i'm running my pump at night. bad idea ?

[subedoo]

FWIW, I try to follow Ben's sage advice over on poolsolutions.com...http://www.poolsolutions.com/gd/avoiding_algae.html...at least 6 hours of pump run time divided into at least 2 time periods.

My electric provider has no difference in rates during the day, so I run more pump time in the daytime when I'm trying to warm the pool. Just like Janet (aylad) in LA, I schedule more run time overnight when I'm trying to cool the pool a bit. My pool water hit 90 yesterday so I guess I need to make some daytime-to-nighttime adjustments. Currently, I run 2 hours "over lunch" (11a-1p), 4 hours 4p-8p, and another 2 hours 3a-5a, for a total of 8 hours.

What kind of timer do you use?

[dawndenise]

An Intermatic PF1102-T (has freeze protection). I believe the newer model of mine is this one: http://www.intermatic.com/Default.as...cid=71&sid=348

The only thing I would do now is get this type timer that can actually handle 2 different timing sequences: one for the pool pump and one for the Polaris cleaner. As it is now, the Polaris would be on all the time the pump is on unless I manually turn the Polaris switch off.

[keithw]

Just out of curiosity, for those who say that they get a lower rate at night so they run their pools at night. How does the electricity know whether you are using the power at night and not during the day to give you that lower rate? I am in VA and I had heard the same about our electric company as well. BUT...The only meter I have at my house is a electric meter on the house with a spinning wheel and numeric readings. They come by and check it every once in awhile (I guess!) but certainly not every morning. It doesn't have any other reporting back to them built into it so I don't see how they would know either way.