In-ground swimming pool pumps are the driving force behind pool water circulation. Electrically operated, pool pumps propel water from the swimming pool through the filtration system before sending it back to the pool through the return port. Pool owners will typically run in-ground pool pumps for anywhere from six to 24 hours per day. While operating a pool pump less often will save electricity, it's important to keep the circulation system running for at least eight hours each day in order to keep the pool water clean.

Most important in selection of a new pool pump is to resist the urge to oversize the pump. A pump that is too large not only costs more to operate, but makes filtration inefficient, and could damage filters and other equipment. Replacing your pump with the same make/model/horsepower is usually a safe bet, or if you want to switch make or model, use the pump Flow Curve charts to match the pump flow rate to the Filter design flow rate. Different pumps of the same horsepower can produce vastly different flow rates.

Filters for In-Ground Pools

While pool pumps are responsible for circulating pool water, in-ground pool filters are responsible for removing debris and contaminants from the water. This is a vital task as pool water contaminants have the potential to cause swimmers to contract illnesses and infections. Accumulating debris can also cause dirty, cloudy water that is unpleasant to swim in and potentially dangerous, as reduced visibility makes swimmer supervision more difficult.

In-ground swimming pool filters are available in three main types -- sand filters, cartridge filters and DE filters. While all pool filters perform the same task, each type uses a different filtration media to trap debris. The various types of pool filters also differ with respect to their effectiveness and their maintenance requirements. When selecting in-ground pool filters it is therefore helpful to know which type of filter will provide you with the level of filtration you want while aligning with your maintenance preferences.

Instead of sand, cartridge filters (such as Hayward Star Clear Cartridge Filters) use fibrous cartridges to trap debris. These in-ground pool filters provide greater surface area for filtration than sand filters and are able to filter out impurities and debris particles as small as 10 to 15 microns. These filters also exert less strain on pool pumps than sand filters as they can operate at a lower pressure. Cartridge filters also become clogged less easily and do not require backwashing. However, cartridge filters must be cleaned with a garden hose from time to time.

Diatomaceous earth (DE) filters provide the highest standard of water filtration currently available to residential pool owners. With the ability to filter out particles as small as 2 to 5 microns, DE filters are even able to trap certain types of bacteria. The reason why DE filters are able to provide such excellent filtration has to do with the diatomaceous earth powder used as the filtration media. DE powder is derived from the fossilized exoskeletons of diatoms and is a very porous powder with many microscopic nooks and crannies. As water is propelled through DE powder, contaminants and debris particles become trapped in those microscopic pockets.

Since DE filters provide such excellent filtration performance, they are becoming increasingly popular among residential pool owners. However, their popularity also has to do with their low cost of operation. With respect to maintenance of DE filters, these in-ground pool filters are similar to sand filters in the sense that they require periodic backwashing to ensure ongoing effective performance. As is true of sand and cartridge pool filters as well, DE filters are available from many top pool supply brand names.