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We just had a 24' x 52" pool installed. We attended a pool school Saturday and the teacher recommended running the pump 24/7 during the swim season. I have several friends who have pools and all but one run their pumps for 8-12 hours a day, on timers.
1.) Should we run the pump 24/7?
2.) Should the pump be level? Our pump is slightly un-even.
OK, we now know either you misunderstood the teacher, or the teacher doesn't know what the heck he's talking about.
1) Normal maintenance is to run the filter long enough to cycle the water once per day, however long that takes. Since you have about 13,500 gallons you need to figure out how many gallons per minute your filter cycles (say, 40), multiply that by 60 to get (in our example) 2400 gallons per hour. Therefore you would need to run your filter for about 6 hours per day BUT THIS IS ONLY AN EXAMPLE! I don't know your REAL flow rate.
1a) If you are fighting an algae bloom or other problem, then and only then should you run your filter 24/7.
2) Yes, it should be level. I recently moved my pump and filter (they are not a combo on a common base, but on separate bases) and I very, VERY carefully leveled the pavers they sit on.
Please give us some more details:
What are the brands and models of the pump and filter and, if you have them, what are their ratings for flow, size of media used (sand weight if sand), and HP for the pump.
You also need to get a proper test kit, the Taylor K-2006 or 2006C is what we recommend. It will pay for itself.
A set of test numbers will also help us help you.
Unfortunately, the "industry standard" for pool care is about as accurate as Lucy's "history" that she teaches Linus in "Peanuts".
Carl