28/01/2016Understanding Your Pool’s Pressure Gauge
Enjoying your pool can come to a screeching halt if it is not well maintained. Your pool’s pressure gauge is indispensable when it comes to diagnosing problems and helping you to determine what needs to be done to ensure correct pool circulation.
You are more than likely to find your pool’s gauge on your filter. It looks like a small round gadget with numbers ranging from 0 to 60. These numbers represent your water’s force as it flows through the pool’s system in pounds per square inch (PSI).
It is extremely helpful to know your pool’s healthy baseline PSI. You can obtain it when you’re pool is new. Sometimes your pool installer can also tell you what its baseline PSI would be. It is important to maintain a good quality and working gauge in order to have accurate measurements. If your gauge is full of moisture or aged and rusty or cracked, it might be time to replace it with a new one.
Baseline. Your pool should always function at or close to its baseline – which is its ideal system pressure. All this means is that your pool pump is functioning properly and pulling water through the filter and back into your pool at the correct rate.
High Pressure. If you can read a high pressure on your gauge, this means something is hindering the flow of water as it exits the pump. This means that your pump is pulling or sucking in water at the correct rate but is returning it at a lesser rate. You will need to reduce pressure whenever you have a reading at 10 pounds above your baseline PSI.
Usually, a dirty or clogged filter is the cause of a high pressure. Cleaning it should bring down the pressure to its baseline PSI. Please note that filters have a lifespan and as they age, they are less likely to be efficient in getting or keeping your pool’s system at its ideal PSI. This means it is more than likely time to change your filter out for a new one, especially if after cleaning your filter it is still difficult to reach your baseline.
Low Pressure. A low pressure reading on your pool’s gauge means that it is not pulling or sucking water at its ideal rate and it is actually decreased. This means it is returning the water back to the pool at a decreased rate. It is the opposite of a high pressure reading because the problem occurs before the water reaches the pump. With a high pressure reading, the problems happen after the water leaves your pump.
A water level that is too low, a clogged basket or drain cover, issues with your O-ring, pump lid leaks, a clogged pump impeller or a bad motor pump are all contributors to low pressure. If, after adding water to your pool or cleaning out baskets or drains, you still find that you have low pressure, it is time to call a pool repair professional. They will be able to take the corrective measures to raise your pressure.
