Do I Need To Run My Pool Pump Every Day?
Your pool pump is the powerhouse of all your pool equipment without it, many other important components wouldn’t function and your pool would turn stagnant and green before you know it. With that said it is also the biggest energy consumer, so do you need to run it every day? Here is the answer and everything else you should know about your pump.
The short answer is yes, you need to run your pool pump every day. Here’s why. Your pool pump circulates all of the water and chemicals throughout your pool. It draws water into the skimmer where it picks up debris such as leaves. From here, the suction of the water is pulled through your filter where finer particles and contaminants are collected, then the filtered water is sent back to your pool via the return jets and the process repeats, giving you clear and sanitary water. Failing to run your pump daily can see your water become unhygienic and unsafe to swim in. Rectifying water that has turned can be time-consuming and costly, so it’s best to avoid this.
How Long Do I Have To Run My Pump Each Day?
On average, your pool pump should run for 8 hours per day, however, this can vary depending on a few things such as:
• The size of your pool.
• The size of your pool pump.
• How often the pool is used.
• How dirty the pool gets from external contaminants such as sunscreen, leaves, oils etc.
• If you have a pool cover or not.
• How much sun/shade your pool gets.
• The climate where you live.
How To Work Out Exactly How Long To Run Your Pump For Your Pool
The main things that influence how long you run your pump for, is the volume of your pool and the flow rate of your pump. Domestic swimming pools are usually around 40,000 to 100,000 litres in volume. You simply divide the pool volume by the flow rate. For example, if your pool volume is 70,000 litres and your pump’s flow rate is 200 litres per minute (70,000 divided by 200) = 350 minutes which is just under 6 hours per day.
How To Spend Less Money On Running Your Pool Pump
Swimming pool pumps equate to around 15% of your total energy bill and sometimes more. No one wants expensive energy bills, so if you can reduce your pumps running costs without affecting the water quality, that’s always a good thing. Here are a couple of ways you can go about it:
- If you haven’t already got a pump, look for one that has a high star rating on the energy efficient label.
- You can cut back your pumps running time by an hour each day to reduce costs. Wait a week and if the water is still clear you can continue with the reduced time. If the water quality is compromised even slightly, you’re not going to be able to cut back your pumps running time, although worry not, there are other options.
- You can buy a pool cover, this will drastically reduce dirt and debris from falling in your water and the rate that your chemicals evaporate. Because a cover keeps the water cleaner, you won’t have to run your pump for as long each day. Vacuuming your pool and clearing out your filter and skimmer basket regularly can also help.
- If you want a permanent solution that requires virtually no effort from you, you can convert to a solar pump. Rather than relying on electricity to function, they harness natural energy from the sun, this can reduce your running costs to practically nothing.
When To Run Your Pool Pump
So you now know how long to run to your pump, but when in the day should you run it? And does it matter if the time is broken up or not?
You can run your pump at any time of the day but if you want to save money, its smart to run it during non-peak hours. During peak hours electricity companies charge consumers a higher rate due to increased demand. You can find out what time the peak hours are by calling your provider.
Your pump should run for an average of 8 hours per day or the time specified using the calculations mentioned above. It doesn’t matter if that time is consecutive hours or broken into intervals as long as it runs for the full time in 24 hours. Most pumps have a programmable timer and its best to set this up, so you don’t have to worry about turning it off and on. If you need to shock your pool, you need to add this in the late afternoon and let the pump run overnight to ensure the chemicals are moving throughout the pool water, not only that, the sun degrades chlorine, putting it in during the day will be a waste of time.
If you want to save money, it’s best to run the pump during non-peak hours
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 can’t go past a variable-speed pump. You can adjust the speed to any pace you choose, not just what’s on the pump. Quality versions of this pump automatically alter the speed, so you don’t 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.
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 it’s too powerful, it can put too much strain on your filtration system and waste unnecessary energy. If it’s not powerful enough, it’s 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.
