How long to run your pump

[mas985]

Have I been wrong to run my pump 24/7?

The only thing it hurts is your pocket book. So if your interested in saving some on your electric bill, you can fine tune your run time based upon what the pool needs and how clean you really want it. 2 turnovers should be more than enough.

[badutahboy]

Do any of you guy use a timer for your pump? I'm the type who'll forget to turn it on, or turn it off at least twice a week...

[matt4x4]

I have had mine on a digital outdoor timer, but i'm scrapping it this year and going to analog, the digital drops the program every time we get a "blip' and being out in the country, blips are relatively common, the worst that will happen on an analog is the cycle will be off by x hours - x being the length of the power outage, but a blip can shut it down for a week if I'm away.

[Poolidiot]

I have my pump on a timer, I run mine from 2AM till 4AM then from 1PM till 7PM

[aquarium]

Just long enough for the Polaris to get most of the pillbugs off the bottom.
About 2 hours usually does it for now, but summer may need more.

[badutahboy]

I have had mine on a digital outdoor timer, but i'm scrapping it this year and going to analog, the digital drops the program every time we get a "blip' and being out in the country, blips are relatively common, the worst that will happen on an analog is the cycle will be off by x hours - x being the length of the power outage, but a blip can shut it down for a week if I'm away.

Wow, doesn't the digital have a battery backup? That's crazy that it gets killed everytime the power flickers.

[medvampire]

I have solar heating so I run the pump when I have strong sun. I have the pump set up on my home automation system. The system triggers the pump based on light sensor. If I have a day with no sun the system runs the pump for 2.5 hours around noon.
Steve

[badutahboy]

I have solar heating so I run the pump when I have strong sun. I have the pump set up on my home automation system. The system triggers the pump based on light sensor. If I have a day with no sun the system runs the pump for 2.5 hours around noon.
Steve

Sounds like an awesome setup. Tellme more about the light sensor.. any specific parts I'd need to set something like that up? I'm thinking of doing something very similar to that setup, but I didn't know there was much technology out there to run it based on weather conditions..

[medvampire]

I am using X10 CM15A for the controler and a AM466 Appliance Module for the switching. I have a M14A motion dector with a light sensor tweeked with tape to test for bright sun. I am still tweeking the light sensor with tape or I may add a variable resistor in line to get the sensor to tweek to the right point. I am thinking of adding a weeder tech board to the system to have better inputs of temp testing pre and post the solar panels to allow more control of the pump.
Steve