Is Running A Pool Pump 24-Hours a Day Necessary?

10 Sep Is Running A Pool Pump 24-Hours a Day Necessary?

Do swimming pool pumps have to run all the time?

From How Stuff Works

Perhaps the biggest surprise for new swimming pool owners is the increased costs for gas, water, and electrical utilities.  Most swimming pools are set up to run 24-hours a day to maintain health and cleanliness, but is this really necessary?  This post from How Stuff Works answers this pressing question, and explains why.

Here is an excerpt from the post:

The pump is the main part of the swimming pool circulation system. The pumping system clears debris from the water and keeps chemicals mixed by pushing water into the filtration system and back out again. Many variables determine how much time you need to run the filtration system, including the size of the pool and how often it’s used. Debris that blows into the pool can affect water clarity, as well.
Conserving energy affects both the environment and your pocket. If you use a smaller, high-efficiency pump and operate it only for as many hours as absolutely necessary, you will be doing a lot toward lowering your pool maintenance costs. Chemicals that you add to your pool while the water is circulating don’t need to be recirculated; they will stay mixed even if you don’t pump the water continually. Although it’s generally recommended that all the pool water undergo filtration every 24 hours, the pump does not need to run all the time.

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