The starting point is: on a one water valve system you should run it 4 hours a day. On a system with two or three water valves start at 5 ½ hours a day. New pools with little or no landscaping or extreme weather conditions may require more time.
If you're the only person using the pool, you might get away with a once or twice weekly clean. If you've got a family of four and their friends using the pool, you'll want to clean the pool daily.
How Long to Run a Pool Vacuum. If you have a manual vacuum, you'll run it as long as it takes for your to vacuum your pool. If you have an automated vacuum, it will run anywhere between two and six hours depending on your pool size.
Leaving the cleaner in the pool 24/7 increases its exposure to corrosive chemicals in the water, such as chlorine or shock. Over time, these chemicals break down parts in the cleaner and discolor the cleaner.
Consider Your Pool Cleaner
According to Pacific Gas & Electric, if you use a robotic cleaner for three hours a day, the annual energy cost would be around $60 a year, compared to more than $500 a year for other types of cleaners.
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.
The professionals at Leslie's Pool recommend thoroughly cleaning your pool at least once a week. In addition to vacuuming, they say you should brush your pool's walls, steps and floors to remove dirt and debris, and skim the water's surface and pool floor to remove leaves and other items.
In some cases, the filter grid may get damaged and let the D.E. powder and dirt pass through the filtering. The dirt will come back into your pool and in such circumstances, you should open up the filter and check it.
You can swim while your bot cleans the pool, but it's better not to. Swimming churns up the water. If the machine is in the water at the time, the current will buffet it, making it harder for it to complete its work.
The only thing that kills algae is CHLORINE (or your sanitizing product, or one of the copper-based algaecides on the market). You need to raise the level of your chlorine – shock the pool – and maintain that high level until all the algae is dead. This may take 3 to 4 days. RUN THE FILTER 24 HOURS A DAY.
Although vacuuming should be combined with pool shocking, it's better to vacuum the pool before you shock the water. A good scrubbing and vacuuming of the pool walls and floor will ensure that dirt and debris that can affect the water chemistry is removed before the chlorine is added.
It is ideal to have a clean pool so grime and dirt do not settle and stain during the closing period. Let your automatic cleaner do one last lap around the pool. Get a pool brush and scrub down the sides of the pool. Also, use the skimmer to get some debris that is dancing on the surface of your pool.
Some commercial properties require 24-hour a day pump circulation, but as a homeowner, this is not advisable. If you are lucky enough to own an Energy Efficient, Variable Speed swimming pool pump (VSP) then, yes, technically you could run your pump for 24 hours a day.
Brush the pool walls and fixtures each week to remove dirt and prevent the spread of algae. Use a brush to remove dirt that has collected on the sides and bottom of your pool, as well as on ladders, slides and other accessories. Brush sediment toward the main drain so it can be vacuumed up easily.
In general, it's a good idea to vacuum your pool once a week. You should also vacuum your swimming pool any time you notice large amounts of debris, dirt, or leaves on the floor of the pool (for example, your pool may need vacuuming after a heavy storm).
Check the Filter
Dirty filters can leave trace amounts of particles in your water, leading to a foggy pool. Use a pool brush to sweep the area near your filter. Then inspect the filter to make sure it is both clean and functioning properly. Clean your filter at least twice a year to help it perform at its best.
At minimum, pools require weekly cleaning and care to ensure they stay in good condition, especially in the warmer weather. Skimming, checking filters, and testing chemicals all take a good amount of time if done correctly.
Typically, you will need to add chlorine tabs or granules to your pool on a constant basis. About every two weeks, you will need to shock your pool with a higher dose of chlorine. This raises the pH levels quickly and is especially important in sunny weather when the chlorine can break down.
Cost to Maintain a Swimming Pool Yourself
You can save up to $1,000 annually by cleaning the pool yourself, but you may spend up to a few hours per day or several hours a week for DIY pool maintenance.
$1.36 per day x 365 days = $496 per year to Operate a 1-½ HP Variable Speed Pump. Cost to Operate 1-½ HP Single Speed Pool Pump $1,062 / yr Vs. Cost of Variable Speed Pump $496 / year.
Keeping your Pool its Cleanest Requires the Pool Pump to be Running. Not running the pump 24/7 is also a sanitary issue, and is the primary cause of a murky pool. The moment you turn off your water pump, debris, algae and bacteria start to build up, which can eventually lead to cloudy or green water.
The average pool water evaporation rate is about a quarter of an inch of water per day or more than two inches in a week, which on a 33′ x 18′ swimming pool (an average pool size) is more than 2500 liters or approximately 600 gallons a week; this may vary depending on your climate and the factors listed above.