool water only needs to be turned over once daily to have proper filtration.

What is the easiest pool filter to maintain?

Sand filters use 20-grade silica sand capable of trapping particles as small as 20-30 microns. Maintenance: Sand filters are considered to be the easiest to maintain. Sand filters are backwashed when the pressure reads 10 psi over the normal operating level.

Are sand or cartridge pool filters better?

Cartridge filters can screen out twice as much dirt and debris as a sand filter. Its larger filtration area allows the water to progress through the cartridge removing smaller particles. Maintenance is much easier in that there is no need for a back-washing step.

Can a filter be too big?

As long as the filter will move the entire volume of water in the tank it will be good enough. You could put a filter rated 2x's the size of the tank or 10x's the size of the tank, it will still only grow enough bacteria to handle the current bio-load of the tank and no more.

Is it better to run a pool pump at night or day?

It may be cheaper to run the pump at night, but honestly you should run it 1 hour a day per 10 degrees of temperature at least, and it should be during the day. Running the pump at night should only be when you are doing a major chemical treatment such as algae clean-up.

Do pool pumps use a lot of electricity?

One of the most significant consumers of energy in homes with swimming pools are pool pumps, which keep pools clean by circulating water through filters. Pool pumps can consume 3,000 to over 5,000 kWh per year.

Do you run pool pump while raining?

We recommend that our customers run their pumps rain or shine UNLESS we have an electrical storm. In that case, lightning could strike an outside circuit, which could damage your pump and other equipment. If you're worried about lightening, turn the pump off or shut off the breaker.

Why is my pool filter so loud?

Blockage Inside the Pump

If debris gets caught inside the pump, the pool pump motor has to work harder to suction water from the pool and push it through the filter. When the motor is overworked, it tends to make this known—audibly. ... Feel the impeller to see if it's clogged or wobbly—both will cause a noisy pump.

Can I buy a bigger pump for my pool?

Many pool builders routinely sell against their competition by quoting a "bigger" pump as a "free upgrade." As a result, the vast majority of pools have pumps that are severely oversized. Water pumps of 1, 1.5, and 2 horsepower are very common -- and for the average size pool, very oversized.

Can a pool pump be higher than the pool?

In-ground pool pumps are commonly 'self-priming', which means that they can create enough suction to lift water vertically, as much as ten (10) feet in most cases. However, when pumps are more than a few feet above the pool water level, it can become easy to develop pool priming issues.

What size pool pump do I need for an 18 foot above ground 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.

Is 1 HP pool pump enough?

Pool owners often mistakenly believe if they choose a 2 HP pump over a 1 HP pump, they are getting double the performance. This is simply not true. In this scenario, you will get only about 15% more flow from the 2 HP model. But the amp draw of the larger pump will be significantly higher, raising your electric bill.

How many GPH should my pool filter move?

Determine how many gallons you need to pump per hour to clean all the water in your pool in eight hours. Divide the gallons of water your pool holds (answer from step 1) by eight. Using the example number of gallons previously given, this equation would look as follows: 24,000 gallons ÷ 8 hours = 3,000.

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