Pump running time

[Johnny B]

Split from pump-running-time-t10624.html ....Butterfly

I've been through this & the other link.
I assume run 24/7 until I get the chemistry & look correct? THEN thinker with reducing the time?
I’ll open in March/April & it’s not too hot then, especially nights, still run 24/7 until everything is right, or no need to run pump during dark hours?

Any Carolinians or others able to guess, based on my info, what my pump run-time may be (non-start up, once all is well I mean)?

Thanks

 

[mas985]

A 1 HP Whisperflo will deliver close to 80 GPM in typical plumbing system. That is about a 4 hour turnover. So you shouldn't need more than 12 hours (3 turnovers) of run time even in the worst conditions but you should have at least 4 hours (1 turnover) of run time during the warmer months. You may want to start at 12 hours and see how things look. If your happy with the water clarity after a week, reduce it to 8 hours and check again.

 

[spishex]

Any Carolinians or others able to guess, based on my info, what my pump run-time may be (non-start up, once all is well I mean)?

Do you have a lot of trees around? With your turnover rate being so quick you'll probably end up basing your run time on how much you need to run the 360 and your skimmers to fight off debris, especially the pollen that's coming for us here in the next month or so, and that just depends on your pool's location. I'd take Mark's advice: start at 12, which should be plenty even during the worst of the pine mating season, and then work your way down. I imagine you'll end up at 6-8.

 

[spishex]

...and as if on cue, I saw the first pollen scum lines of the season today.

 

[Johnny B]

Great advice as usual.
I have dropped the pump-run-time to about 10 hrs/day ( two 5-hr segments, about 9-2am&pm) without any issues.
I'll try to scale back to 8 hours & monitor.

Aside from what others have mentioned above, and aside from chemical-related issues of running the pump before testing & after adding chemicals, have you found the pump-run-time to be more ideal at certain times of the day, or is the time of day a non-issue with a properly balanced pool?
I thought the pump running in the harshest time of the day (high temperature & maximum UV from the sun), which you can see I do not do, would be best, but it would be helpful to me to know if this is not the case. Is it more a chemically-balanced & turnover issue than a time-of-day issue? Each pool, depending on the day's conditions, requires a certain turnover/pump-run-time, but it makes no difference if the pump runs a single period or broken up in segments (disreguarding a unique condition- such as much debris where obviously you want a skimmer or cleaner to remove the debris, )?

Thanks

 

[JasonLion]

There are so many different small optimizations you can do on what time of day to run the pump, each of which suggesting different times of day that are best, that they more or less cancel out. If you have time of day electrical rates, then run the pump when it is inexpensive to run. Other than that, run the pump when you feel like it.

If possible, it is better to run the pump for two different periods, 12 hours apart.