How long one has to run a pump depends upon how effective and efficient your filter is – and also water temperatures or the time of the year.
An average quantity might be twelve hours for summer, and six hours for winter; however, there are several variables which are going to have an effect on how much pool filtering the water requires.
Some systems might have to run almost around-the-clock to keep your water clear, whereas other systems are able to do it six hours a day.
The length of pump operation is a difficult one to respond to, without having to ask more queries, such as:
- What is the size and type of filter and pump?
- Which water treatment purifiers or chemicals are you using?
- How much precipitation and debris gets into your pool?
Filter and Pump
As a pool manufacturers or builder designs your pool, inground or above ground, many use an eight-hour formula that sizes your pool’s filter and pool pump. The pool pump and filter’s size is sufficient enough to filter and pump ALL the water inside the pool, within an eight-hour period of time.
For a pool that contains 20,000 gallons, an eight-hour system (pipes, valves, filter pump) would be made to generate at the minimum of 42 GPM. (480 minutes X 42 Gallons per minute is 20160).
But pump baskets become clogged and filters become dirty, which slows the flow of water down. Extra equipment such as heaters, chlorinators, and cleaners are oftentimes added, which slows down rates of flow by adding in more resistance and requiring more run time of the filter pump.
The filter media’s age is one other factor. Older filter cartridges simply do not filter as they once did and require longer running times and more cleaning.
D.E. variations are up to ten times more effective than sand variations and filter down a tiny particle size. A cartridge or sand filter will have to operate the filter pool pump longer than an equally-sized D.E. pool filter
If the water inside the pool is filtered too much, it’s possible to use the pump less; however, less effective or smaller filters need more hours a day of operation of the pump, in order to compensate.
What is the Best Time of Day to Operate your Pool Pump?
During the day, as the sun shines on your pool, and within the hottest hours of the day. Unfortunately, these also are peak hours for energy intake, yet it’s the best time of day to operate your pool pump.
Utilize a time clock to run your pump, and reset it as necessary, to sustain water clarity. If you do not own a timeclock, you might as well just operate the pool pump around-the-clock, so you do not forget to switch it back on.
For more information on how long to run your pool filter each day contact the best inground pool company of UV Pools today!