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!
When Should I Run My Pool Pump The Ultimate Guide
BackWhen Should I Run My Pool Pump? The Ultimate Guide
- When Should I Run My Pool Pump? The Ultimate Guide
When Should I Run My Pool Pump? The Ultimate Guide
Having your own swimming pool is hugely exciting, but theres plenty of maintenance to get your head around! You want to make sure your pool looks sparkling clean all season long, but you dont want to break the bank with unnecessary bills!
One of the biggest questions when it comes to regular maintenance is the swimming pool pump.
Its not necessary to have your swimming pool pump running at all times, as this can be a serious expense on your electric bill. So, how long is needed?
How Long To Run Pool Pump
How long you need to run the pump depends on how efficient and effective your filter system is and the also time of year, or water temperatures.
An average amount may be 12 hours summer, and 6 hours winter, but there are many variables that affect how much filtering your water needs.
Some systems may need to run nearly 24/7 to keep the water clear while others can do it in 6 hrs per day.
The question How long should I run my pool pump? is difficult to answer, without asking more questions, like:
- What type and size of pump and filter do you have?
- What water treatment chemicals or purifiers do you use?
- How much debris enters the pool? Precipitation?
- Temperatures: Air & Water?
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How Do I Compute For My Pumps Run Time
To determine your pumps run time, you need two key pieces of data. The first is your pool volumeand the second is the flow rate of your pump. The math is quite simple actually, get your pool volume, divide it by the flow rate of your pump and you should have the time needed to completely cycle your pool water and therefore answering the question of how long you should be running your pool pump.
Heres a quick example. Lets say your pool volume is 70,000 liters and lets say youre using the Water TechniX Pump Alpha 1.0hp which has a flow rate of 210 liters per minute with a head of 50 feet .
70,000 liters / 210 liters per minute = 333.33 minutes
That means that your pump is a good size and youll need to run your pool pump for about 5½ hours every day, lets call it 6 hours per day for good measure. Do you see now how important it was to know exactly how long your pump circulates the water? If you have the exact same setup as our example and you were running your pump for 8 hours a day, you would have wasted a couple of hundred dollars per year on electricity costs alone since you were running your pump longer than whats required.
Lets look at the other side of the coin. Lets say you have a pool thats 110,000 liters and a pump that has a flow rate of 210 liters per minute.
110,000 liters / 210 liters per minute = 523.80 minutes
Need help to figure our your pool volume and pump flow rates? Check out our sizing guides through the buttons below.
Examine The Pool For Debris
Even if the weather conditions have been calm, its still important to check the pool for debris. If you notice a lot of loose leaves and twigs floating around in your pool, its best to run the filter for significantly longer than you would otherwise. If there seems to be an exceptionally large amount of debris, you could even run your filter for twice as long as you would normally.
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Calculating How Long To Run Pool Pump
If you dont want to mess with all the math, running your pump for 8 hours a day is still a good rule of thumb. You can also keep a close eye on your chemical levels to see if this is best and experiment with different run-times.
However, for the best efficiency, you can calculate exactly how long you should run it. To do this, youll need to know the pumps flow rate and the size of your pool in gallons.
You can usually find the flow rate in the owners manual or on the pump label. Same goes for the size of your pool.
If youre having trouble finding these numbers, you can look online or contact the manufacturer.
Now divide the pool size by the flow rate. For example, if your pool is 10,000 gallons and your flow rate is 2,600 gallons per hour , the formula will look like this:
10,000 ÷ 2,600 = 3.8 hours
Next, multiply this number by 2 since your pump should complete 2 full cycles for optimum performance.
3.8 x 2 = 7.6
So, 7.6 would be the ideal number of hours to run your pool pump each day.
Single Dual Or Variable Speed
If you have a single-speed pool pump, we recommend you upgrade to at least a dual-speed. Youll get more efficiency and faster turnover. If youre going to buy a new pump, we highly recommend you get a dual-speed or better. In addition to the energy savings and better efficiency, some states, such as California and Arizona, actually prohibit the installation of new single-speed pool pumps.
But to really get all the benefits from your investment, we recommend choosing a variable-speed pool pump. They consume less power, help turnover and filtering go more quickly, and you may even be able to get a utility rebate for using one. They also run at lower revolutions per minute than single- and dual-speed pumps, so theyre quieter.
Yes, theyre also more expensive. But theyre a long-term investment in your pools efficiency and maintenance.
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Why Do You Need To Run The Pool Pump
Your pool pump helps to pull water and circulate it through the filters which sieve out algae, debris, and bacteria. The pump filters clean and removes trash which is carried through the main drain and into a basket, where the wastes can be discarded. The pumps then circulate this sanitized water back to the pool. Running the pool pump also aids in the distribution of chlorine and the chemicals that are used to maintain the pools water ph.
We Need More Power Captain
On the flip side, you want to make sure your pump doesnt overwhelm the filtration system. If you hook up a fire engines pump youll cycle the entire pool in a half hour. Youll also blow up your filter.
Just like Goldilocks and the three bears, you have to find the perfect balance: not too hard and not too soft. Check your filter specs and see what kind of flow rate it handles and whats best for your system. It should all be in the manufacturers information.
If everything isnt matching up, its time to do some math.
Is your pump not powerful enough to cycle through in an 8 hour period?
Or can your filtration system not handle the pressure?
If the answer to either of these questions is no, it may be time to look at upgrading one or both of those systems. Itll save you money in the long run.
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How Long Should I Run My Pool Pump
Pool Maintenance | Swimming Pool Accessories
Time for a shout-out to the unsung heroes: poolpump and filter systems! Your pool pump circulates the water to distribute the chemicals and filter out particulate matter from the water to keep the water clean, pretty, and safe.
