Keeping your swimming pool clean, safe and in good condition is something that you should always prioritise if you want to enjoy dips in your swimming pool for a long time. Various tools can help you with the maintenance of your swimming pool. One such tool is the pool pump which helps in filtering dirt and debris and produces chlorine.
Pool pumps usually work in combination with pool filters to clean your swimming pool. They help keep off the debris and prevent algae growth in your swimming pool. You should know how to best utilise your pool cleaning equipment such as your pool pump and filter during the different seasons since changes in the weather can affect how you maintain them.
Now that summer is here, regularly running your pool pump and filter should be part of your pool maintenance routine so that you, your family and friends can cool down in your home’s swimming pool during warm sunny days.
Here are some things that you need to know about running your pool pump during summer.
What is a Pool Pump?
A pool pump is an essential part of a swimming pool’s circulation system. Together with a pool pump motor, it works by pulling water from the swimming pool and pumping it into the pool filter. It is a critical piece of equipment for cleaning swimming pools.
A pool pump has three main parts:
- Pump basket – collects debris and leaves
- Impeller – a fan-like mechanism
- Water discharge – the connection point that pushes the water from the pump into the pool filter’s housing
How Long to Run Your Pool Pump On Average
On average, you should run your pool pump around 6-8 hours per day during winter and 10-12 hours per day during summer.
Note that you need to run your pool pump longer during summer because algae grow more in warm temperatures. Running your pool pump longer will help filter out algae that can lead to debris and bacteria in your swimming pool.
If you want a straightforward recommendation on how long to run your pool pump, you can follow this tip. However, keep in mind that these are only approximations and your actual pool pump run time may vary depending on various factors affecting your swimming pool.
How to Calculate your Pool Pump’s Run Time
Every swimming pool has its unique situation. If you want to compute how long you should run your pool pump, you should know your swimming pool’s size, the type of pool pump that you have, how often your swimming pool is used, how much debris your swimming pool collects or if you have a pool cover, among other factors.
You can calculate your pool pump’s run time by first knowing your swimming pool’s volume (length x width x depth). Note that most swimming pools are between 40,000 and 100,000 litres in volume.
Once you know the volume capacity of your swimming pool, compare it to the output of your pump, and compute the minimum number of hours that your pump needs to run.
For example, a 60,000-litre pool that has a pump running at 200 litres per minute should run for a total of 5 hours (300 minutes).
This means that your pool pump pushes 200 litres of water per minute through your pool filter, which gives you a better idea of how much of your pool water is circulated and filtered.
The recommended industry tip is to run your pool pump for at least one turnover every 24 hours. If by chance, your filter takes a longer time to clean your pool and you see that you might still have dirty water, you may need to have two turnovers during summer to preserve your swimming pool’s water quality.
When to Run Your Pool Pump
The best time to run your pool pump is during the warmest hour of the day; however, keep in mind that this means you will have higher energy consumption, which may lead to an increase in your electric bill.
If you want to save on your energy costs, you can run your pool pump at night to avoid peak hours. You can run your pool pump overnight while your swimming pool is not being used. This way, you get to wake up to a clean swimming pool the next day!
Conclusion
Although using your pool pump is necessary, you should also take care of your swimming pool in other ways. You can use other pool cleaning equipment such as a pool vacuum or pool cover that will help keep off dirt and debris. Make sure to clean your pool filter at least once or twice a week as well.
By doing these simple pool maintenance tips, you can help lessen the amount of work that your pool pump and filter have to do so that they can last longer.
In the end, all the pool maintenance measures that you do will help keep your swimming pool safe and in optimal condition.