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How Long To Filter

June 15th, 2003 · 5 Comments

I have a 16 x 32′ in ground plaster pool, with oversided filters and
pumps, quality pool sweep, and a cover
Trying to reduce my Electricity Bill (I’m in California with the
Highest rates in the Country) I’ve been reducing the number of hours
a day I filter the pool.
I started filtering 8 hours a day, I filter during the heat of the
day to help preserve chemicals, I have been slowly reducing the hour
I filtering I’m now down to 4 hours per day and the water still looks
good How do I know if I’m not filtering enough? As long as the water
looks and test good am I ok? I’m about ready to drop down to 3 hours
a day and see what happens

Tags: pumps

5 responses so far ↓

  • 1 robbie_50 // Jun 16, 2003 at 11:21 am

    You will know .Water will cloud,alge will show up.I run mind round the
    clock.I use to cut it off in daytime run at night.Might have been doing
    it wrong.
    Keep The Faith
    Retta

  • 2 Neva Marjory // Jun 17, 2003 at 3:54 am

    Remember…just because the water is clear, doesn’t mean it’s
    clean :). Stagnate water is a breeding ground for algae and other
    bacteria.
    I’ve had people set their pumps on timers that allow multiple on-off
    periods to help reduce their electric bills.
    Overall, if you do any filtering, do it during the day - during the
    hottest time of the day.
    Per preserving chemicals, the amount that any filter (specifically
    DE and dense catridge) removes from water is, at best, minimal. On
    occasion you will find filters with clumps of chemicals in their
    media - but this is normally due to poor application, and they
    dissolve eventually.
    Larger pools are easier to reduce filtration on - since larger
    amounts of water take more algae spores to make it green. However,
    when they turn, it usually costs that much more to get them right

    again.
    What you save in less filtration may end up costing you more when
    trying to get the pool chemically balanced again.
    — In homeswimmingpoolowners@y…, “tlf_not_30″

  • 3 janis_40 // Jun 19, 2003 at 12:52 am

    The rule for pool filtration is to turn over the pool (filter the total
    gallons of the pool) once every eight hours. Lets say your 16X32 was 2.5 -
    4.5 - 8 and rectangular. Average depth is 5 feet so 16X32X5X7.5 equals 19.2K
    gallons. Your pump is for example 1 HP and pumps 80 GPM. Divide 19.2 K
    gallons by 8 for 8 hours and then by 60 for 60 minutes in an hour. This
    figure shows the flow rate in GPM you need to turn the pool over in 8 hours.
    In this case it is 40 GPM. Your pump puts out 80 GPM so it turns the pool
    over in 4 hours.
    Other factors which could have an impact are what type filter do you have?
    For sand run the pump longer or for DE you might be able to shorten it up
    some.

  • 4 evelyn_200 // Jun 21, 2003 at 8:15 am

    Solar power is very limited at this point. It would take a solar power the
    size of Richmond Virginia to power one electric range.
    Bob

  • 5 Neva Marjory // Jul 11, 2003 at 12:07 pm

    Take a look at the size of your pump first - droping from an oversized
    pump will do the most for saving electricity. There are no hard and
    fast rules for times to run a pump - it depends on your pool, the
    temperature, chlorine levels etc etc. I would start cutting back the
    times, but pay very close attention to your chlorine levels and watch
    for alge - the day you see any alge, start increasing your pump time
    and/or chlorine levels. When your pool gets warmer, you’ll need to
    increase times and chlorine levels; conversly you can drop them when
    the water temperature drops.
    — In homeswimmingpoolowners@y…, “tlf_not_30″ <lookin_4_gold@y…

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