Straight answers about pools, hot tubs and keeping them running
Pools Shop Editorial Team 
A vinyl liner pool has a flexible plastic sheet fitted inside a wall structure, a fiberglass pool is a pre-molded one-piece shell dropped into an excavation, and a concrete pool is built on-site from steel, shotcrete and a plaster or tile finish. Each differs in install time, surface feel, repair needs and how long the … Read more
Turnover rate is the amount of time it takes a pool’s pump and filter to circulate a volume of water equal to the entire pool once. A shorter turnover time means water passes through the filter and gets treated more often, which generally supports clearer, better-sanitized water. What does “one turnover” actually mean? One turnover … Read more
A pool needs daily circulation because sitting water doesn’t clean itself. Running the pump pushes water through the filter, which strains out debris, and it carries sanitizer to every corner of the pool. Skip circulation and the filter stops working, sanitizer settles unevenly, and algae and cloudiness can take hold within a day or two. … Read more
A pool pump pulls water out of the pool, pushes it through the filter to strip out debris, and sends it back through the return jets. It’s the heart of circulation — without it, water sits still, chlorine stops moving through the pool evenly, and debris and algae get a foothold within days. What is … Read more
A skimmer sits at the waterline and pulls in water from the surface, catching leaves, bugs and floating debris before they sink. A main drain sits on the pool floor and pulls water from the bottom, helping circulate the whole body of water and drain the pool when needed. Most pools use both together. What … Read more
A swimming pool circulates water by pulling it in through skimmers and a main drain, pushing it through a pump and filter to strain out debris, sometimes warming it, and sending it back through return jets. This loop runs on a schedule so every gallon passes through the filter regularly, which is what keeps the … Read more
About what you read here. Everything on Pools Shop is general information and our own editorial opinion. We research carefully and we say when the evidence is unclear, but we can be wrong, things change, and no article can know your particular situation. Please do your own research and make your own judgement rather than treating anything here as the final word. Prices, products and specifications around pools, hot tubs and their upkeep change constantly, and what suits one person will not suit another. Check current details yourself, and where a decision involves real money, safety or something you cannot undo, it is worth confirming with a qualified pool or electrical professional before you act.