Should I turn my pump off? Bad Weather

[PoolChickTX]

We are having rain and wind so things are blowing into the pool. Should I turn the filter off? Thanks

 

[Texas Splash]

We just got hit as well. Not really a big need to turn things off just because of wind and rain, although if you're concerned about lightening or electrical surges, you certainly can. Remember, your pump doesn't need to run all the time anyways, so as long as you're not in the middle of a SLAM, giving your pump a short break won't hurt anything.

 

[PoolChickTX]

Thanks

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk

 

[borjis]

You might want it off but not because of a surge....which would probably only be harmful if the pump is a variable speed without surge protection.

Last year I had just finished cleaning my pool and a wind storm began....a TON of dead arborvidae pieces went into the pool....it covered
the surface nearly 100%....like an idiot I kept running my pump anyway....well I had to clear the skimmer every 10 minutes because it
would fill then cause a vortex starving the pump. In hindsight I should have just turned off the pump then cleaned all that debris out later.

lesson learned.

 

[Texas Splash]

Arborvidae ..... I had to look that one up.

 

[PoolChickTX]

You might want it off but not because of a surge....which would probably only be harmful if the pump is a variable speed without surge protection.

Last year I had just finished cleaning my pool and a wind storm began....a TON of dead arborvidae pieces went into the pool....it covered
the surface nearly 100%....like an idiot I kept running my pump anyway....well I had to clear the skimmer every 10 minutes because it
would fill then cause a vortex starving the pump. In hindsight I should have just turned off the pump then cleaned all that debris out later.

lesson learned.

Thanks! Just saw this but turned it off. It ran a good 4 hours. Ouch - I've learned many lessons the hard way as well.

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk

 

[LongDuck]

Not knowing your skimmer setup (venturi vs. draw), it wouldn't hurt to leave the pump on. At least then, the filtration effect of the pump would help to keep contaminants out of the water which will need to be offset by chlorine. On our venturi setup, the return pressure drives the skim function, so it could be entirely filled with debris and won't negatively affect pump/filtration - it just would stop skimming. When storms crop up and dump tree debris, I start raking; every bit I can remove by hand is that much less that won't get sucked into the filters and increase my pressures, necessitating a filter cleaning. I check my pump cage (basket) daily and ensure there's nothing that would impede flow, along with the skimmer basket.

As to the electrical issue of thunderstorms and lightning, the grounded pump and fully earthed equipment and pool would be highly unlikely to see a strike. Running vs. not-running electrical equipment has no bearing on the likelihood of a strike either, so don't overthink it. Whatever you do, you'll want to check chlorine levels after the storm is over and adjust accordingly.

 

[PoolChickTX]

Good points. Thank you. I've been out there skimming like a fool.

Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk

 

[Jumpin' Joan]

Good points. Thank you. I've been out there skimming like a fool.

I can SO relate to that statement. ;-) We were just hit too... in the Land of Drought, most rains are welcome but our storms never come in without wind blown debris. The fastest way I know to clear it is skim and vacuum when there's no chance of lightning.

Once you're into the TFPC system your pool care habits become second nature though. For me, it's a morning check for water color/clarity and removing loose debris/clearing the filter basket while the dog does her business. After the pets are fed, it's a pH and FC test with any necessary adjustments to follow. Vacuum as needed and the rest of the day is for the taking.

PS: Welcome PoolChickTX!!!

 

[PoolChickTX]

Thanks! I actually turned the pump back on after cleaning the baskets. Bam that tiny debris went in.. Off now but I'm learning

Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk