# Swimming Pool Pump



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Could someone with more knowledge than I on the subject - i.e. everyone -please tell me how long the pump should be switched on in a slightly-larger-than-average sized pool?
Ours is currently on 24/7 on a timer and comes on about every 20 minutes for a couple of minutes. Is that normal or excessive?
Can it be safely switched off at night or will our currently crystal-clear water go all green and manky?


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> Could someone with more knowledge than I on the subject - i.e. everyone -please tell me how long the pump should be switched on in a slightly-larger-than-average sized pool?
> Ours is currently on 24/7 on a timer and comes on about every 20 minutes for a couple of minutes. Is that normal or excessive?
> Can it be safely switched off at night or will our currently crystal-clear water go all green and manky?


How big is the pool - in metres?


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

about 9m by 5 m with an extra bit at one end -maybe not so big after all. 
Certainly not Olynpic size!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I cant remember the size of our pool, around 10x6 I think??? The timer on our pool has broken, but I tend to put it on every other day or so for about 20 mins when its not in use (sometimes longer - depends on if I remember I've left it on !!!). When it is I put it on for half an hour before use and for an hour or so after.

But it varies and all depends on what sort of scum/dust/bits are floating about on the surface. I hoover it every two or three weeks in the winter and in the summer, probably every other day or if it looks like it needs doing

Jo xxx


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> about 9m by 5 m with an extra bit at one end -maybe not so big after all.
> Certainly not Olynpic size!


Well I'm willing to be corrected but my understanding is that you can switch it off during the night and then have it pump about 20 minutes per hour during daylight hours. If that isn't enough just tweak it a bit. Do you have a cover?


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## owdoggy (Jul 23, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> Could someone with more knowledge than I on the subject - i.e. everyone -please tell me how long the pump should be switched on in a slightly-larger-than-average sized pool?
> Ours is currently on 24/7 on a timer and comes on about every 20 minutes for a couple of minutes. Is that normal or excessive?
> Can it be safely switched off at night or will our currently crystal-clear water go all green and manky?


Two hours (three if you must) during the day & the same overnight through the skimmers & bottom drain with a daily brush towards said drain will keep your pool crystal. No need for hoovering unless you forget to brush for a few days or you get a big wind which blows half of Spain in there...... which happens sometimes, no way round that one I'm afraid.

Also, remember to backwash the filter regularly (the guage on the top should always be in the green bit.....if it's in the yellow of higher, you need to backwash)

Doggy







....suffering from OCPD (Obsessive Clean Pool Disorder)


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

owdoggy said:


> Two hours (three if you must) during the day & the same overnight through the skimmers & bottom drain with a daily brush towards said drain will keep your pool crystal. No need for hoovering unless you forget to brush for a few days or you get a big wind which blows half of Spain in there...... which happens sometimes, no way round that one I'm afraid.
> 
> Also, remember to backwash the filter regularly (the guage on the top should always be in the green bit.....if it's in the yellow of higher, you need to backwash)
> 
> ...


This is very good advice and if I'd remembered it I would have said it - so there. Just remember, if you swim in your pool and then get poisoned something ain't right


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## Cazzy (Nov 23, 2008)

At this time of year about 4 hours a day, you can split it up how you like we do 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. In the summer it really needs to be on about 8 hours a day, 4 lots of 2 hours when you want!!!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Cazzy said:


> At this time of year about 4 hours a day, you can split it up how you like we do 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. In the summer it really needs to be on about 8 hours a day, 4 lots of 2 hours when you want!!!


Heck, I dont put mine on anywhere near that much!!! I guess a lot depends on what falls in to the pool - leaves, grass, insects, dust, bits.......

Jo xx


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## Cazzy (Nov 23, 2008)

jojo said:


> Heck, I dont put mine on anywhere near that much!!! I guess a lot depends on what falls in to the pool - leaves, grass, insects, dust, bits.......
> 
> Jo xx


I went to pool school, and we clean a lot of pools the pump does need to be on quite a lot!!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Cazzy said:


> I went to pool school, and we clean a lot of pools the pump does need to be on quite a lot!!



