The Pressure Side:

• The Pump and Motor is the heart of the pool system. The impeller, within the pump, creates centrifugal force which pulls the water through the suction side of the system. Once through the pump, the water is forced (pushed) through the pressure side of the system.
• The Filter is the first piece of equipment to receive the water from the pump. The filter (Sand, Cartridge, or Diatomaceous Earth [D.E.]) strains the water and captures both large and small particles. A properly sized and operating filter is critical to keep water clean. As the filterable debris is collected on the surface of the filter, routine physical cleaning is required. Some of this debris is capable of being washed off, but a lot of debris can only be removed by chemically cleaning. Each type of filter is designed to allow physical "washing" of the media. Sand and some D.E filters utilize a control valve to reverse the flow of water through the filter in a process called backwashing.
• The Heater is an optional piece of equipment which warms the water before it's returned to the pool.
• Return Lines transport the water from the filter/heater back to the pool.
• The Return Valve(s) allow you to control the flow of water returning to the pool. On some pools it may be necessary to isolate the equipment from the pool in order to perform maintenance on the equipment. Additionally, some pools may have a water feature installed on the pool, like a water fountain, water fall, and/or spa jets in the steps. This return valve can be adjusted in order to feed water to these features.
• Return Inlets feed the water into the pool. Ideally, these inlets should point slightly downward to push the water toward the bottom of the pool and achieve the most effective circulation. (Pool Emporium, Inc. suggests pointing them all downward and counter clockwise.)

The information on this page has been provided courtesy of BioLab, Inc. ©1998