Know The Required Runtime
Eight hours is the standard runtime for swimming pool in standard size. If you have smaller pool, it surely requires shorter runtime. To reduce electricity cost, make sure to run the pump at the right time. To know the exact runtime of your pool, calculate using the formula that has been mentioned above.
If you want to shorten the time, choose pool pump with overrated horse power. Using this pump, you can cut the runtime into 6 hours or 4 hours. Cutting 2 hours of runtime will save about $10 per month.
Debris / Particle Filtration
To do this adequately you need to run the filter long enough each day to pump a volume of water equal to the total volume of your pool. To work out how long this is:
Now you have the minimum number of hours required to filter the debris from the water in the pool.
Best Time Of Day To Run Pool Pump
Pool Team
A pool can be a great addition to your house, but you need to make sure that you are maintaining it properly. One of the most essential parts of maintenance of your pool is the pump. It is mandatory to run the pump every day but the main question is what is the best time of the day to run pool pump? Many homeowners forget that the main power house of the pool is the pump which helps in regulating the water and chemicals along with it.
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How Long Should I Run My Above Ground Pool Pump
If youve sprung for a new model, you may be wondering, How long should I run my above ground pool pump? It takes some math, but the easy answer is: It depends. First, youll need to figure out the volume of water your pool holds as well as your pumps capacity to figure out how long your pump needs to run to ensure a clean pool.
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There are a couple of ways to figure out how long to run your pump. But keep in mind that there are a few factors that influence optimal run-time.
Along with knowing how much water your pump filters, youll need to keep an eye on the weather, temperature, and the chemical balance in your pool.
There is a minimum run-time, which makes it easy to establish a baseline for scheduling your pump.
How To Calculate The Number Of Hours To Run The Pump
To calculate the most effective runtime of your pool pound you will need two factors to consider. These are:
To calculate the turnover rate you have to divide your full size by the flow rate of your pump. Now you have to multiply the turnover rate by 2 for calculating the 2 full cycles of the system. So, this is how can calculate the total run time of your pole which is effective according to your pool size.
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Is It Better To Run A Pool Pump At Night Or Day
In many places the cost of electricity is supplied at a cheaper rate at night than during the day. So running the pump at night can make the costs of running the pool less. But there is more to this than pure economics so consider these factors:
- A pool is generally most vulnerable to attacks by algae during the day as it needs light to grow. Only running a pool at night increases the risk of algae. So ideally you want the chlorine circulating at a time when the algae is most active so during the day.
- Your pool will get most of its use during the day so really you need the pump running to keep the pool clean while it is being used and also for the chlorine to do its job properly.
- If you have solar heating that requires a water flow through it to absorb the heat of the sun then obviously running the pump only at night will not heat the pool up at all.
- If your pump is at all noisy and you have close neighbors then they not be too happy hearing the pump whirring all night. It would certainly annoy me as I am a light sleeper. In fact, my neighbors pool is the other side of the fence from my bedroom and, although I cant hear his pump, I get woken up at 7am each morning when his waterfall starts. I am not an early riser so that doesnt please me
When To Run A Pump On Low And High Speeds
In terms of the best setup for a variable speed pump, pool owners specifically want to know how long to run their pump at high and low speeds. Unfortunately, every pool is different, making it tricky to provide a template-style formula that fits every pool scenario. However, through trial and error, you can program your variable speed to operate at its highest efficiency for your pool.
Best Setup For Variable Speed Pumps
For the first few weeks of owning a variable speed pump, you might be playing with the settings until you find the correct balance between RPMs and the length of time. First, we do not recommend running your variable speed pump at 3450 RPMs for 24 hours a day. Its unnecessary and frankly, it defeats the entire purpose of a variable speed pump. The idea is to try and run your variable speed pump at the lowest RPMs as possible while still filtering your pool water properly. If you are running your pool pump to filter and turn your water over, we recommend using the middle and lower speed settings.
For example, for the first few days, you might run the pump at 2500 RPMs to see what your pool looks like. Next, you might dial it down to 1600 RPMs. If after a few days your pool starts to look cloudy or hazy, you can set the pump to run at 2000 RPMs. Every pool setup is different. This makes trial and error the easiest way to find your pumps sweet spot.
Example of Variable Speed Settings
Example 1:
During the off-season, we aim to turn the water over once.
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How Much Water Is In My Backyard
Once you find the gallons per minute you will need to find the amount of gallons within your pool. This is a valuable piece of information that every pool owner should know. I promise, if you dont know this now, you will need it soon. To calculate the amount of gallons your pool contains you could calculate the Length X Width X Average Depth X 7.48 for square pools and Area X Average Depth X 7.48 for oval pools. Or you can keep it simple by visiting our friends at Pentair and entering your measurements there. Once you find the amount of gallons, write it down!
How Long To Run The Pump
The first and foremost thing that you have to understand is that optimal runtime of any pool pump can be different for different users. The two most important factors that determine the runtime of the pump is the pool size and the pump size. In most of the cases, eight hours is a good run time for your pool pump for different sorts of pool plaster. But it is always better if you can run it for a longer time. This is called turnover rate we can be different for different pumps. The average turnover rate of each pump is about 6 to 10 hours.
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Running Your Pool Pump During Non
Did you know the rate you pay for electricity changes throughout the day? Its based on what electric providers call peak hours, meaning when more people are using more power, and putting more strain on the grid.
Peak hours vary from location to location. For example, in warmer climates, peak hours most likely correlate to when people have their air-conditioning cranked, maybe late afternoon or early evening when people are getting home from work and turning up the A/C.
