How Long Should You Run Your Pool Pump?

We all love picturesque swimming pools that are always in pristine condition, with clear waters against the blue sky. Pool pumps help keep water safe and clean by dispensing cleaning chemicals and filtering out contaminants. Pumps consume electricity, which in turn can add significantly to your electricity bill. The question then becomes, how long should you run your pool pump?

Regardless of the quality of the pump filter, the water must be passed through at least once a day to remove debris, algae, and bacteria. This process is called turnover. Most pools have a turnover rate of 8 hours and under, experts say, “Turnover requirements will vary depending on local health regulations. Industry standards recommend a minimum target turnover rate of 6 hours with at least 2 turnovers per 24 hours. Pool turnover rate It’s important to have proper filtration.” Ensuring that the pumps operate efficiently and remain cost-effective is critical.

If the pool water is not moving, it will stagnate, creating an environment that encourages algae growth and the accumulation of pollutants. The pool pump is part of the filtration system. The pump draws water and passes it through the filter to clean the water.

Running a pool pump throughout the season is desirable, but expensive. It will be much more efficient to find a turnover rate or a decent amount of time that is sufficient to filter all the water, and filter that amount of time each day.

The first step is to determine the speed setting and flow of the pump.

Traffic and turnover are two different things. The flow rate is the amount of water that the pump can filter in a certain period of time. This speed is the pump's flow rate, which you can find in the manufacturer's instructions. Measured in gallons per hour (GPH) or gallons per minute (GPM).

There are three types of pool pumps, depending on the speed setting.

Single-speed pumps pump water at a constant speed. They cost less than other types and are easy to operate. The challenge is that there is no way to make the pumps run at lower speeds, so they use more energy. 

Two-speed pumps have two-speed options: high speed and low speed. Lower speeds reduce energy consumption and produce less noise.

The variable speed pump automatically adjusts the speed and has a variety of speed options. They cost more upfront, but they are the most efficient and cost-effective in the long run.

The duration your pump needs to run depends on the type you use.

High-horsepower pumps are more powerful and require less time. However, pump efficiency also depends on filter size.

Using a powerful pump with a small filter will only cause damage, so buy a pump that matches your pool capacity.

Two-speed pumps are more efficient and run for less time than single-speed pumps. Variable speed pumps are the fastest, most energy-efficient, and quietest.

To answer the question of how long the pool pump should run, you need two values: the volume of the pool and the flow rate of the pump.

Pool volume is the volume of water in the pool (measured in gallons). This number can usually be found on the pool's purchase documents. If not present, you can calculate the pool volume based on the shape of the pool, all dimensions are in feet.

Rectangular Pool – Length times width times average depth times 7.5 = approximate volume in gallons

Round Pools – Diameter times average depth times 5.9 = approximate volume in gallons

Oval Pool – Length times width times average depth times 6.7 = approximate volume in gallons

Kidney Shaped Pool – (A + B) Length times 0.45 average depth times 7.5 = approximate volume in gallons A and B is the width of the pool at its widest point

Irregularly Shaped Pools - Longest length times widest width times average depth times 5.9 = approximate volume in gallons

Flow rate is measured in gallons per minute (GPM) or gallons per hour (GPH). To calculate traffic, use the following formula:

Total Pool Volume ÷ 8 = GPH

GPH ÷ 60 = GPM

Once the pool capacity is known, calculate the turnover rate. Divide the cell volume by the flow rate of the pump. This gives you the time it takes to pump all the water, thus answering the question of how long you should run your pool pump.

A great way to save on energy costs is to run your pool pump during off-peak hours. These are specific times of day when electricity rates are lower. Get in touch with your electric company and ask about off-peak times and their rates.

Another time to run the pump is after heavy rain. Heavy rain can leave debris in the pool, so you should run the pump longer than usual to filter out contaminants.

It is best to run the pump immediately after adding chemicals to disperse them. For example, the best time to shock your pool is at night to prevent sun damage to the chemicals, which means you'll sometimes need to keep your pool pump running overnight.

Remember that UV rays can affect chlorine, so you should consider running your pump regularly during the day to minimize the sun's effects and maintain proper chlorine levels at all times. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), standard disinfection is sufficient to kill the COVID-19 virus in water. Chlorine levels of about 0.5 ppm kill viruses.

The above briefly introduces some basic knowledge of swimming pool pump operation. If you want to buy a swimming pool pump, please contact us.

MAYGO is a professional custom pool pump manufacturer. MAYGO POOL focuses on providing professional technical solutions for residential and commercial swimming pools. At present, we have provided swimming pool solutions to thousands of customers in North America, South America, Europe, Australia, etc. We have a team of engineers and mold-making with rich experience in electromechanical and CFD hydraulic design. They are fully committed to research and development. MAYGO has obtained a number of patents, as well as CE, SAA, ETL, CCC, CANS certifications.