Swimming pool owners in Austin, TX have plenty of questions about their pools, including about components such as pool pumps. One particular question that may be asked is, “how long should the pool pump run per day?”
The answer is … for the majority of the day. More specifically, your pool pump should be running for 12 hours a day based on the average pool pump turnover rate of approximately 8 to 12 hours. This means that the entire volume of water in the pool will filter through the system about two to three times over a 24-hour period.
Residential swimming pools should have a water turnover rate of at least once a day. So, if you run the pump at least 12 hours throughout the day, you should be good.
Running the pump longer than that can certainly eat into your bank account, but you may have another option that can be more affordable: with a variable speed pool pump. The great thing about these pumps is that they can run for 24 hours without breaking the bank.
You can set the variable speed pump on a low setting for regular filtration systems, and then modify it to higher settings when you add chemicals to the water. While variable speed pumps are more expensive than their traditional counterparts, they can save in energy bills while still offering clean pool water.
If you choose a one-speed pump, you may want to run it overnight to keep your energy costs low, as this is usually not a premium use time. That said, you will still have to run the pump when chemicals are added.
When it comes to the right length of time to run your pool pump, the exact answer may differ from one pool to another. The truth is, there are plenty of options available, and at the end of the day, you will want to determine the right timing for your swimming pool and equipment.
To help, be sure to get in touch with your local Austin swimming pool builder to ensure optimal functionality of your pool pump.
