Amount of Time to Run Your Pool Pump - The first thing to look at is how long your pump is running per day. If you do not own a timer, get one. Click here for our
pool timers. Swimming pool pumps should be run an average 8 hours a day to properly circulate and clean your water. The pump should push your entire pool in gallons in this 8 hour period of time. However, often times swimming pool pump horse power is overrated for their size swimming pool. If it is overrated your pump may be pushing your water through in a 6 hour period or even a 4 hour period of time. In this case you can reduce the time you run your swimming pool pump. According to Florida Power and Electric reducing a pool pump by 2 hours will save you about $10 per month. Here is the average monthly costs for the average 1 HP pump to run.
1 HP - 4 Hours = $21
1 HP - 6 Hours = $31
1 HP - 8 Hours = $41
A pool timer will help you keep your pump running the proper amount of time. Again, check your pool chemical balance if you see a drastic change revert back to the old amount of time your run your pool pump.
Click Here to View Replacement Pool Pump Timers
george Posted: 9/17/2013
My pump was just repaired and for no known reason the mechanic change the timer to run for eight hours, instead of six as before. Six worked fine as the pool is hardly used. Also, now the incoming water rushes in and actually creates waves. Before, there was movement but not this nonsense. Finally, now the automatic floor cleaner no longer works. Do you think all these problems are related and can they be fixed easily?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 9/3/2013
Nevada - Sounds like you live the good life. Most people aren't that fortunate with their pools.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 9/1/2013
i live in nevada where it gets 115 degrees in the summer. i got a 12x28 inground fiberglass pool its about 10,000 gallons.i am running a 1 hp pump with a timer and a automatic chlorinator. i run my pool pump 4 1/2 hours a day. i havent ever seen algae in my pool. in fact i quit shocking it once a week. to every few weeks or unless the pool gets alot of use. i check my water readings every two or 3 days.ph is always 7.4 chlorine is always 1 to 3 ppm. total alkalinity 80 to 120 ppm
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InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 8/6/2013
nurse jen - It depends on the size of your pool pump, but if you have a 1 HP, 5-6 hours of operation sounds about right.Reply
nurse jen Posted: 8/6/2013
This is helpful thsnk you. I am a new inground swimming pool ownwer ( we replaced our above ground this summer) so I am sill trying to figure out how long I ned to run my pump daily to keep it clean, our pool is 8000gallons after inquiring with others the general answer to that question seems to be about 5-6 hpurs per day, any suggestionsReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 7/18/2013
CJ - Please review our guide on "How to Save Money Using a Variable Speed Motor". It provides more comprehensive information on saving energy with a variable speed pump. On life expectancy of the control unit, a motor manufacturer commented that: "The units should actually hold up better than the [older] ODP motors, since both the motor and control are sealed".Reply
CJ Posted: 7/15/2013
I calculated the true cost of my 2 HP pool pump... I selected a day that the heating and the air conditioning was off and other appliances not on.... I read our meeter for one our with, and one hour with the pool pump on..... then the kilowatt hour's cost times 6 hours..... it came out to 25 dollars a month... I calculated the distance from the pool our 2 skimmers and the kreepy line from the house 80 feet... gallons 30,000 of water.. all formulas said I needed the 2 horse power esp. if I wanted the spa to heat rapidly.and as someone mentioned the tablet chlorinator needs a certain flow rate..... I don't see that the variable speed would work for us... I could save all of 10 dollars a month..... (It turns out that each cable TV box burn 10 dollars a month in the off position )My main concern is the life expectancy of the variable speed... we live on the intercostal waterway, so I wonder if the salt spray would corrode the controls to the variable speed... our airconditioning units only last 10 years, vs. 25 years.... I was so glad that both our pool pump and spa pump lasted 20 years.... considering replacing just the motor to the spa pump that died recentlyReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 6/16/2013
