How a Swimming Pool Works

Swimming Pool 101

Simply speaking, swimming pools are just big basins of water, and regardless of shape and size, they all generally work in the same way. They use a combination of filtration and chemicals to continually clean a large volume of water.

In the most basic terms the way a pool works is, water is pumped in a continual cycle, from the pool (starting at the main drain), through the filter, heater, chemical treatment system (i.e. chlorinator or FROG® Mineral System), and back into the pool again. This continuous cycling of the water through a filter and chemical treatment system helps keep the water in the pool free of dirt, debris and bacteria. Some pools also include a heater to keep the water at a desirable temperature.

A swimming pool typically needs these ten major components to function continuously:

• The pool
• The skimmer(s) (designed to filter large debris from the water)
• The circulation pump (circulates the water)
• The water filter (removes small particles from the water)
• The heater (regulates water temperature)
• The chemical feeder (sanitizes the water)
• Drains (removes the water)
• Returns (returns circulated water)
• Plumbing (connects all of the above)
• Time Clock (regulates the run time of the pump)