All it takes is a call to your provider to find out the peak hours where you live. Once you know that, try to schedule your pool pump run time around those hours to keep your cost lower.
You can make this really easy on yourself by using a programmable pool timer to turn the pump on and off at the right times.
Is Your Pool Pump Running Youd Better Catch It
Have you been letting your pool pump run 24/7? Stop the insanity! Now you can look forward to a lower electric bill and turn some lights back on. Or if you havent been running it enough, you can look forward to a cleaner pool now that its circulating more often.
And the next time you and your neighbor debate how long to run a pool pump, youll be armed with good information. Now if you could just get him to trim that tree limb that keep dropping leaves into your pool
Happy Swimming!
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How Does A Pool Pump Work
You might say the pool pump is the heart of the pool system. And sort of like the human heart, it pumps the water through all the various lines and keeps everything flowing.
Water in a pool passes first through a strainer that filters out larger debris, like leaves. Its then pumped into the filter or filters to be cleaned even more. This is what catches the smaller debris.
Once it goes through the filter, its pumped back into the pool through its various returns.
Through this whole process, its the pool pump that keeps the water moving from one point to the next.
What Does A Pool Pump Do
If the water in your pool didnt move, it would quickly become a stagnant swamp, host to algae and all kinds of other yucky stuff. One of the most important factors in keeping your pool clean and swimmable is pool circulation. And that is generated by the pump, which is the first component of your pools filtration system.
The pool pump pulls water in, and then pushes it out through the filter. No matter what kind of filter you have, it only works if water moves through it. Thats how the filter is able to capture debris and bacteria.
To keep all the water in the pool clean and clear, it must run through the filter system at least once a day. This is called the turnover rate.
You can skip this whole process by investing in the pool care video course and finally master pool water chemistry and maintenance for good! Its time to take control of your pool and save a ton of money in the process.
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How Often Should I Run My Swimming Pool Heat Pump
If you have a swimming pool heat pump, you probably wonder how often you should be running it. This is certainly understandable because many AquaCal customers struggle with the same issue. So in order to address this subject and to help others, we explain how often you should run your heat pump in order to most benefit from it. You may be surprised!
Unlike gas heaters, heat pumps are most efficient when they are run for long periods of time and when they are run often. This is because they heat very slowly but maintain temperatures very well. If you only run your heat pump when you use your swimming pool, your heat pump will have to raise your water temperature by as much as 20°F everytime you use your swimming pool. This will cost you both time and money. Alternatively, if you regularly run your heat pump, your heat pump will only have to replace heat lost due to evaporation, rainfall, etc. Heat pumps low costs of operation make this option affordable and practical.
When deciding how often you want to run your heat pump, keep the following things in mind:
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Do I Need A Pool Pump Timer
If you are deciding whether you need a pool pump timer it’s a good idea to start with the salt system you are using. It can be confusing because some systems have control panels which are basically timers built into the system while others have chlorine output regulation that can be adjusted either as a percentage or output level.
We’ve put a list together of the common salt systems and whether a timer is built into the system or not. The first list has all the systems that will require a timer if you want to automate your system and the second list are the systems that have a built in timer so a pool pump timer is optional if you want to automate your entire system.
Pool Timer Required
- Hayward Aqua Trol Above Ground
- AutoPilot Digital and Soft Touch
The level of automation and chlorine production varies with different units so it’s a good idea to research your salt system before deciding if an external timer is necessary. The bottom line is if you want to add automation to your pool and make life a little bit easier a pool pump timer is an affordable device that will only make things simpler in the long run.
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How Do Your Work Calculate Pool Volume
The volume of your pool can be calculated by the following formula:
Square Pool Volume = L x W x average depthRectangular Pool Volume = L x W x average depth Circular Pool Volume = Pi x R Squared x average depth L = Length W = WidthR = Radius*Measurements are in feet or use meters if you use metric.
The above formula will help you work out the volume of your pool in cubic feet. But what is the volume in gallons? There are 7.48 gallons per cubic foot. So to calculate the volume in gallons divide the volume you calculated by 7.48 . You now have the volume in gallons.
To calculate your pools volume in litres, take your measurements in meters, calculate the volume using the above formulas then multiply by 1,000. You now know how many litres your pool holds.
Once you know your pools volume and your pool pumps flow rate, you can easily calculate how long your pump should run every day using the formula above. Here it is again in case you missed it the first time:
Pool Water Turnover Rate = Pool Volume / Pump Flow Rate
Is It Ok To Run A Pool Pump 24 Hours A Day Or Continuously
Yes you can run your pool pump continuously for 24 hours. Its ideal actually and it doesnt harm your pool or the pump. But its a costly approach if youre only using a single speed pump. Your electric bill will likely go off the roof.
For example if you went from running your pump 8 hours a day to 24 hours per day, your power bill for the pump will go from about $260 per year to over $800 per year .
If you want to work out how much it costs to run your pump, check out our article:
But if you dont mind paying the extra bill, then why not? Youll have a clean pool all day long.
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But Why Should I Run My Pump At All
Your pool pump is the hub of your pools cleaning system. It makes sure the water is circulated, so dirty particles can be filtered out. It also widely distributes your cleaning chemicalssort of like stirring cream into your coffee.
No pump equals no circulation, which means no cleaning. No kidding: if you turned off your pump for a significant amount of time, your pool would become a green pond of stagnating water and unwanted bacteria. No, not exactly what you might picture for a refreshing swim.
Tired of having to painfully crouch and lean just to scrub the angles of your pool? This Professional-Endorsed 360-Degree Bristles Blue Torrent Pool Brush has a patented designed for easy cleaningand is a favorite of pool servicers everywhere.
