Is there an optimum pump strength for my filter/pool?

I have a Hayward Perflex DE filter on my pool, which is an in-ground, 40x20 footer with 40,000 gallons.

Currently, it's got a 3/4 hp pump attached to it. We ran it for eight hours daily over the summer and we had no trouble keeping it clear at all.

My brother feels that if we got a 1 hp pump, we could cut the daily runtime to 6 hours and still get a complete cycling of the water. However I've read that having a too-powerful pump can have the effect of blasting debris and such through the DE in the pump and actually reduce the filter's efficiency.

Could a stronger pump be better for us, or should we just stick with what we've got?

There are folks on this forum who can advise you on this, but I'm not one of them. I will get an email out to the ones that can, though, and ask them to check in here and offer an opinion. MIght take a few days before they get a chance to stop by, so don't give up!

Thanks. I forgot to mention in my first post that the model number of my Perflex is EC-75. It's documents online show that it ships with a 1.5 HP superpump, so I don't know why I have a 3/4 HP pump on it (it's been there since before I started caring for the pool).

You are far better off with a smaller pump even if you run it longer. Smaller pumps are usually much more efficient at turning over a pool than a larger pump. So I would stick with the pump you have. It is more than sufficient even for that size pool and you are correct about putting to much flow rate through a filter but it depends on the size of filter. You may even be able to shorten the run time if you want to save on energy costs.

What is the brand/model # of your pump and filter?

Thanks for the reply. Its a Hayward Perflex ec-75 filter with a 3/4 HP super pump.

Like I said, it worked fine over the summer. However, the pool was out of commission for a couple of years and we only got it up and running mid-August, when we had the liner and some of the piping replaced. So, I have not used it for spring clean up, and in fact only rarely used it for vacuuming because I usually use a Pool Blaster Max for that.

The 3/4 HP superpump is a great pump and one of the most efficient single speeds on the market so I wouldn't change it until it fails.