The anatomy of a swimming pool

A swimming pool is a carefully calibrated ecosystem, where every pool part works in perfect harmony to keep the water fresh and clean.

And with half-naked human bodies doing laps and cannonballs in pools throughout the world, we think the human body is the perfect analogy to explain how each of these parts plays a key role in the pool’s overall health.

Let's take a look at these parts one-by-one.

The pump: heart The pump is the pool's heart, so let's start there. The pump's job is to suck in all the dirty water and then pump out fresh, clean water - kind of like how the human heart takes in all the deoxygenated blood and pumps out fresh blood to the rest of the body. The pool pump contains a motor-powered device called an impeller, which creates a vacuum by spinning fast enough to suck the water into the filtration system. The pump's power is measured in terms of horsepower, so our analogy to the human heart breaks down here a little bit, but you get the picture. Most pumps are in the 3/4 - 3 horsepower range. The bigger the pool, the more horsepower you need.

The skimmers: mouth The pump's suction power draws in the dirty water to be filtered, but what path does the dirty water take to get there? It starts with the skimmers or the pool's mouths. These are the small to medium-sized rectangular openings you see on the inside walls of all in-ground pools. You know, the ones you were afraid to get sucked into as a kid? They continuously gobble up the dirty water, as well as hair, dust, debris, insects, bacteria and all the other little nasties floating around. The drain or drains at the bottom of pools serve a similar purpose.

Suction lines: veins

After passing through the skimmer, the water enters the suction lines, which are basically PVC pipes that transport the dirty water to the pump. It's similar to the way your veins carry deoxygenated blood to the heart.

Filter: kidneys Some people confuse the pump with the filter, and although they work closely together, they are very much not the same thing. The filter basically does all the dirty work, trapping all the dirt and debris and purifying the water. Think of it like your kidneys, whose job it is to filter waste from the blood. There are three types of pool filters: High-rate sand filters. One of the easiest and most popular kinds of filters to use is the pool sand filter. It catches dirt, grime and debris as small as 20-30 microns in size before returning the clean water back to the pool. Cartridge filters. Cartridge filters are made of synthetic fabrics attached to plastic frames. They can catch debris as little as 10 microns, meaning they work better than sand filters, but need to be cleaned more often. Diatomaceous Earth (DE). DE looks like a fine powder, but each particle is actually the fossilised skeleton of a single-celled algae. The porous, sponge-like nature of all these tiny skeletons makes DE an ideal filtration medium, allowing them to trap debris as small as 3-5 microns in size. This comes with a cost though, as they are generally the most expensive filters to maintain.

Return lines: arteries

These are just like the suction lines, but going the other way. After the water is filtered, the pump sends the clean water back through these PVC pipes and into the pool. They are the pool's arteries, if you will.

Return jets: eyes

These are little motor-powered jets found on the inside walls of the pool. They add a little extra oomph to the returning filtered water, sending it back out into circulation throughout the pool. They also help direct the dirty water back toward the skimmers.

They're often called 'eyeballs' because that's what they look like, although it's unlikely that they allow your pool to see.

Chemical feeder: glands

Your pool's chemical feeder is the device that delivers chemical sanitisers to your pool.

With a chemical feeder, you can control how much sanitizer goes into your pool, so that you have enough chemicals to keep the pool clean, but not so much that you make swimmers sick or damage the pool liners or equipment. It’s all about the balance, baby!

Think of this like your glands, whose job is to create and excrete chemical hormones throughout the body.

Heater: hypothalamus

The pool's heater does exactly what it sounds like: it heats the water so that you can swim even in cold temperatures.

It's your hypothalamus, the region of the brain that regulates body temperature.

The most common types of pool heaters are:

• Gas heaters. If you live in an area with easy access to natural gas lines, a gas heater may be the perfect choice for you. They are cost-effective in colder climates and generally have longer lifespans than other heating types.
• Electric heat pumps. On the flip side, if you live in an area where natural gas isn't readily available or if you're looking for a heater that’s more environmentally friendly, an electric heat pump might be the right fit for you.

Your builder or pool pro will help you determine the appropriate heater type and size for your pool.

Bottom line

The humble swimming pool has more in common with our bodies than one might think. And If you want to keep your pool healthy and happy, regular maintenance is a must. 

Consider your pool like another body to take care of; after all, pools and bodies have a lot in common when you actually stop to think about it.