What is Pool Pump?
The pool pump is the heart of your pool’s circulatory system. It pulls water from the pool and pushes it to other equipment to be heated, treated, and filtered, returning cleaner, healthier, and warmer pool water.
Best Time To Run Pool Pump In South Africa
We encourage you to set your pool pump to run outside of 5 pm to 9 pm, the period of peak demand for electricity in South Africa, whilst still allowing your pool pump to filter the water twice in a 24-hour period when the pool is used.
What Is the Best Time of Day to Run Your Pool Filter?
The best time to run your pool filter is whenever it’s at its hottest. Your pool filter requires a pump for filtration.
Your pump should run whenever there’s a high chance of algae growth. You could also run the pump around the clock when you’re getting rid of an algae bloom.
Ideally, you’d run your pump at a slow speed without stopping. However, this tip only works if you have a VSP. It’s also a bit expensive and can put unwanted wear and tear on the motor. Open the diverter valve to let all of the water flow through the filter. You should run the pump regardless of the clarity or the algae level.
I often recommend people run their pump between 11 AM to 8 PM during the summer. It’s enough time to prevent algae from going overboard. You can reduce the hours to 12 PM to 5 PM during the fall, spring, and winter. I’ll discuss a couple of exceptions below.
How Many Hours A Day Should You Run A Pool Pump?
You should run a pool pump for one hour per ten degrees outside. If it’s 100 degrees Fahrenheit, you should run the pump for 10 hours.
The only exception to this rule is if you have a variable-speed pump and want to run it for more hours at a slower speed. You can also run a pump more often when it’s freezing to prevent the pipes from cracking.
All pool pumps have unique speeds. However, two-speed and variable-speed pumps let you control how fast they go. Faster pumps typically cost more money.
Variable-speed pumps can run at a slow speed throughout the day to reduce their energy consumption. The rare earth magnets keep them quiet without reducing their power output.
Here’s a list of five scenarios when you should change how many hours you run the pump:
- If you’re getting rid of an algae bloom
- When the water is freezing for several hours a day
- If you have a pool party and want to sanitize the water
- During rainy, windy days when there are a lot of phosphates in the pool
- When you use a water clarifier and want to remove the cloudiness from the water
Do pool pumps use much electricity?
In fact, a pool pump will consume between 3,000 and 5,000 KWh per year, which translates to between $480 to $800, based on the national average electricity rate of 16 cents per KWh.
How long will a pool pump last?
between 8 and 10 years
On average, a pool pump motor can last between 8 and 10 years before it needs to be replaced.
If you hear a noise, such as screeching, humming, or even no noise at all, these are warnings that something has to be done. Alternatively, your pool pump should last about 60 months on average.