I have a Jandy variable speed pump. Right now it is running at 3000rpm 8am to 8pm and 1700rpm 8pm to 8am. The pool guy set it up for the summer. In winter when I am not using the pool, what is the optimal pump run time and speed for day and night. I have SWG, so I need to adjust its % too? Thank you.
Pool pump time and speed during winter
- Thread starter cuckoosit
- Start date
c,
I can't think of a single reason to ever be running your pump at 3000 rpm unless you have an in-floor cleaning system.
I assume you are aware that your SWCG will not operate when the water temperature drops below about 52 degrees.... Until then, I would run as slow as you can and still keep the flow switch closed.
Once your cell turns off, then running the pump two to four hours a day will be more than enough for sanitizing purposes.
If you just like to run 24/7, because with a VS pump the cost is not really a factor, you can do that if you want, but I would drop the speed down to 1000 rpm or so..
Thanks for posting,
Jim R.
I can't think of a single reason to ever be running your pump at 3000 rpm unless you have an in-floor cleaning system.
I assume you are aware that your SWCG will not operate when the water temperature drops below about 52 degrees.... Until then, I would run as slow as you can and still keep the flow switch closed.
Once your cell turns off, then running the pump two to four hours a day will be more than enough for sanitizing purposes.
If you just like to run 24/7, because with a VS pump the cost is not really a factor, you can do that if you want, but I would drop the speed down to 1000 rpm or so..
Thanks for posting,
Jim R.
I run my Jandy VS @ 1250RPM from 8am to 11am and from 7pm to 12am. That speed is more than enough for circulation and to trigger the flow switch in the salt cell. Since putting in the VS in, I have reduced my salt cell level from 70 to 30 and am running the pump for the same about of time but at 1200rpm instead of 3500rpm. It seems that slower speeds make much more efficient use of the salt cells.
You can drop it down to about 1500 rpm (cut it in half). I have a 31000 gallon pool and it runs at 1700 for 4 hours a day and under 1000 the rest.
To figure out how much to run it, you need to figure out how many gallons per minute your pump cycles through at a set rpm. Best option would be a Jandy flow item (forget the name), but you can probably guesstimate that 700 rpm is probably about 10 gallons a minute (that’s my guesstimate on my equipment). Guesstimate yours.
To figure out how much to run it, you need to figure out how many gallons per minute your pump cycles through at a set rpm. Best option would be a Jandy flow item (forget the name), but you can probably guesstimate that 700 rpm is probably about 10 gallons a minute (that’s my guesstimate on my equipment). Guesstimate yours.
P,
Not to be picky, but your idea that you need to know your pump's GPM, so you can determine how long you should run your pump, is based upon the old wife's tail that you have to "Turnover" the water in your pool x times a day.
It is just not true... especially for saltwater pool owners... Running long enough to generate chlorine will be much more than enough for circulation, which only needs to be a couple of hours a day.
Thanks,
Jim R.
Is there any particular speed that is best for this two hour period if you have a varaiabe speed pump?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,402
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Every pool is different.
Can you provide us a signature so we know what your pool type, size, and equipment are? See Pool School - Getting Started
Normally a low speed for a short time is sufficient to circulate the pool, but that can depend on if the pool is 5000 gallons or 50000 gallons.
Welcome to the forum! Thanks for posting.
a,
To be clear, there are several reasons to run a pool pump. If the only reason you are running it is for enough circulation to mix the chemicals in the pool, then it has been found that 2 to 4 hours is all you need. To do this, I would run at about 2800 rpm.
That said, the other reasons to run the pump are to provide enough skimming action to clean the surface of the pool and to generate chlorine for salt water pools. Both of these actions may take much longer to do. It really depends on you..
I guess the point is, run your pump for as long, or short, a period of time that works for you. Don't get hung up on a specific turnover value, but rather what makes your pool work the way you want.
I run my pump 24/7, at 1200 rpm, because I have a salt cell, and I like the surface of my pool to stay as clear as possible. At that speed my filter pressure is only about 2 lbs. I have no clue what my turnover rate is, nor do I care..
Thanks,
Jim R.
Thank you. Did not realize I had never posted before - registered 2.5 years ago. Signature added - let me know if it is insufficient.
This will be our first winter with a VS pump. Previously, at our pool company's recommendation, we ran the single-speed pump for 2 hours per day. They check the chemicals every couple of weeks.
