subject: Plumbing Your Swimming Pool? New Technology Should Be Considered [print this page] There's no doubt, that on during the weekend when it is a warm bright day, blue sky and you haven't anything pressing, the blue sparkle of the pool is inviting. You take a fast dip, stretch and cool down in the water and then lie back in the sunshine for one or two minute. What is going thru your head? Is it the power meter spinning away in the background as you pool pump works overtime?
Running a pool isn't cheap, but if you set it up properly, it can be a luxury that you can use and enjoy without the pain of big power bills. Heating and pumping will make up the large parts of your pool costs. You may decide to do without pool heating, but you do need a pump. Before you purchase a standard pool pump, consider a Solar Pool Pump, as they can significantly lower your pool running costs. If you already have a pool and pump system, retro-fitting improvements may still be worth it. However if you are just about to put a pool in, stop and think about your plumbing and pumping setup.
Firstly, a solar powered pumping system will eventually draw no grid power and soon pays for itself.
Second , the pool plumbing can add to the load any pump ( solar powered or not ) draws. The more power the bigger the "cost", particularly if it is grid connected and you are paying power charges.
Solar pumps are typically about half the dimensions of a standard pump because they run on more efficient DC not AC power. Their potency and lower power draw also suggests a far longer life. For backup, they can be grid connected in case you want to run it at night. Choosing a pump that's too large for your use also simply adds to your running cost. Generally a pool pump will pump the whole volume of the pool every day, any more than that is just over-pumping.
Aside from those issues, the pool plumbing can add to the load the pump has to work on.
Basically a pump "pushes" water thru the piping and filters then into the pool thru the inlet pipes. Although it doesn't seem as if it, water is influenced by the friction. Too many bends, undersized piping or the incorrect filter can noticeably add to the work a pump has to do, and can through overwork, shorten its life. In an easy example, if the flow rate thru your pump and pipes were to be reduced by fifty percent, then the back stress on the pump will be cut to only 25 percent, that's a massive saving on work and power draw.
Therefore to be certain you get the best from your pool this summer, set it up correctly, make it both energy and water efficient. It'll save you both money and in some shape will reduce your environmental footprint on your community.
