What Horse Power Pump Should I get for my Pool?
When I first started in the pool business in 1976 most pools had 1/2 horse power or 3/4 hp pumps. Today most pools have a 1-1/2 hp or 2 hp pumps. Arrr Arrr Arr as Tim Taylor says, but is a larger hp pool pump always better? The pump manufacturer can manipulate the pump horse power by changing the service factor rating of the motor. You can actually have the exact same motor on a 1-1/2 hp pump as on a 2 hp pump.
Pool pumps should really be rated by the gallons per minute of water flow instead of the motor’s hp. You need a pump that will be able to pump all the water in the pool through the filter in 8-10 hours. Which is 40 gpm for smaller pools and 80 gpm for larger pools. When replacing a pool pump you should check the flow rate of the existing pool filter. The gpm of the pump will go down the farther away from the pool the pump is located. Valves and PVC turns will also restricts the pumps gpm.
Today in our green energy efficient world it is even more valuable to get the most gallons per minute from your pool pump with the least horse power motor. Increasing the PVC pipe size from 1-1/2″ to 2″ will increase any pumps gpm. Other options to make your pool pump more efficient include a pump timer, 2-speed motor and the newer variable speed pumps. 
5 Responses on What Horse Power Pump Should I get for my Pool?
The diffuser of the 2-HP Astral pump fixed at our pool got damaged and the local agent does neither maintain spare parts on shelf nor bother to help with delivering such parts. What is the nearest Astral Pump Service Centre to contact re ordering a new diffuser?
Please advise
Some Astral parts are available online http://www.royalswimmingpools.com/Parts.htm
We can also order other parts as well
I agree with the above. Most people have way too big pumps for their pool. they end up being whirlpools, instead of filtering properly.
Our son has purchased several pools and was adamant that two 1 horsepower pumps installed in our new 400 square pool would save us energy. When we talked with the pool company, they led us to upgrade from 1 horsepower to 1 1/2 horsepower pump. Unfortunatley, when we got the specs from the engineer, they went down to a 1 horspower pump -supposedly to save us energy. What are your suggestions on 1 horsepower vs 1 1/2 horsepower in a 400 square foot pool?
On most installations one pump is better than two unless you need a booster pump for a water feature. Pool pumps should really be rated by the gallons per minute of water flow instead of the motor’s hp. Use this link for properly sizing a pool pump. http://www.royalswimmingpools.com/blog/what-horse-power-pump-should-i-get-for-my-pool/
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