How Long Should The Swimming Pool Pump Run?

The pool pump is part of your pool circulatory system that helps circulate and filter the water in your pool. Water that isn't circulating properly is prone to algae growth, poor sanitization, and improper filtering. A pool pump, on the other hand, will help circulate your water, spread out chlorine and other sanitizers, and help filter out debris and bacteria. 

But this doesn't mean you should run your pump 24 hours a day; it would wreak havoc on your utility bills. So, how long should your swimming pool pump run? 

How Long Should You Run Your Pool Pump Every Day?

First things first, how often should your swimming pool pump run? And how long should you be running your swimming pool pump?

You should turn your pump on at least once a day for 8–12 hours. Even if you leave your pool pump off for a complete day, the surface of the water will likely collect debris, leaves, and even insects. You don't want such contaminants floating around you when you take a swim. This is why you should turn on your pump for the pool daily. 

How Long Should You Run a Swimming Pool Pump In Summer?

The exact run time for swimming pool pumps may vary according to the season. 

For summer, you should run your swimming pool pump for around 10–12 hours daily. This is a lot more than the average time because, in summer, you may see a splurge in algae growth. Algae love to grow in warm, damp places. If you are not too careful, you may find it infecting your pool waters! 

How Long Should You Run a Swimming Pool Pump In Winter?

In the fall and winter seasons, you should be running your swimming pool pump for around 4–6 hours a day. You can reduce the number of hours you run your pool, but you should not turn it off entirely. If you want to keep an open pool, you still want to continue circulating the water, so there isn't any build-up of debris or bacteria in your pool.

How To Calculate Pool Pump Run Time?

The exact runtime of your swimming pool pump can be calculated very easily. First, you need to calculate the total volume of your pool. 

Once you know the volume of your pool, you now need to compare it to the output and time of your pump. How many hours does your pump take to fully process the entirety of your pool water volume? For example, if you have a 60,000-liter pool and a swimming pool pump running at 150 liters per minute, it will take a total of 400 minutes or roughly 6–7 hours for a complete pump cycle. 

Another thing to note is that you don’t need to run your pool consecutively for 6–12 hours a day. You can also break this down into two sessions a day. For instance, running your pool pump for four hours in the morning and then running it again for four hours in the evening may be a wise choice. 

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