I don't use a skimmer sock. But I did clean out the pump basket which had some trash in it and when I checked today it seemed a little cooler. However, still very hot though, you can touch it but you can't leave your hand on it very long without burning it.

Has anyone found a definite answer to running 24/7 vs cycling. I would agree that many electric motors cycle on and off with no problems. But I'm curious if it is truly better to run constantly vs switching the pump off for a few hours. I figure over the course of a summer a few hours a day would add up and reduce the number of hours on the motor.