I'll put mine on for longer tomorrow then, altho it doesnt seem to need it??? In fact I dont think I've put our pump on since Sunday until today when I checked the Ph and put it on for 10 mins - I'm such a slob LOL!!! But its crystal clear, good Ph. I'll hoover it at the weekend

Jo xxx


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Thanks for all your advice. We do have a pool /general handyman /gardener who keeps the pool clean but he doesn't like fiddling with the pump, for some reason. He also tends to give 'circular' answers to questions, if you know what I mean - he gives long answers but you're never quite sure what he's said!! But he does keep the pool very clean so we don't need to do any 'maintenance'.
I think on balance our pump is on too much. I think I'll take it off Automatic/timed, switch it off overnight and put it back on Auto/timer in the day.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Length x width x depth ( in m3 ) divided by pump capacity per hour ( in m3/hr. It will be on top of the pump motor alongside the motor watts / amps etc. ) = total daily hours needed to run. I.e. if if it's 9x5 x 1m sloping to 2m. it will have a capacity of approx. 67m3 divided by pump capacity , say 7,5m3/hr = 8,9hrs/day. If it's a bigger cap. pump then the hours will be less.If you post the sizes & pump capacity I?ll tell you exactly.


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## JBODEN (Jul 10, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> ... He also tends to give 'circular' answers to questions, if you know what I mean - he gives long answers but you're never quite sure what he's said!!


Must have been a politician in his previous life


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

owdoggy said:


> Two hours (three if you must) during the day & the same overnight through the skimmers & bottom drain with a daily brush towards said drain will keep your pool crystal. No need for hoovering unless you forget to brush for a few days or you get a big wind which blows half of Spain in there...... which happens sometimes, no way round that one I'm afraid.
> 
> Also, remember to backwash the filter regularly (the guage on the top should always be in the green bit.....if it's in the yellow of higher, you need to backwash)
> 
> ...


Here a lot of people use automatic pool cleaners as the dust is unbelievable. If it's not that it's the black plastic blown in when they plough, or the yellow film plus barley straws when the combines been about. The first year it nearly drove me mad trying to keep it clean 'till I chilled & realised I would never succeed , & now I just do it once a day , unless it's extremely bad.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

gus-lopez said:


> Length x width x depth ( in m3 ) divided by pump capacity per hour ( in m3/hr. It will be on top of the pump motor alongside the motor watts / amps etc. ) = total daily hours needed to run. I.e. if if it's 9x5 x 1m sloping to 2m. it will have a capacity of approx. 67m3 divided by pump capacity , say 7,5m3/hr = 8,9hrs/day. If it's a bigger cap. pump then the hours will be less.If you post the sizes & pump capacity I?ll tell you exactly.


Thanks for that detailed advice. When it stops raining I'll venture to the basement where all the pump etc. equipment is installed.
There is also another device which is independent of the pump, it also comes on for about 90 seconds once every 20 minutes or so. This, according to Manolo, keeps the water in the pool at a 'safe' level so it doesn't overflow. apparently it pumps water into a drain under the basement garage floor. This has been operating since November/December when the rain began and I don't recall it operating last summer. The water level in the pool has certainly risen over the past few months.
I'm guessing the volume of water in the pool must be around 70 m3 as you say.
Increasing daily, with all this rain. Is this amount of rain abnormal for the western CDS at this time of year?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

gus-lopez said:


> Length x width x depth ( in m3 ) divided by pump capacity per hour ( in m3/hr. It will be on top of the pump motor alongside the motor watts / amps etc. ) = total daily hours needed to run. I.e. if if it's 9x5 x 1m sloping to 2m. it will have a capacity of approx. 67m3 divided by pump capacity , say 7,5m3/hr = 8,9hrs/day. If it's a bigger cap. pump then the hours will be less.If you post the sizes & pump capacity I?ll tell you exactly.



Lifes too short LOL!!!! My pool is great on a few mins every other day! I guess we're just lucky. When we first moved here it was green, slimy and had a leak in the pump pipes which hadnt been used for months. Once we had it repaired we used the pump for two hours a day with chlorine/flocculant, HCL acid and some shock stuff from mercadona! It was crystal clear, Ph perfect and ready to use in ten days

Jo xxx


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