Timer question

[CanuckPool]

Hmmm interesting, is it better to run your pump at night or during the day if you were on a 12 hour cycle? what is the optium Chlorine production /electricty/heat time? do you load up over night with chlorine and turn it off during the day? or is it best to run your heater during the day?

[tenax]

well, there's a lot of factors to consider including:

a) is your electricity cheaper at night to "purchase"?
b) when do you like to do your maintenance (adding chemicals..you'll want your pump circulating whatever you add and circulating long enough to cycle them through.)
c) if you're using a heater, when is your swim time?

in our case, i use a 8pm to 2am and 8am to 2pm cycle.

i get home from work about 3:30 as do the kids so i might flip the pump on and in turn the heater this time of year, go do my treadmilling and the pool is gaining 1-2 degrees still being in the sun and with the help of the heater. go for my swim, shut the system off about 5pm.

i do any chemical adjustments post 8pm before i go to bed so i have a good cycle. i go to work 5-5:30am so it's not feasible for me to be around for the 8am pump startup.

i have a solar cover so i do want a good cycle during the day to keep the chlorine circulated..it can get pretty warm underneath the cover and i could be concerned about algae growth with a still pool under a solar cover especially during the hot summer days.

[sailork]

I just got back in from changing to my "winter" setting on the pump. I didn't have the pool last year so I'll have to cross my fingers.

Summer: I run two cycles. The pump's evening cycle starts well after sunset and I have it run for two or three hours. I figure this lets me knock down any algae that may have started to bloom in the sun, and I can add bleach in the evening. The second cycle is from about 7am to noon. My pool doesn't get direct sun until noon. Keeping the pump off all day until well after dark kept my pool from ever really breaking 90.

Winter: I set the timer to come on at noon and run until five. I put a second "off" tripper at midnight so that I can go out, turn the pump on and add bleach in the evening and let it turn itself off. Wish me luck, my pool has already reached a bitter frigid 85 degrees!