Pools are a nice way to have fun with family and friends during the summer days. Having a pool in the backyard is fun but is quite a big investment. So, one should know the kind of pool they want, above-ground or in-ground, to make the preparations and constructions accordingly.
It is important to keep a pool clean, and cleaning requires pumps that continuously pump the pool water through the filter into chemical treatment and then back. The pool pump does the same thing for the pool that the heart does for the human body. Thus, pool pumps are a very crucial part of pools.
It acts as a circulating system for the pool. It works to suck the water from the drain and push it through the filter and heater, and once it is treated, back to the pool.
Types of pool pumps
There are two types of pool pumps- above-ground pumps and in-ground pumps. Both these pumps are available in different sizes. Now, it is up to the user’s needs to choose the right size for their pool. Between the two, the above-ground pump requires less maintenance. It has a separate filter bag where all the debris is collected. The motor of this pump has a high capacity which can perform rapid filtering cycles without any overload problems.
The pump type depends on the pool type. For example, if one is installing an above-ground pool, then the above-ground pump is required, and similarly, an in-ground pool, an in-ground pool pump needs to be installed.
Difference between above ground and in-ground pumps
Even though both have the same job of circulating water flow, they still have some significant differences:-
- Size
Between the two, above-ground pumps are smaller in size compared to the in-ground ones. The reason why the latter is big is that it pumps more volume of water.
- Flow rate
To have a properly cleaned pool, it is important to ensure that the entire pool water passes through the pump every 8-9 hours. Based on this and the water amount, the next difference is the flow rate between the two. Above ground has a flow rate of 30 to 60 gallons/minute whereas, the in-ground pump has 75 to 150 gallons/minutes.
- Pump priming
One of the principal differences between the two is the process of priming. The above-ground pool pump requires manual priming; on the other hand, the in-ground pumps can self-priming.
- Accommodating air
The above-ground pumps cannot handle air compared to the in-ground pumps that can accommodate air. For a proper pool water flow, the above-ground pumps need to be installed below the water table. If the flow rate falls due to the wrong placement, the pump will sooner or later stop working, and the motor may burn out.
Advantages of using above-ground pool pumps
Above-ground pool pumps have a good pump rate and can circulate water with higher flow rates. Other than these, there many other advantages of installing an above-ground pump.
- High capacity motor
The motor is the main part that will pump the water, so it is important to pump a large volume of water. Therefore, every above-ground pump has a high-capacity motor that can handle the load with less frequent repair.
- Large filter basket
The pump has a large filter basket/bag that collects all the unwanted water debris and keeps it from leaking back into the pool water.
- Less maintenance
Constant repair and maintenance can be a lot of work. With this pump, one will not have to worry about regular maintenance. All that one needs to do is monthly check the pump once and repair whatever area requires it. Fixing the problems when arising will prevent larger damages. A few minutes are all that one needs to spare.
- Automatic overload controller
The pumps have an overload controller, which can control when the pump needs to purify the pool water. This feature prevents the pump from working all the time and saves money spent on the electricity bill.
Pumps are very crucial parts when installing a pool. So, one does have to pay extra care with picking the right size. However, the above-ground pool pumps have many beneficial features that save both effort and money while not lacking performance. Thus, one can go for above-ground pumps without worrying about overload issues.
