Turnover Rate
It is important that all the water in the pool is turned over (circulated through the filter) at least once a day.
It is recommend that all pool owners run the pump and filter at least 10 hours a day. EVERY DAY! To make sure this
is long enough to move all the water, determine the turnover rate (in hours) using this formula:
Turnover rate = Total pool gallonage ÷ Gallons pumped per hour by pump
For example...
Assume the pool holds 20,000 gallons of water. Next, determine the gallons pumped per hour. (Pump manufacturers
publish a pump flow chart to estimate the number of gallons of water the pump is capable of moving every minute
(gpm) based on the restrictions the water encounters in the plumbing. Note
From Pool Emporium, Inc.: check your owners manual or, if not available, check the motor label.) An average flow rate for a 1 hp pump is approximately 50 gpm. Multiply the pumps flow
rate (50 gpm) by 60 minutes (to convert to gallons per hour) for a total of 3,000 gallons per hour. Now divide
the total gallons (20,000) by the number of gallons per hour (3,000). The answer (6 hours, 40 minutes) is the number
of hours it takes to circulate all the water in the pool.
6 hours 40 minutes = 20,000 gallons of water ÷ 3,000 gallons pumped per hour
Additionally, this formula does not take into consideration the amount of restriction
that the water may encounter when flowing through the plumbing. For instance; water will flow faster when running
through a straight section of plumbing and flow slower when it encounters a turn at a plumbing fitting. The amount
of flow lost to these restrictions in the plumbing system is referred to as head loss. The calculation of head
loss is critical in determining the proper size pump and filter, the location of the pump and filter, and diameter
of the plumbing to be used on the pool.
Even when a pool's circulation system is in top working order, dead spots will still occur. These spots require
extra cleaning attention, which is why routine brushing is so important!
The information on this page has been provided courtesy of BioLab, Inc. ©1998