Although it's generally recommended that all the pool water undergo filtration every 24 hours, the pump does not need to run all the time. A proactive, productive and energy-saving maintenance activity is to remove the debris floating on the pool surface with a hand-held skimmer.
Trust us when we say it's important to keep your water pump continuously running throughout the pool season. For hotels and other types of public pool spaces, it's actually a law to keep a pump running nonstop; but for homeowners who are concerned about saving energy, resources and money, have no fear.
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!
The rule of thumb is generally 8 hours, although it could be anywhere from 6-12 hours, depending on your pool's size. Each pool is unique, so to keep your pool pump efficient and effective, you need to figure out exactly what your pool's turnover rate is.
Every pool must turn over at least once a day, so most pool pumps should run approximately 8 hours a day. But here's the thing: you don't have to run your pool pump consecutively. You can choose to run it for three hours in the morning before you leave for work and another 5 hours in the evening.
The size of your pool, the efficiency of your pump and filter, and how dirty your pool is are just some of the factors you need to consider. Nevertheless, most pool cleaning professionals would advise against running a pool pump for more than 8 hours a day.
One very important rule to remember: Just because pool water is clear doesn't mean it is sanitary or in proper chemical balance. 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.
Even if you have your pool covered, some debris may still get in it during the winter. For this reason, you should consider running your pump on occasion whenever the outdoor temperature is between 35 and 65 degrees. Around four to six hours should be sufficient to remove debris and help promote good circulation.
The best time to run your pool pump is during the warmest hour of the day; however, keep in mind that this means you will have higher energy consumption, which may lead to an increase in your electric bill. If you want to save on your energy costs, you can run your pool pump at night to avoid peak hours.
The extra filtering will help clean out the impurities rain has introduced into your pool's water. Pool pumps are made to withstand rain and it is beneficial to run your pump during or after rain.
Run the circulation system one (1) hour for every 10°F of air temperature. Example: If it is 100°F, the pump should run 10 hours a day minimum. Of course, if the pool is full of algae or a major weather event has occurred, the pump may need to run for 24 hours until the water clears.
It may be cheaper to run the pump at night, but honestly you should run it 1 hour a day per 10 degrees of temperature at least, and it should be during the day. Running the pump at night should only be when you are doing a major chemical treatment such as algae clean-up.
For safety reasons, many pool pumps are designed to shut off automatically if they begin to overheat. The mechanisms that perform this task are known as thermal overload switches. If your pump continues to shut off, it could mean that the thermal overload switches are going bad.
Run your filter pump for at least 12 hours a day, every day. This will make sure all the water in your pool circulates at least once. In an ideal world of bottomless money vaults, you could run your pool pump 24 hours a day, but 12 hours is a good compromise.
How Often Should I Shock My Pool? Shocking your pool regularly will help to keep the water clean and free of contaminants. You should aim to shock your pool about once a week, with the additional shock after heavy use. Some tell-tale signs that your pool needs to be shocked are cloudy, foamy, green, or odourous water.
Low flow = poor circulation which will lead to algae in the pool. Bottom line, the filter must be backwashed on a regular basis to ensure that your pool water is clear. "When do we need to backwash?" - It is recommended to backwash your filter once every 4-6 weeks of regular use.
So if you have to leave it running for a week it shouldn't make a big dent in the electric bill. Having to spend the money on getting the pool back in shape will probably cost more than leaving it on anyway. I would make sure you fill the pool water as high as you can though since you will be gone for a week.
If you want to activate the pump once a day, start with six hours, but never go lower than five hours, especially in the summer. If your pool is in constant use, you may need to run the pump for up to eight hours per day, frequently checking the water clarity and chemical balance.
Is It Safe To Run The pool Pump With The Pool Cover On? It is safe to run the pool pump and filter with a swimming pool cover on. The pool cover doesn't in any way stop or hinder the pool pump from circulating the water or carrying out its function.
On average, your Florida pool pump should run for about 8 to 10 hours a day.
Solution: Maintain your pool's water line at mid-skimmer level to prevent your pool pump from running dry. Add water as needed to keep it at mid skimmer. If your pump is running dry because it's set up on ground that's too high: install a few check valves in the plumbing before it.
So What's the Problem with Overheating? Additional heat generated over and above what the pump is designed for can, and most likely will, cause a pump failure. The thermal disconnect will shut your pump off—and remember: your pool pump is central and essential to your cleaning system.
Overall, the lessons learned today is you should run your pool pump an average 8 hours a day to properly circulate and clean your water. The pump should push your entire pool in gallons in this 8 hour period of time. Residential pool water only needs to be turned over once daily to have proper filtration.
Shock is liquid or granular chlorine. You should add one gallon (or one pound) of shock per 10,000 gallons of pool water every week to two weeks. During hot weather or frequent use, you may need to shock more frequently.