How often and when should you run your pump.

You could start by asking your neighbors how much they run their pool pump and start at that. Remember that unless your pools are indentical - shape, pump, filter, plumbing, etc - yours will probably need a different run-time than your neighbor's, but it's a good place to start. If your pool is open year round, you might start at twelve hours per day. If you open and close your pool with the seasons, you might start at eight hours of run time.

The filter system should be run during the day because that is when the most demand is put on the pool. Typically, the daytime is when the most swimming occurs and also when the most wind blows in debris. By running during the daytime, your system will be pulling the debris into the skimmers before it has a chance to sink. Also, you are circulating the chemicals to keep the water sanitized when it is most needed.

Within two or three days, you should be able to tell if your filter system is doing the job. By "doing the job" we mean that the pool is blue and clear, your sanitizer level is maintained throughout the day, and the majority of debris is pulled into the skimmer and is not floating around or sunk to the bottom. If your system is not doing the job, increase the pump run-time by one to two hours. If it is, then decrease the pump run-time by one to two hours. Note: If you don't have a timer on your pump, you will soon learn how valuble it is to have one. Some timers will allow you to set the pump to go on and off several times a day. You may find it better to do this than to have it on and off only once during a 24 hour period.

After you have found the optimum run-time, you will need to adjust the time to allow for the seasons and for special occasions such as a pool party. If you are going to be having an unusully high number of people in the pool, it is a good idea to run the system for 24 hours before and 48 hours afterwards. This gives the system a head start and helps to maintain that crystal clear look for your guests.

There are some systems that might need to run 24 hours a day just to keep up or barely hold their own. You might want to consider upgrading your system to improve on this. Remember that the more work your filter system does, the less chemicals the pool will require, thereby saving you $$$$$. Note: Filtration by itself will not keep a pool right anymore than chemicals by themselves will; it requires a combination of both.

Some pool owners run their systems 24 hours a day because they want to and not because it is needed. There is nothing wrong with this and depending on how you value your time, it can be more advantageous to you to do this. The more the system runs, the less chance of debris settling to the bottom and needing cleaning out. Of course an Automatic Cleaner can solve that problem easily. While your electric bill will increase with the increased run-time, you may find your chemical bill dropping and that you'll spend less time on maintenance. We have found that pump motors do not last longer just because they run less. While they are running, the heat keeps their windings and internal parts dry, thereby reducing corrosion.