Its doing you a solid, but it can also be a giant energy hog thanks to all that work.
So how can you get all the benefits without spending extra money on electrical costs you dont need?
This can get super technical with gross things like words and numbers But well give a basic answer and a complex answer.
First, though, youll need to know your pumps flow rate and speed options.
When You Should Run Your Pool Pump
Just as important as how long you run your pool pump is when you run it.
You know you need to turn over your pool water in 6-12 hours but that doesnt mean 6-12 consecutive hours. To save money on your electric bill, opt to run your pool pump during non-peak hours when electricity costs the least. You can choose to run it for, say, three hours in the early morning and another five hours in the evening. Your electric company can tell you which hours are billed at peak rates and which are billed at non-peak rates, so you can plan your pumps schedule accordingly.
On the other hand, there might be some times when you want to run your pump during the hottest, sunniest time of day. UV rays burn up the chlorine, so running the pump helps counteract the suns effects.
In addition to daily pumping for turnover, youll also want to run your pool pump any time you add chemicals so that they get evenly distributed in your pool water. Whether its a shock treatment or simple routine chemical maintenance to your pool, run the pump immediately afterward to properly disperse them.
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Run Your Pool Pump For Non
Yes, you want to run your pool pump for at least eight hours every day to complete at least one turnover cycle. But that doesnt mean it has to be eight hours straight.
Again, refer to those non-peak utility hours. Working around those, you can run your pump for two hours here, seven hours there, and then three hours there. As long as it runs for at least 8 hours in every 24-hour period, youre covered.
Want More Info About Pools
All year round, River Pools manufactures and installs fiberglass pools in Virginia and Maryland. We also operate in other areas of the country through our nationwide dealers.
If youd like to learn more about fiberglass pools, check out our comprehensive ebook “How to Buy a Fiberglass Pool in 2018. It discusses cost, design, durability, installation, special features, and moreeverything you need to know to make an educated pool decision.
You can also check out all our blog articles about maintenance for any other issues you may encounter. We want to help you make the most of your pool!
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Well What Is The Answer Smart Guy
Residential pool water only needs to be turned over once daily to have proper filtration. Twice through the filter may be necessary after heavy usage such as a pool party. Only commercial pools require water to be turned several times a day to maintain proper sanitation. Anything more than a 1-2 filter cycles in a day is superfluous, almost as superfluous as someone using the word superfluous.
The key to a properly sanitized pool is not only filtered water but also well-balanced water chemistry. If your water is unbalanced then issues will arise no matter how much the water churns. A good once through your filter system should alleviate you of troublesome bacteria barring some kind of major chemical imbalance.
Whats The Best Time Of Day To Run The Pump
During the daytime, when the sun is shining on the pool, and during the warmest hours of the day. Unfortunately, these are also peak hours for energy consumption, but it is the best time of day to run the pool pump.
Use a timeclock to operate your pool pump, and reset it as needed, to maintain water clarity. If you dont have a timeclock, you may as well just run the pool pump 24 hrs/day, so you dont forget to turn it back on.
If you worry too much about how long to run the pump, or forget to turn it back on the water condition can quickly deteriorate, requiring expensive chemicals and extra filtering to bring it back.
its best to over-filter the water by running the pump about 12 hours per day, give or take, or as needed, to maintain water clarity.
Pay close attention to the water quality, or the condition of the water, and you can tell when you need to increase the amount of time that you run the pump each day.
When the pool is clean and the chemistry is good, but the water is a little dull or hazy, run the pool pump a bit longer each day.
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The Most Common Pool Pump Problems
One of the most important parts of owning a pool is being able to recognize signs that your pool pump isnt working as it should. A defective pump not only costs more money to runit also jeopardizes the health of anyone who uses your pool.
What are the signs that you might have some type of issue with your pump?
What Other Factors Affect Ideal Filtering Time
Its not just the turnover rate or time that it takes to filter all your pool water you should consider. There are other important factors too such as environmental conditions, the season and how often you use your pool.
In case of rain or storm, your pool would get more dirt and bacteria than usual. During such conditions, you will need to run your pool pump for longer. Try an additional couple of hours.
Its very important to understand that each pool requirement is very different. You might be in a location where theres not so much dust and pollen. A good idea is to go by eye. If your pool water is sparkling and the chemistry levels are balanced, then try reducing the filtering time by 1 hour.
Similarly, if the water looks very dirty, green or cloudy, try running your pool pump for an additional hour or two. Youll need to experiment to find the ideal time you need to run your pools pump.
And if you have algae, the amount of time you run your pools filter and pump should be 24 hrs per day until you clear it.
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Calculating Run Time Per Day
Calculate The Pool Volume & Turnover
To estimate the volume of water, multiply the pools length x width x average depth, all in feet. Multiply this number by 7.5, and thats how many gallons of water are in your pool.
Each time the total volume pumps through the filter, this is known as a turnover. It takes three to four turnovers to filter 95 to 98 percent of the water. So, you must multiply the number of gallons in your pool by three or four to determine the necessary turnover per day.
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Grab A Calculator And Lets Figure This Out
Now that you know the gallons per minute and the amount of gallons in your pool you can find your run time. The math is simple. For the example, lets just say you have a 20,000 gallon pool with a GPM of 40. Grab that calculator and just sub in your measurements for mine.
40 X 60 = 2400 gallons per hour20,000 / 2400 = 8.3 hours
So, in this case, you would need to run your pump 8.3 hours per day for one circulation or turnover of water, which is right where you want to be in terms of run time. If you have any further questions on pool pumps or just want to chat, please leave a comment below or give one of our knowledgeable pool pump experts a shout at 1-800-772-0467. Wed love to help you out.