Pool Companies will give a general rule of thumb at best. As stated above, how long to run the pump is dependent on your pool. Surface debris cleaning, SWG operation, and pool cleaning are the items for you to learn for your pool. IMHO less run time is better for electric bill and environment. As for checking chemicals, again it is up to you to learn how often your pool needs them checked and adjusted. The TFP community strongly suggests not using pool companies but instead managing your own pool with an approved TFP test kit and ordinary chemicals found at grocery store, home building stores, etc.
My major point is you need to learn your pool needs. There is no single answer.
My major point is you need to learn your pool needs. There is no single answer.
Thank you. This used to be a second home, so we had no option but to use a pool company as we were only here 20 - 25% of the time. It is now our only home, so we are interested in learning to do more ourselves.
santacruzpool
Gold Supporter
I am fairly new at this but over the last 2 winters I have settled on 4 hours of run time at 1000rpm in the off season. Our water never gets much lower than 48-50° here so I end up running the SWCG most of the off season at around 20-25% for those 4 hours.
During the swim season I tend to run the pump during the day, but later in the winter I switch the run time from daytime to very early in the morning, say 3am-7am. This also happens to coincide with our coldest part of the day and it eliminates/overlaps the freeze protect safety mode I turn on, therefore I don't have the pump turning on for any extra time on our colder below freezing mornings, YMMV.
During the swim season I tend to run the pump during the day, but later in the winter I switch the run time from daytime to very early in the morning, say 3am-7am. This also happens to coincide with our coldest part of the day and it eliminates/overlaps the freeze protect safety mode I turn on, therefore I don't have the pump turning on for any extra time on our colder below freezing mornings, YMMV.
amarone,
I should apologize for my "help" yesterday. I did not mean to come off harsh, but re-reading today it was not very helpful and does sound harsh. Especially after learning you really haven't had a chance in the past to learn your pool and had no choice but to use a Pool Company for maintenance. Hopefully you stick around and learn as much as I have about caring for your pool.
I would guess an hour or two a day should be fine to generate enough chlorine (assuming the water temp is high enough for the SWG cell to operate). Beyond that you would need to consider how much time it takes to keep the surface clean and also consider the time for the Polaris to keep the bottom clean. The amount of debris is obviously dependent on your environment.
Again apologies.
I should apologize for my "help" yesterday. I did not mean to come off harsh, but re-reading today it was not very helpful and does sound harsh. Especially after learning you really haven't had a chance in the past to learn your pool and had no choice but to use a Pool Company for maintenance. Hopefully you stick around and learn as much as I have about caring for your pool.
I would guess an hour or two a day should be fine to generate enough chlorine (assuming the water temp is high enough for the SWG cell to operate). Beyond that you would need to consider how much time it takes to keep the surface clean and also consider the time for the Polaris to keep the bottom clean. The amount of debris is obviously dependent on your environment.
Again apologies.
I was fine, but thank you for your considerate followup. As a newbie the advice can be daunting - I often don't understand it or know how I work things out for my own pool. I just need to keep reading and I am sure the knowledge will accumulate.
Our pool is now covered (Looploc) and will stay that way until the live oaks have finished shedding leaves and catkins next May. Hence we do not run the Polaris over winter and do not care (and cannot see) how clean the surface is. We (the pool company currently) maintains the chemicals and the pool is clear and operational very quickly after opening it up. The cover does not prevent all small debris, but it does not take long for the Polaris to sweep it up.
We have average daily highs of 60 in January (I am in/near Savannah), so presumably about half of the time in the middle of winter, the SWCG will not be generating chlorine.
Yes lots to learn and reading is important. Pool School - Pool School
Asking questions is highly encouraged and recommended. There are no dumb questions. We are all here to help you learn as we have done.
Remember the SWG operation is based on the water temp not air temp. If the pool is covered the FC loss will be very minimal and thus the chlorine generation requirement will be small. If you are considering managing your pool going forward (highly recommended) it is time to purchase your TF-100 & K-1766 test kits TFTestkits.net and start monitoring your pool chemistry. Many highly recommend the SpeedStir also for ease and accuracy of measurements. You can start here: Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry.
Post your results in this format:
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
SALT
We can help you understand the numbers and guide you towards a Trouble Free Pool.
Note the recommendations for a SWG pool here: Pool School - Water Balance for SWGs
Another critical piece is to understand your CSI. You can get this by entering your results into PoolMath