Mike W. - Many people run their SCGs at 50% for 8-12 hours a day but that depends on several factors: usage, rain, size of pool and size of cell. After you have reduce your pump time, check your chlorine level every day for a week or so to establish the right working level. And remember to keep your pool chemicals within their acceptable ranges.Reply
Mike W. Posted: 6/15/2013
I have a salt system and am thinking about turning my timer back on,it runs 24/7 now.would like to cut it back to 12hr.would I need to raise the percent of time on the control panel.it is set on 50percent right now,it an aqua-rite system,ThanksReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 5/16/2013
24/7 - Most pool owners run their pool pumps 8-10 hours a day. The motors are designed to turn on and off daily.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 5/15/2013
We moved into a house with a pool about 4 yrs old. The company that opened our pool told us that we NEED to run our pool 24/7 for it to run properly. He said the on/off wears down the motor on the filter. Grew up with a pool which my parents had since 1977. They have always and still do use a timer. Is it ok to get a timer put on our pool system? It's inground and chlorine (not saltwater).Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 5/5/2013
Chicagobob - Yes, you can shut power off to your SCG after 12 hour. Most people only run them for a partial day when the pump is running.Reply
Chicagobob Posted: 5/4/2013
If you have salt system for chlorination, can you still shut your power off at night. I would only like to run my filter for approx 12 hours during the day, mainly for the noise factorReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 9/23/2012
New pool customer - The amount of energy your pump uses is based on its amperage rating (printed on the motor label) and the length of time the pump runs. If your pump is not running properly, its amperage can go up thus increasing your energy usage. To reduce your energy usage on your water filtration pump, you might consider switching to a 2-speed or variable speed motor. They can reduce your energy costs by 75%.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 9/23/2012
Chris - Generally your water features will not run on a small motor - less than 1 HP. If you want some flexibility, you might replace your current features motor with a 2-speed motor or if you don't need the lower level of flow, only run the features pump when you need it.Reply
New pool customer Posted: 9/22/2012
I just moved to a house that has a pool that's prob. 30 yrs old. I can't tell what kind of pump it is, but my elect. bill was very high. Also, the pump that manages the water flow was not working properly, so the pool tech fixed it and the elect bill dropped about $100; so my question is "does the pump that manages the water flow use a lot of electricity"? Thanks,Reply
Chris Posted: 9/17/2012
Hi - I have a fairly new pool (4yrs old) with two pumps. 1 variable speed Pentair that runs the filter, etc. and one 1hp single speed that exclusively runs a water feature. We leave the 1hp running about 5-6 hours per day and we are getting hammered on our electric bill.Would it be possible to replace the 1hp single speed with a 1/2hp single speed to reduce the amount of electricity used?
Also - the water feature / fountain is connected to a manifold which we have turned all the way "down". It's a fountain that could be shooting water about 4 feet. We only have it shooting the water about 6 inches.
Please let me know.
Thanks very much.
Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 9/16/2012
newpoolguy - If I understand right, you have a Pentair Whisperflo WEF4 pump and you replaced its 1.0HP/ 1.65sf motor with a smaller .75HP/ 1.65sf motor. If that is correct, you also have to replace the impeller with a smaller one matched with the .75 HP motor (mfg # 073127).Reply
newpoolguy Posted: 9/15/2012
I have a Pentair Whisperflo WEF4 1.0hp/ 1.65sf pump with an Emerson T55CXLL-1386 .75hp/ 1.65sf motor. Is this combination correct.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 9/10/2012
MarlOPolo - We would recommend a Variable Speed(VS) Green Motor made by Century / AO Smith. It is fully compatible with your existing Pentair WFE-6 pump. This motor automatically adapts to pumps with motors up to 2.7 HP. You do not need a separate timer. That feature is built into the control box on top of the motor. For more details on VS pumps/motors see our guide on "How to Save Money Using a Variable Speed Motor"
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MarkOPolo Posted: 9/7/2012
What would be a compatable variable Speed replacement motor for my existing Pentair WFE-6 pump? Would I also need to purchase a special timer?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 9/4/2012
MarkOPolo - If your first motor was close to 1.5 THP (SFxHP)than you should be able to go back to a smaller 1 HP motor with a SF of 1.65 - 1.65 THP. If you are planning to just replace the motor and not the whole pump, you will need to buy a smaller impeller - manf# 073128. You might also consider replacing your motor with a 2 speed or variable speed motor for additional savings.Reply
MarkOPolo Posted: 9/1/2012
I replaced a 1-1/2HP pump about 5 years ago with a pentair WFE-6 pool pump. I have a 20K or less size pool. My HP went from 1.5HP to 2.20HP. I run my pump for 4 hours and things look great. Would it be posible to replace the pump with the 1.0HP pentair replacement pump 071314S E-plus motor with a factor of 1.65 to produce the total HP of 1.65 to more fit my pool size yet lower my amps down to 7.4? Would I need to replace the impeller or would it match up close enough with the HP. ThanksReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 7/26/2012
connoeman - A 1 1/2 HP pump sounds about right for you pool configuration. If having to clean your filter every 2-3 weeks is an issue, you might consider getting a larger filter.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 7/26/2012
Uvale - Running 24 hrs a day seems excessive. I would try running 12 hrs a day and see if that maintains your pool.Reply
cannoeman Posted: 7/24/2012
I have a 1 1/2HP pump and it just started to hum louder, so i want to get an EE pump, but my problem is, the filter keeps building up pressure over about a week to month to the point where there is almost no flow. i replaced the filter with a different brand (hayward cartridge) was a starite DE...still does it now...as long as i can remember it would do this except in the winter months, it lasts about 2 to 3 months...i guess it could be getting dirty as it is when i open it up to clean it, at least now i am not going through so much DE anymore.. any way i was wondering if the pump could be over powered or under powered...here are some specs. 1 1/2HP pump 2"piping, 14,000gallons, and about 40 feet from skimmer to pump about the same for the drain. also has water fountain and hot tub attached.Reply
Uvale Posted: 7/24/2012
We have a natural pool. According to the seller we are expected to run the 0.5 HP pump non stop. You can imagine our electricity bill shooting up. Volume is about 1400 cubic feet and we are in tropical island. How can we reduce our bill? Thank youReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 7/12/2012
Jackerino - Please read our guide on variable speed motors: http://www.inyopools.com/HowToPage/how_to_save_money_using_a_variable_speed_motor.aspx. According to our calculations, you can save enough money on operational costs to pay for the pump in just over a year. And your energy rate is lower than what we based our costs on, so you should do better than our estimate. Question 2: You should be able to run at 1100 rpm. If not, the beauty of a VS pump is that you can adjust the RPM for filtration at the speed that works for your system. It won't be much higher than 1100 RPM. Question 3: Most pool systems in the US run on timers without any problems in losing prime and most only have to run 8-10 hours at full speed.Reply
Jackerino Posted: 7/11/2012
Just installed new pool last fall 25K gallon salt with all Pentair equipment. Pump 1hp WF-24, Sand Filter Tagelus TA60/60D, Chlorine Generator IntelliChlor IC40, 1.5” dia pipes 1 skimmer and 1 double main drain. The skimmer and main drain each have a separate shut off valve and the feet of head to each is: skimmer 31’, main drain 27’. I was told by installer and have been running pump 24/7.I live in Wichita Kansas and will use pool approx 5 months(May-Sep) per year.
My kilowatt hour usage:
Without pool 2011 May 743($74.30) and June 1343($134.30)
With pool 2012 May 2263($226.30) and June 2989($298.90)
Our kilowatt per hour rate is approx $0.10.
As you can see our electric bills increased: May $152, June $164.60
Here comes the question: Can I install a Pentair Intelliflow VS-3050 pump and save enough on electric bill to pay for pump in 2 years.
The real question is: Can I run this pump at a very low 1100 rpm or does my feet of head limit how low I can set the rpm.
