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SWIMMING POOL PUMP
The swimming pool pump sucks water from the pool and pumps it through the pool filter and heater and then back to the pool. The swimming pool pump is responsible for the movement of the pool water and provides circulation. It is very much like the heart in our bodies.
The pump motor spins the pump impeller inside of a diffuser which flushes water out the top of the pump. The pump basket inside of the pot of the pump catches small debris before the water reaches the impeller.
Any repair on swimming pools and equipment over $500 IN VALUE including all parts, materials, and equipment regardless who purchases them needs to be legally performed by a swimming pool State Licensed Contractor
Some common swimming pool pump jobs includes motor replacement, seal, gaskets, and other parts replacement or rebuild, and whole pump replacement. Things to consider for whole pump replacement are expense to repair, lifespan of existing swimming pool pump, and efficiency of a new pump vs. the old swimming pool pump. Why spend a lot of money for a pump rebuild on an older, inefficient pool pump instead of installing a new, energy efficient pool pump.
Over time and during wet seasons, you may notice screeching or a loud whiney sounding pump. This is usually just the bearings going bad signaling a problem with your pool motor. We usually just replace the motor, seal, gaskets, and other compromised parts to cure this issue. Most pool pump motors will last 5 to 10 years roughly, so motor replacement is pretty common and other parts may be compromised inside the pool pump.
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SWIMMING POOL PUMP REPAIR
We don’t know what parts are compromised until we open up the pool pump and inspect, so these pump repair jobs come with uncertainty as to price of work. We always want to replace compromised parts, so we like to leave this estimate open for what we find. We don’t want to replace anymore parts than we have to, but we do not want to rebuild a pool pump and leave future issues if we can fix them while it is opened up.
Another common pool pump repair is water leaking. The pump housing gasket and shaft seal break down over time and leak. Many times it may be prudent to replace the pool pump motor when you have a leak as well, because the lifespan of the parts that break down to cause the leak are very similiar to the life span of the pool pump motor. You don’t want to pay for a pump rebuild and then have to pay for a motor replacement a year after when you could have just replaced the motor at the same time while it was opened up. We have to think of these things when we bid on work and sometimes a judgement call has to be made. We are not fans of wasting money!
PLANNING POOL PUMP REPAIR
As you can see, there is a lot to consider with any pool pump repair which is then compared to the price of replacing with a new swimming pool pump. Also, certain pool pumps tend to have more complications when putting back together. Some of these pool pumps have issues with bolts, threading, etc. and we have to forewarn that swimming pool pump replacement may need to be done anyway. In addition, we need to know the horsepower of the pump for certain part replacements like the impeller and the motor.
Swimming pool pump sizing also needs to be considered. Newer variable speed pumps are convenient as the rpm can be customized for need. You can use a different speed for spa jet pump vs. regular, efficient pool filtering for instance. When sizing a one speed pump, you need to make sure you have adequate water flow for higher horsepower pumps. We do not want to install a pool pump higher than 1.0 hp horsepower to a 1.5 inch suction line coming from the skimmer unless it has solar heating or a major run (length of plumbing) to the pool pump from the pool/spa.
THINK ABOUT A VARIABLE SPEED SWIMMING POOL PUMP
If you have an average pool without a spa, you really don’t need more horsepower than a 3/4 horsepower pool pump and you will save energy with a smaller sized horsepower pool pump. This is unless you have solar heating panels, a long run, or something else demanding more flow.
If you have a pool/spa combonition and only one swimming pool pump that acts as your jet flow and your circulation, you might want a little more horsepower and a variable speed pool pump would be advantageous. They are not cheap, but over time they do save you money. We will write more about these pumps soon.
Before variable speed pool pumps, we had to install a big enough pool pump for the jets which created poor energy efficiency for normal pool filtration. If you have a separate jet pump, we can focus on a more efficient horsepower size since pool filtration is the main function.
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