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How many hours should the pool pump and filter run? You’d think it would be a straight answer — X number of hours a day — end of story! But the swimming pool contractors from A Clear Choice Pool & Spa Service in Menifee CA explain there are many factors that go into determining the just right answer.

We do urge our clients to not “set it and forget it” with the pool pump and filter. We do urge people to use timers to ensure the pool pump and filter turn on when you want them to and off when they need to. Running the equipment during the overnight hours is also more cost-effective for you and is a lower draw on the electrical grid.

How many hours should the pool pump and filter run?

Running the pool pump and filter all day, every day would be ideal for the pool water quality, but not ideal for your wallet!

  1. The pool pump circulates the water and the chemicals. If the water didn’t move, it would become stagnant and become an ideal host for algae and bugs! The pool pump pulls the water in, pushes it into the filter, then pushes the filtered/cleaned water back into the pool. The pool water — all the pool water — needs to circulate entirely at least once a day — that is called “turnover.”
  2. Ask us to calculate the volume of water in the pool because that is the first step in determining how long the pool pump and filter need to run in order to turn the water over daily.
  3. Keep in mind that bigger isn’t always better when it comes to the pool pump. The pump needs to be sized correctly for your pool. A larger faster pool pump may turn the water over more quickly, but that doesn’t mean it’s efficient.
  4. An average amount of time to run the pool pump and filter is at least eight hours a day.
  5. Add the pool chemicals once the sun goes down to prevent evaporation of them and then turn on the pool pump and filter to fully circulate the chemicals through the water.
  6. The pool pump and filter, for example, may need to run eight hours a day, every day, but that doesn’t mean it always has to be consecutive hours.
The best pool pump type for your pool is an individual decision you can make with your pool contractor or pool service provider. You may also want to consider getting a variable speed pool pump because it is the most energy efficient and will run faster when it needs to and more slowly when it’s just circulating chemicals.  Ask us to help you determine the best size and style pool pump for your pool.