How Long Should A Pool Pump Run
I certainly wondered should I run my pool pump all the time when I first had a pool and, if not, how long should a pool pump run. I knew it was important that the water in the pool was kept clean but was unsure whether a pool pump should run 24/7 or not.
There is no need to run a pool pump continuously for 24 hours a day, with a few exceptions. It is normally recommended that your pool pump should run long enough to pump the entire volume of water in a pool each day. In practice, this generally means around 8 hours each day.
If you ran the pump continuously it would largely be a waste of electricity and it would also wear out your pool pump far earlier than necessary.
Having said that, if money isnt an issue to you, then by all means run the pool pump for twenty-four hours a day. Your pool will definitely stay cleaner if the water is constantly being filtered.
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.
The Importance Of Pool Water Circulation
One key factor in maintaining a healthy pool that is often overlooked by pool operators is the importance of pool circulation and turnover rate. Your pools turnover rate refers to the number of times the entire volume of the water is circulated in a 24-hour period. According to the Gage-Bidwell Law of Dilution, water that is recirculated with a turnover rate equal to one turnover in each 6 to 8 hour period will provide 95 to 98 percent dilution of contaminated pool water with water that has been filtered and disinfected.
Three to four turnovers per day, or one turnover every 6 to 8 hours, has become a standard in public pools and is highly recommended in residential pool owners who want a healthy pool that doesnt require large quantities of chemical disinfectants. For example, AOP systems make it possible to drastically reduce chlorine use to drinking water levels of 0.5 ppm or less in residential pools, but this requires the use of variable speed pool pumps running at an optimized flow rate 24 hours a day and with a minimum of three turnovers per day.
For those who are used to running their pool pump for only 8 or 10 hours a day, it may seem counterintuitive or wasteful to run your variable speed pump 24 hours a day. But remember that running your variable speed pump for a longer period of time is still much cheaper and more effective than running a single speed pump for a short period of time.
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What Speed Should I Run My Variable Speed Pool Pump
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Similarly, when should you run variable speed pool 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.
Furthermore, how many watts does a variable speed pool pump use? A pool pump that uses 1119 Watts per hour at 3450 RPM will use only 140 Watts at 1725 RPM. At 862.5 RPM’s the motor is using only a scant 17.5 Watts. Most variable speed pool pumps go as low as 500 to 600 RPM’s so you can really see how this can reduce on the electricity that you use.
Likewise, is a variable speed pool pump worth it?
How much can I save by purchasing a variable speed pump and is it worth it? Now a standard 2.0 HP pool pump costs about $900 installed, and a high efficiency variable speed pool pump costs about $1600 installed, so the cost difference is significant, but so are the savings.
Should I run my pool pump on high or low?
If you’re wondering when to run the pump on high vs. low speed, most folks run two-speed pumps on low speed 24/7 and turn the pump to high when vacuuming the pool, running a heater , or when leaves are falling and they want to blow them towards the skimmer.
But First Lets Talk About Why You Need To Run A Pool Pump
Your pool is filled with shimmering, blue water that begs you to dive right in and enjoy its coolness. But when the pump stops working and that beautiful water becomes stagnant, its not so appealing anymore. The pump moves the water, which is what creates the awesomeness that is your pool.
Did You Know?
Ever wonder how your pool pump works? It works like this: the pump pulls water in from your pool and then pushes it out through the filter. Then, the filter catches all the bacteria and debriseverything you dont want in your poolto keep the water pure and inviting.
All the water in your pool must run through the filter at least one time a day. This is called the turnover rate, and its an important aspect of figuring out how long to run a pool pump.
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Abc Can Keep Your Pool Working Efficiently
DIY pool fixes may seem easy at first, but most professionals will tell you that these repairs almost always end up being a bad idea, and cost more in the long run. If your pool pump develops any type of problem, contact the pool experts at ABC Home & Commercial Services. Our pros have been fixing any type of problems pool owners have had for decades, and can quickly handle even the most complicated repairs. Well get the job right, the first time, so you can get back to enjoying your backyard oasis.
What Is The Minimum Circulation Required For My Pool
Now that you have these two pieces of info, you can figure out how long it will take for your pump to fully circulate your pool water.
Just take the total gallons of your pool and divide by the pumps GPM. e.g. 12,960 / 80 GPM = 162-minutes, which is 2.7 hours.
Add a little bit more time to give your pump a little buffer of start-up time when it first starts flowing any stagnant water.
The calculated time above, plus another 15-minutes would be the minimum amount of time per day you want to circulate your pump on high-speed. In this case, it would be 2.95-hours.
NOW back to the question
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Should A Pool Pump Run Continuously
The simple answer is yes. In an ideal world, the best thing you could do for your pool would be to run the pump all day, every day. However, as you may have discovered, that will get you an electric bill so ridiculous that youll have to get two more jobs to cover it. Dont think that means you have to stop using your pool, though. While continuously pumping is technically best, its not necessary to have a safe, clean pool.
So, how long and how often do you need to run your pump? They dont go over this in the pool maintenance for beginners handbook.
Its generally recommended that all of the water in a pool needs to be filtered at least once every 24 hours. If the pool is being used heavily , youll probably want to cycle it through the filter twice that day.
Several variables will determine how long it takes your pump to cycle through all the water in your pool. The two major factors are the type and nature of the swimming pool pump being used and the size of the swimming pool. With regards to the pump, the efficiency and flow rate will dictate how fast and how well the pump cycles the pool water. The size of the pool tells you how much water a pump has to turn over. The larger the pool, the greater the amount of water, which means it will take the pump more time to get through a filter cycle.
Take note that these recommendations are for residential pools. Commercial pools need to have their water cycled over several times in a day.
