Is there a rule of thumb...

[prh129]

A couple of comments - waste mentioned running the pump long enough to move the equivalent of your pool volume through it once - isn't the conventional wisdom 2x that time?

Henrys514 mentioned letting the pump run for 24 hours after adding CYA - it will take longer than that for the CYA to dissolve so I don't think that running it for 24 hours is necessary (providing that you added the CYA to the skimmer or hang it in a sock).

And the "ideal" timer settings probably depend on your individual circumstances - when do you add chomicals to the pool? you probably want the pump running for at least an hour after you do that - when is it likely that the pool will be used the most? how much sun do you get? are you using a solar heater? does the water get too warm? - The answers to these questions should help you decide when to run your pump. I don't think there is any "wrong way" to do it. I run mine from about 9am to 1pm then 5 to 9:30PM.

Peter

[waste]

Peter, sorry for the confusion - I wasn't recommending a daily pump run time but, rather, the rule of thumb to be ~sure that the chems have mixed sufficiently (as in a case where you want to retest the water). You're right about 2 turnovers being the 'standard' daily run time - Waste