What Is The Difference Between A Pump And A Filter?

If you own a pool at your home, you probably know how important it is to keep your pool water clean and healthy to avoid extra maintenance costs. That's where understanding the difference between a pool pump and filter come in. Both play vital roles in the pool filtration process, keeping your swimming pool water clean, clear, and safe. This guide explains how pool filtration pump systems work, their differences, and how to maintain them for optimal performance.

What Does a Pool Pump Do? Function and Importance in Pool Filtration

The pool pump is the heart of the pool's circulation process. It is responsible for moving water throughout the pool and allowing it to pass through the filter to remove dirt and debris effectively. Not only it removes the contaminants from the water, but it also enhances the efficiency of pool chemicals. Furthermore, if a pool heater is used, it will pump the heated water back into the pool.

The pool pump comprises the pump basket, impeller, and water discharge. The pump basket collects debris and leaves, while the impeller works as a fan-like mechanism that moves the water through the system. Finally, the water discharge is the connection point that pushes the water from the pump into the filter's housing.

Running the pool pump for the right amount of time is vital to maintaining clean water. In Australia and New Zealand, we recommended that pool pumps run for approximately 8-10 hours per day in summer and 4-6 hours in winter.

What Does a Pool Filter Do? Pool Filtering Process Explained

A pool filtration system ensures that all water is passed through the filter to remove contaminants you can't see and help ensure the pool is safe and healthy for swimmers. In addition, it ensures that the sanitiser is well mixed and helps maintain a consistent water temperature.

With the filtration in good repair and adequately sized, it removes debris from pool water, helping to reduce murky or cloudy water.

Filtration operates by passing the pool water through a medium that captures the solids while allowing the liquid to pass through. At Zodiac, we offer two main types of filters to cater to varying pool needs.

Cartridge Pool Filters

Cartridge pool filters are an efficient and economical approach to pool filtration. They use the surface filtering method to capture debris and dirt from the water. A cartridge filter is generally a cylindrical tank that houses a removable pleated filter element which the water is filtered through. Cartridge filters can capture particles as small as 10 microns, and the large surface area allows for a slower and more efficient filtering process.

Media Pool Filters

Media filters employ a depth filtering process, making them an optimal choice for pool owners seeking to minimise their maintenance efforts. These filters are circular tanks that can accommodate different types of filtering media, such as pool filter sand or glass pool filter media. Water from the pool is pumped into the media filter, which traps microscopic particles but allows the water to pass through and return to the pool.

Bottom Line

While the pool pump and filter are critical to pool maintenance, we must understand that they serve different purposes. The pump keeps the water moving and prevents stagnation while the filter removes debris and contaminants. In other words, the pump is like the heart of the pool's circulation system, and the filter is the kidney that removes impurities from the water.

Regardless of whether the pump and filter are chosen for the job, it's vital that they are well maintained to ensure they consistently work to their capability and extend their service life.