Or can I put existing pump on a timer? The installer said not too because it might lose prime and burn up pump.
Thanks for your time!
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InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 7/9/2012
RowRow - I would check and make sure you don't have any leaks in the suction side of your pump first. If not you may have bigger problems. If you only have 1 1/2" pipes, there is a physical limit to the GPM that you can push though the pipes. A larger motor will not help your water flow. It may damage them. You may have to replace those pipes, or if you add others, make the 2 1/2". If you have larger pipes, I would recommend getting a Hayward EcoStar or a Pentair IntelliFlo - both variable speed pumps. Also get a larger filter to match the larger pump.Reply
RowRowRowYourBoat Posted: 7/7/2012
We have a 40K salt water gallon pool with 2 skimmers and 2 return lines. The water is still with the 2 return lines and can't move the water towards the weak skimmers. Leaves just stay floating and never go into the skimmers. There is not enough suction on the skimmer to run a pool vac off the skimmer so we use a robot. We have a 2.2 HP Hayward Energy Efficient Conservationist and a Pentair TA-60 sand pool filter. We were told by one person we just need new equipment with a more efficient variable speed pump with a timer and a bigger filter with Zeo, and a chlorine backup. Another guy said our equipment is fine and we needed at least 2 more return lines and possibly 2 more skimmers. We run it 24/7, so I know we can change that. Do we need new equipment? The price is not important as long as it works, is reliable and is efficient. Any recommendations.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 6/1/2012
whipboing - Yes you can do a straight swap with Pentair's Intelliflo Variable Speed Pump. It will work with your current impeller and diffuser. You will need to replace your shaft seal. We recommend the 8 speed or 8 speed with SVRS.Reply
whipboing Posted: 5/28/2012
I currently have a whisperflo wfe-8 2hp SF-1.30 on a dial timer. My pool is 16,000 plummed with 2" lines. I would like to replace the motor only with a variable speed. Can I do a straight swap to an intelliflo without any additional equipment? What would you recommend?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 5/16/2012
Numerate - In order to suggest a EE motor replacement, I will have to know the existing pump's manufacturer and model - like Hayward / Super Pump II.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 5/16/2012
Needaknow – See our guide on “How to Size a Pool Pump for Your In-ground Pool” under How To Guides / PumpsReply
Needaknow Posted: 5/12/2012
Hi,I don't know how many gallon pool I have. It is an 8 foot diving pool. Thanks.
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Numerate Posted: 5/12/2012
I need to replace a Magnetek Century Centurion, Catalog B130, Part 8-159988-05, 2 HP and SF 1.2. RPM 3450, AMB 50, Thermally Protected, Horizontal mount.What do I need to order?
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InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 5/9/2012
needapump- In replacing your pump you need to look at your actual or total HP (THP). THP is the product of HP times service factor (SF) – see motor label. With a 1 HP motor, if your SF is around 1.0 or 1.1 you have an Uprated Pump with a THP of 1.1HP. If you have a SF of around 1.5, you have a Full Rated Pump with a THP of 1.5. You want to replace your pump with a pump that has the same THP. Assuming you have an uprated pump – SF ~ 1.0 and THP 1.0, a couple of good EE pump options are: the Hayward ¾ HP Super II EE Pump, SP3007EEAZ; and the Pentair 1 HP Whisperflo EE Pump, WFE-24. The THP on the Hayward Super II EE Pump is ¾ HP x 1.46 SF or 1.1 THP. The THP on the Whisperflo Pump is 1 HP x 1.25 SF or 1.25 THP.Reply
needapump Posted: 5/9/2012
I need to replace my marathon 1hp pool pump.What is a good energy efficient choice.
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InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 5/3/2012
If your pool is 20,000 gallons and you are only running the pump for 4 hours, you could drop your pump size to 1 1/2 HP and drop your amperage (energy) from 10.2 to 8.8 amps. We recommend dropping from a WFE-8 EE pump to a WFE-6 EE pump, PN 011514Reply