Absolutely! A cover does nothing to interfere with the water circulating through your system. It doesn't touch your pump or any other piece of equipment you have. When your pool is covered during these winter months, you can run it less, thus protecting the pump from premature aging.
While covered throughout winter, water is sure to build up on the pool cover. This is when a cover pump is essential to keeping water off the cover. Automatic pumps can be left on the cover. But Aqua Pools recommends removing the pump, including the hose, and bringing it inside during freezing weather.
Water accumulation can damage pool covers
Allowing water to pool on the top of your cover can cause damage to both the cover and your pool, depending on the type of each. This is because pool covers are not made to withstand the weight of water (or anything else) on top of them.
While your pool pump is made to move water, it is not fully sealed off from the environment. This is because pool pump motors are air-cooled and rely on airflow to prevent them from overheating. Because the pump is not waterproof, you'll need to protect your pool pump from the elements to keep it working properly.
Filter Is Replaced Weekly (Ideally)
Pool pumps run constantly when the water is in motion, so it's important to turn them off while swimming to prolong the life of your pump and filter.
As much as you can
If your question is “How often should I run my pump to keep the pool at its best?” the answer would be 24/7 for as much of the year as the pool is in operation.
Direct and prolonged sun exposure
However, you still want to ensure that the pump isn't in direct sunlight throughout the day. A pool pump that is exposed to hot summer sunlight all day will breakdown faster than one that operates in shade. Cover your pool pump with a pool pump cover or shed.
As mentioned above, it's okay to run your pool pump whenever it works for you, so long as it is running long enough to turnover at least once during a 24-hour period. So yes, it is okay to turn off your pool at night, but there are several reasons you might not want to in order to make the most of this time.
We suggest you kill the power to the equipment so it does not immediately come back on when the power returns, and cover the pool equipment with tarps and blankets. This can help protect your equipment and plumbing from freezing.
Essentially, any time your pool cover has more than 2 inches of water on top of it, be sure to drain the excess water off as soon as you can before it builds up.
In high summer it may be necessary to remove the pool cover (particularly at night when the air temperature drops) for the pool water to cool naturally. The cover should not be continually left on for more than 7 days continuously. Pool covers are very effective at reducing chemical usage.
Hassle And Energy
Even with all their great benefits, having a pool cover means you need to take it off whenever you want to use the pool. This process is made much easier today with roller systems and the like, any pool cover will require a small amount of manual labour.
Depending on the size of your pool, we still recommend you run your pump run at least 4-6 hours a day during the fall and winter months. The daily cycle can be divided into multiple cycles, but each cycle should be no shorter than 4 hours, for all the water to pass through the filter at least once.
Depending on the size of your pool, we still recommend the pump run 8-10 hours per day during the hottest summer months and at least 6 hours per day during the winter months.
Do pool pumps use a lot of electricity? In fact, a pool pump will consume between 3,000 and 5,000 KWh per year, which translates to between $480 to $800, based on the national average electricity rate of 16 cents per KWh.
On average, you should run your pool pump around 6-8 hours per day during winter and 10-12 hours per day during summer. Note that you need to run your pool pump longer during summer because algae grow more in warm temperatures.
It's best to run your pool pump during the day
Not only does sunlight give fuel for algae to grow, it also destroys your pool chlorine and this is why you should always run your pool during the day!
Should I run my pump while it's raining? Zagers says yes! We recommend that our customers run their pumps rain or shine UNLESS you have an electrical storm. In that case, lightning could strike an outside circuit, which could damage your pump and other equipment.
Pool pumps use a lot of power, and as a result, they must dissipate large amounts of heat as part of normal operation. Combine that with the fact that most pool pumps operate in direct sunlight during the hottest part of the year, and you have the potential for an overheated motor.
If your pool pump manufacturer has declared your pump is rain safe, you can leave it on in rainfall. Nevertheless, during a thunderstorm, it is highly recommended that you switch off and unplug your pool pump to prevent any costly and irreversible damages to your pool equipment.
Other factors that can cause damage to swimming pool pumps include incorrect voltage, improper grounding, freeze damage, wrong fitting components and plants blocking airflow around filter system.
Be sure to brush the pool while the pump is operating, and to cover the entire pool from the tile line to the main drain. Sweep slowly and push the brush toward the main drain so that the debris will be pulled into the drain and then into the filter, where it will be removed from the water.
It can also be caused by a “suction leak,” where there is a breach in the plumbing in front of the suction side of the pump. If a pump runs “dry” for too long it can overheat, burning up the motor and generating enough steam to melt plumbing, shrink pump baskets, and destroy seals and impellers.