solar cover - how long to run pump?

[Johnbednarski]

Hi everyone, looking for pearls of wisdom here. I usually test my water via my Taylor kit and add appropriate amount of liquid chlorine once daily, early evening, maybe an hour or so before the pump shuts down for the night. The pool is covered by a bubble-wrap style solar cover when not in use.

Right now, the pump runs automatically via timer for about 10 hours daily, starting in the morning. I've seen that, with the solar cover in place, the skimmer isn't able to skim the top layer of the water, as the solar cover mechanically interferes with the water flow from the top of the water. So, I don't think I gain top-of-the-water filtration when the solar cover is in place.

So, my question about running the pump deals with chemical sanitation. Does chlorine generally stay mixed with the water, or does it separate? I'm not sure I need to run the pump so long, if the chlorine remains evenly dispersed by diffusion. I understand mixing the water is good for keeping temperature consistent everywhere. My question is more tied to keeping the pool algae-free. Could I safely back down the time the pump runs?

Thanks for any guidance -

JohnB

 

[dkimble]

I only run mine 4 hours a day and have had no problems.

 

[mas985]

Does chlorine generally stay mixed with the water, or does it separate? I'm not sure I need to run the pump so long, if the chlorine remains evenly dispersed by diffusion.

Chlorine stays mixed and does not separate. Plus with a cover, the extinction of CL at the surface is reduced so you can reduce your run time as little as you like as long as you get enough FC in the water. But you will probably need a least 30 min for chlorine distribution.

 

[Johnbednarski]

Thanks Dennis and Mark for your comments, they're quite helpful. Looks like I can tweak down the # of hours I'm running the pump currently, within reason, and see how it goes. My electric bill thanks you