Pool pumps are vital for keeping swimming pools running as intended. They faithfully pull water from swimming pools and deliver it to the filtration system daily, ensuring the water remains clean and refreshing.
Unfortunately, pool pumps don’t last forever -- and it can be frustrating to deal with an expensive replacement bill and an unclean pool when you least expect it! Understanding the lifespan of pool pumps and how they can be extended is a vital piece of knowledge for pool owners. Let’s take a look at how long a pool pump lasts, so you can be prepared for when you might need a pool pump replacement.
Understanding the Lifespan of Pool Pumps
The factors that influence the lifespan of pool pumps become more understandable when you consider how pool pumps work. Ordinarily, swimming pools would contain stagnant water, allowing bacteria and other harmful microorganisms to grow.
Pool pumps address this issue by drawing the pool water into a processing inlet. Once the water is inside the pump, it is pushed through a filter and circulated throughout the pump system before it is returned to the swimming pool. The filtering process creates a gentle flow within the pool water and prevents it from stagnating.
This process offers a few benefits. Any dirt, sand, or debris in the water is caught in the filter and removed from the swimming pool. The pump helps chemicals like chlorine to circulate evenly throughout the water, ensuring that there aren’t any dangerous germs. When combined with a heating system, the pool pump's circulation also helps ensure that the water's temperature is even.
Inherently, pool pumps experience some wear and tear as they work diligently to keep a swimming pool clean over the years. The outer pump housing is often exposed to harsh weather conditions, and the components inside may crack or become ineffective as the years pass and they degrade.
Familiarizing yourself with the factors that can shorten the lifespan of a pool pump is the best way to prolong it. Usually, pool pumps can be expected to last around a decade - but with proper care and maintenance, it’s possible to push the limits and potentially get a few more years out of your swimming pool pump.
The most significant factors that impact the lifespan of a pool pump are frequency of use, proper maintenance, installation quality, and environmental factors. We’ll examine these factors in more detail later, but you should start with one crucial takeaway: a care routine incorporating all four factors is the best way to make your pool pump last.
You can develop a good pool maintenance routine by drawing inspiration from your pool pump’s care manual and expert advice. Completing all the necessary steps to keep your pool pump clean and functional will become familiar and easy with enough time and diligence.
Factors That Affect the Lifespan of a Pool Pump
As mentioned above, the four major factors that affect the lifespan of a pool pump are frequency of use, proper maintenance, installation quality, and environmental factors. These factors significantly influence the lifespan of pool pumps because they're associated with wear-and-tear that causes the pump components to degrade over time.
Frequency of use directly contributes to the speed at which pool pumps break down and need repair. This is a massive problem with single speed pumps because they will continue to work at maximum speed even when it isn’t necessary. Variable speed pumps experience less wear and tear from frequent usage because they remain on a low speed until more power is needed.
Wear and tear will eventually cause issues like cracks and leaks to develop. This is where proper maintenance becomes important -- if these issues aren’t addressed, they will continue to worsen and may cause more problems to develop. However, when they’re fixed as soon as they develop, these issues never have the opportunity to cause substantial damage.
Proper maintenance is a vital part of extending the lifespan of a pool pump - and it’s typically a simple responsibility to take on. Most of the work involved in maintenance is thoroughly inspecting the pump regularly to look for issues like missing screws and broken O-rings. Any work that needs to be completed on a scheduled basis is usually detailed in the pump care manual.
Installation quality also plays a significant role in the lifespan of pool pumps. Similarly to how a lack of maintenance can allow issues to create other problems, installation quality is essential because a poorly installed pool pump will quickly create problems. Ensure licensed professionals install your pool pump to avoid issues associated with bad installation.
It’s worth noting that the suitability of the pool pump itself is another thing that factors into installation quality - and in many cases, the pool pumps installed in swimming pools aren’t powerful enough to filter them. Pool pumps that are too small may break down sooner than is average because of how overworked they are.
Finally, make sure to consider environmental factors when thinking about the lifespan of your pump. The climate in your area may cause some issues to occur more frequently than others. If it often hails where you live, for example, you should inspect the outer shell of the pool pump after hail storms to ensure no cracks or holes have formed.
Tips for Extending the Life of Your Pool Pump
Even with the best care, pool pumps will eventually degrade and break down for good, requiring you to get a new pump - but good maintenance and cleaning routines can allow them to run for several years longer than average. There are a few vital things you should keep in mind if you want to extend the lifespan of your pool pump past the estimated decade.
The most important thing you should do is keep your pool pump clean and well-maintained. You should follow the care routine your pool pump manufacturer suggested and replace any aging components as recommended. You should thoroughly inspect your pool pump at least several times yearly for any signs of damage or wear and tear.
You should thoroughly clean your pool pump at least once per season. Consider cleaning your pool pump more regularly if it is frequently used. For example, many pool owners clean their pool pump monthly during the summer. You should open the pump and tackle areas like the skimmer and pump baskets.
It’s worth considering hiring a professional team to clean your pool pump at least once a year in addition to the cleaning you do yourself. While most pool care can be handled on a DIY basis, working with professionals occasionally will allow you to rest assured that every part of your pool pump is as clean as possible.
You should also use a pool cover if you want to prolong the lifespan of your pool pump. There are a few benefits to this practice: less debris can fall into the pool and clog up the pump, the pump itself has to run fewer hours and endure less wear-and-tear because the cover blocks the debris, and best of all, the cover will prevent evaporation and issues like low water levels from developing.
Prolong The Lifespan Of Your Pool Pump
Taking care of your pool is hard work. Components like the pool pump require diligence, attention, and adherence to a good maintenance routine. But as long as you follow the recommended guidelines and look out for signs of damage, it's possible and easy to keep your pool pump in good condition and delay replacing the unit for a few additional months or years.
You don't have to navigate the process of caring for your pool pump alone. Working with professionals is one of the best ways to keep your pool pump in good condition. If you're interested in exploring pool pump options or want to learn more about the unit installed in your pool, speak with one of our experts today.