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.
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Considering Energy Use And Efficiency
The choice between day or night pump use depends somewhat on your choice of energy rates. If you have flat rate energy pricing then theres more flexibility to choose when the pump should run. If you have time-of-use electricity, it will make sense to run the pump at night when electricity is cheaper that is, if the pump isnt too noisy for your neighbours while theyre trying to sleep. The pump may need to run longer in summer, which means that even night-time use may verge onto shoulder pricing at times.
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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Different Types Of Pump
When deciding on a pump for your pool, there are several options to choose from, including:
Single-speed pump The original and the most economical pump that you can buy for your pool is a single-speed pump. The impeller runs at a continuous set speed that cannot be adjusted
Dual-speed pump A dual-speed pump allows you to adjust the speed to either high or low. High is the same pace as a single-speed pump. Being able to switch it to low enables you to reduce your energy costs.
Multiple-speed pump Multi-speed pumps have multiple speed settings to choose from offering you higher energy efficiency.
Variable-speed pump For the ultimate energy-saving benefits, you cant go past a variable-speed pump. You can adjust the speed to any pace you choose, not just whats on the pump. Quality versions of this pump automatically alter the speed, so you dont have to.
Generally, the more settings the pump has the more expensive they get, however, in saying that, they are far more energy-efficient and the long-term savings they provide make them worth that little bit of extra money upfront.
How Long Do Hayward Pumps Last
between 8 to 15 yearsHow long do pool pumps last? Your pool pump should be replaced anywhere between 8 to 15 years depending on the quality, and a full replacement may cost over $800. Your pool pump is the heart of your swimming pool as it circulates water throughout, bringing water through the filtration and heating systems.
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Should I Run My Pump Every Day
Its optimal to run your pool pump at least once every day. It helps you get better filtration for your pool water and will keep the water clean. But it also depends on your usage of the pool and environmental factors. If youre not using the pool frequently every week, then you can consider running the pump less.
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.
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Horsepower Of The Pump
Pool pumps come in different horsepower levels. A pump with higher horsepower will turn over the water faster than a pump with lower horsepower. The horsepower of your pump should be suited to your pool. If its too powerful, it can put too much strain on your filtration system and waste unnecessary energy. If its not powerful enough, its not going to clean your pool adequately and it will have to run for longer.
To reduce your running costs and to ensure your pool water meets its turnover rates, we suggest investing in a variable-speed pump, while more costly than some of the others, they are quieter and can save you money.
To keep your pool looking and functioning at its best, running the pump every day is a must. We hope this post has given you an insight into pool pumps and how they work. If you have any questions or would like more information, reach out to our friendly team here at Factory Pools Perth, we are the fibreglass pool specialists and will gladly help if we can.
Single Dual Or Variable Speed Pool Pump
If your pool pump is single-speed, we suggest upgrading to a dual-speed at the very least. Your turnover and efficiency will increase. In some states like Arizona and California, authorities ban the installation of new single-speed pool pumps despite their electricity-saving ability and efficiency.
However, if you want to get the most out of your investment, we advise that you go for a variable-speed pool pump. Variable-speed pumps use less energy, speed up turnover and filtering, and you might even be eligible for a utility refund if you use one. They are often quieter than single-and dual-speed pumps since they rotate at a lower RPM.
They are usually more expensive, but theyre an excellent long-term investment for your pools maintenance and efficiency.
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Maintaining Your Pool Pump
Even if you are keeping your pool pump running all day, there are some steps that you can take to make sure it stays in optimal condition.
- Keep Your Pool Pump A Certain Distance From The Ground If you place your pool pump on the ground, then debris can get into it and clog up your equipment. To prevent this from happening, make sure that your pump is raised up at least four inches off the ground.
- Use The Right Type Of Filter Media Using the wrong type of filter media can cause problems with your pool pump. When you clean your filter, make sure to only use the type of media specified in the manual for that particular unit.
- Make Sure To Clean Your Filter At The Right Time If your filter is not cleaned when it needs to be, then it can cause problems for your pump. Clean the filter at least once every three days if you are using sand or cartridge media and twice a week if you are using diatomaceous earth. This will prevent your pool pump from breaking down and ensure that your pool is clean and ready for use.
- Keep Your Pool Pump Clean Since you will not want to clean out your filter as often, it is a good idea to regularly clean the exterior of the pump itself. This will prevent any dirt from clogging up the unit and causing it to work less efficiently than before.
Can You Swim While The Pool Filter Is Running
Yes you can, and I would even say it is better to run the pool pump while you are swimming in fact.
If the pump isnt running then the skimmers will not be operating. You are therefore more likely to have debris floating on the surface of the pool which you dont really want when swimming.
Also, people swimming bring contaminants into the pool with them such as:
- dirt, sand and dust on their feet
- deodorant on their bodies
- suntan lotion perhaps
- hair
So having the pool pump running means the filter will be able to deal with these as quickly as possible.
I have a full article on this Is it safe to swim when the pool pump is running?
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How Long You Should Run Your Pool Pump Each Day
To keep all the water in the pool clean and clear, plan to run your pool pump long enough to filter the entire volume of water in your pool at least once a day. The number of hours it takes for all the water in the pool to go through the filter is called the turnover rate.
Did You Know?Routinely running your pool pump longer than your turnover rate is a waste of electricity and a shock to your electric bill. Not only that, youll end up wearing out your pool equipment much faster than necessary.
The rule of thumb is generally 8 hours, although it could be anywhere from 6-12 hours, depending on your pools size. Each pool is unique, so to keep your pool pump efficient and effective, you need to figure out exactly what your pools turnover rate is.