Most everyone loves the idea of a backyard swimming pool. Whether it’s used to cool off, get in a good workout, play games or just give you something to lie in the sun and socialize next to, a backyard swimming pool can bring a lot of joy to the warmer months. But how does an inground pool system work? This may not interest the casual pool user, but some people like to understand exactly what’s taking place to give them peace of mind and allow them to understand their environment. This article is for those who are curious as to what actually makes a swimming pool work.
Water Flow
Without water flow your swimming pool would become a stagnant pond that would be more conducive to growing plants and algae’s rather than acting as a place to bathe. Water circulation allows the water to be filtered and heated and promotes the mixing of the chemical additives. At the bottom of the pool, you’ll find a drain or two and along the edges of the pool, you’ll find one of more skimmers. Water is sucked out through these openings. The skimmers have baskets which strain out large pieces of debris that float on the water surface. From these openings, the water is drawn towards the pump.
Water Pump
The water pump is run by an electric motor and is responsible for circulating the pool’s water which plays an important role in keeping the water clean. The pump itself has a strainer which removes any debris not caught by the skimmer baskets. Once passed through the strainer the water is forced by the impeller into the filter for further cleaning.
Water Filters
A swimming pool’s water filter is filled with a filtering material such as sand, diatomaceous earth or a filter cartridge. Water is passed through the filter and all the finer particles that made it through the skimmer and pump strainer are trapped and filtered out. Sand and diatomaceous earth filters must be backwashed once they become too dirty. How dirty they are is determined by pressure gauges. Once the pressure reaches a specified level the filter needs to be backwashed. This is done by reversing the water flow through the filter to remove the collected dirt and debris. When cartridge filters become too dirty you simply replace the cartridge.
Water Heaters
There are now several different ways to heat pool water, each with their own level of energy efficiency. The most energy-efficient types are those that use sunlight or the atmosphere’s ambient heat to warm the water. Propane or natural gas heaters are less energy-efficient but don’t depend on good weather to work properly.
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