Your pump is one of the main pieces of equipment that helps keep your pool water clean and balanced. It is important to run it daily to ensure there is enough water circulation. Stagnant water promotes algae growth along with warm temperatures.
With that being said, consider extending the time you are running your pool pump during the warmer months in the summer. During the cooler winter months, you can get away with a reduced run time as bacteria and algae are also less active during this period.
To determine how long per day you should run your pool pump, first check your pump’s turnover rate. The turnover rate refers to the period of time in which the pump is able to circulate all the water in your pool. You can find this out by dividing the pool volume with your pump’s filtration rate, and then multiplying by two.
To find out your pool’s volume or capacity, you can ask your pool builder. Or you can also find out yourself. This process requires pool measurements – average depth, length, width, and finally the amount of water it can hold per cubic foot, which varies depending on the shape of your pool. Multiply these measurements together and the product would be the volume of your pool in gallons.
Aside from the pool volume, another factor to look into is the size of your filter. If your pump size is large for your pool (2hp+), then you can reduce the pump run time.
Normally, a pool pump would complete 2 to 3 full cycles in a day. The downside though with running your pump 24 hours every day is that this costs a lot. At least one complete cycle a day could be enough, taking into consideration the weather condition(s) and pool usage.
Reducing operation time for your pump also allows you to save on your electric bill. The professionals at Sahara always recommend investing in a pool pump timer. You can help your pool pump perform efficiently by ensuring regular pool maintenance and that includes cleaning your pool filter.
If you have any questions about how long to run your pool pump, please contact us and we will be happy to help.
