03Service
Pool Pump and Filtration Systems
Installation, repair, and maintenance of pool pumps and filtration equipment to keep water crystal clear.
—Background
How a pump and filter system fits together
Every pool depends on its circulation. A pump draws water from the skimmers and main drain, pushes it through a filter and returns it to the pool. How well that loop works depends on the pump suiting the pool and its pipework, the filter suiting the pool’s volume and use, and the pipe runs not being longer or narrower than the system can cope with.
A problem with one component is often a problem with the system. A pump too large for its pipework can be loud and wasteful; one too small leaves parts of the pool poorly circulated. Replacing a failed unit like for like is quickest, but a failure is also the moment to check whether the original choice was right.
Equipment chosen now sets running costs and noise for years. That makes the selection — pump type, filter type and size, and where the plant sits — the part of this work most worth thinking through.
01Covers
What the work includes
Pump installation
Pump repair
Pump and filtration maintenance
Filtration equipment
02Enquiries
What to tell us
None of this is required. It is what turns a first reply into an answer rather than another question.
- What is actually happening — noise, weak flow, cloudy water, or nothing running at all
- What equipment is installed, if you can read the labels on it
- Roughly how old the pump is, if you know
- Where the plant sits, and how far it is from the pool
- Whether anything was changed or serviced shortly before the problem started
03Choices
What you will be choosing between
The options that exist for this kind of work. Which one suits a particular pool is a conversation, not a rule.
- Scope
Repair suits a sound system with one failed part. Like-for-like replacement suits a system that worked well. Redesign is for systems that never did — noisy, weak, or unable to keep the whole pool circulating.
- Pump type
A single-speed pump runs at full speed whenever it is on. Two-speed and variable-speed pumps can run slowly for everyday filtration and faster for cleaning or water features, which usually reduces energy use and noise.
- Filter media
Sand and glass media are used in the same kind of filter and are cleaned by backwashing. Cartridge filters avoid backwashing, but their cartridges are cleaned or replaced by hand.
—Worth knowing
Before you ask about pump & filtration systems
What tends to change how this kind of job is done. General points about pools and properties, not promises about the work.
- Pipe size and length
- A pump can only move as much water as the pipework allows. Long runs and narrow pipes limit what a larger pump can achieve, and sometimes the pipework is the real constraint.
- Where the plant sits
- Plant below the water level stays primed more easily. Plant above it, or a long way from the pool, has to be taken into account when the pump is chosen.
- Electrical supply
- A different or larger pump may need its supply, isolation and protection checked before it is connected.
- Noise near the house
- Plant close to bedrooms or terraces benefits from a quieter pump, lower running speeds, or a ventilated enclosure.
—Questions
Questions people ask
- Is a bigger pool pump better?
- Not necessarily. A pump has to suit the pool volume, the pipework and the filter. An oversized pump can be noisier, use more energy and push water through the filter faster than it can work.
- Should a failed pump be replaced like for like?
- If the old pump served the pool well, often yes. If the system was always noisy or weak, or parts of the pool never circulated properly, a failure is the moment to look at the sizing again.
- What is the difference between sand, glass and cartridge filters?
- Sand and glass are media inside the same type of filter, cleaned by backwashing; cartridges sit in a different housing and are cleaned or replaced by hand. They differ in what they catch, how they are cleaned and how much water cleaning uses.
- What should I photograph before asking about pump or filter work?
- The labels on the pump and filter, the whole plant area, the pipework around it, and the pressure gauge with the pump running.
—Guides
Guides on pump & filtration systems
21 guides filed under pump & filtration systems: the decisions, the stages of the work and what to tell us.
- Sizing a pool pump
- Choosing a pool filter
- Upgrading to a variable-speed pump
- Installing a pool pump
- Replacing a pool filter
- Glass filter media
- Replacing pool pipework
- Redesigning a pool’s filtration system
- Pool automation systems
- Installing a salt chlorinator
- Installing automatic pool dosing
- Upgrading a pool plant room
- UV and ozone pool systems
- Balance tank design
- Salt or conventional chlorine for a new pool
- Sand, glass or cartridge filtration
- Single-speed or variable-speed pump
- Pool automation or manual control
- Keeping pool equipment quiet
- Pool circulation and returns
- Housing pool equipment
—Also
Other services
The five overlap. A renovation often turns into pump work, and a leak is sometimes found during one.
—NEXT
Ask about pump & filtration systems.
Send the property, the pool and what you need. We will come back to you.