The simple answer? Yes. You can, but what’s more important to answer is do your really NEED to change your pump to one with a higher horsepower rating? If you have complete information on you pool and you’ve determined that your current pool pump is not enough for your needs, by all means, go ahead and change your pool pump. Not only will you be doing your pool a favor, but you’re also increasing the lifespan of everything else in your pool.

When it comes to pool pumps, bigger is not always better. This is the opposite of pool filters where a larger pool filter can actually be beneficial for your pool. If your pool pump is too large then you can end up with a number of issues that can be avoided with having the right pool pump size.

• For Sand Filters, having an oversized pool pump can cause channeling because of the water pressure. Channeling is the term used when the water inside creates a channel or a path, essentially bypassing all of the sand inside and having unfiltered water flow back into your pool.
• For Cartridge filters, this is creating the problem of having an undersized filter. This means that your pump will exceed the rated flow rate for your cartridge element, causing damage to the cartridge.
• For your electricity bill, higher horsepower means a higher electricity bill. If you don’t absolutely NEED a larger pool pump, then don’t change it.
• For your pipes, check if your pipes can handle the flow rates that will be provided by the pump. No sense in getting a pump that can push out (and spending for electricity) X number of liters per minute if your pipes can only handle Y number of liters per minute, it’s just physics.
• For safety, now this is rare, but having an oversized pump can create excess suction at an unqualified suction port like the main drain, skimmers, side drains, etc. An oversized pump can create enormous suction pressure and can cause people (especially kids) to get “stuck” if they get pulled against it.

SEE ALSO: Broken Pool Pump: Replace or Repair?

We’ve dedicated a whole blog post on how to determine the right pool pump for your pool, including how to measure your pool and other factors to consider when sizing your pool pump. For more information on how to size your pool pump, click on the button below.

Choose a filter that is a little bit oversized for your pump or one that is sized right for your pump. To learn more about filter sizing, read more through the button below.

So to answer the question, yes, you can replace your 1hp pool pump with a 1.5hp pool pump, but only if your situation calls for it. If you’ve determined that your current pump is too small for your pool, then we’ll suggest replacing it with a larger ECO pump like the Water TechniX Pump Alpha ECO. This will provide the flow that is needed to circulate your pool water properly and save you from high electricity bills at the same time.

The Water TechniX Pump Alpha ECO is the best pump available that can give you the power and the flow rate when you absolutely need it, and it has the capability of lowering the flow rate when you just want the pool water to be circulated efficiently.

P.S. If the Water TechniX Pump Alpha ECO is sold out, drop us a line below as well so we can give you an estimate on when our next batch will come in, we're having a bit of trouble keeping stocks on shelves due to the overwhelming demand for our ECO pump. With electricity costs in Australia rising all the time, having an ECO pump is literally saving hundreds of dollars every year in pump costs alone!

Other pool pump related articles that you need to know:

• Are Cheap Pool Pumps worth it?
• Quick and Easy Heat Pump Installation Guide
• How to Install and Prime a Pool Pump
• Reasons to get a Variable Speed Pump
• Getting your Pool Pump Ready for Summer

Do you have any questions about this topic or the featured products? No worries, we're here to help! Drop us a question down below and we'll get back to you ASAP.

Happy swimming :)