Have you ever wondered how long yourpool pump should run for and why? Is there a difference in the amount of time to run the pump in summer versus winter? The Pool Team has all the answers! There are many things to take into consideration, such as the volume of the pool, the size of the pump, the size of the filter, the flowrate and seasonal changes.
Before diving into these calculations, it is important to understand the relation between the pump and the filter.
How do the pool pump and filter work together?
The pump draws in water from the pool and sends it through the filter, which is where debris gets trapped before returning the water back to the pool.
The pump needs to match the size of the filter so that it is able to move water efficiently through the filter without damaging it. If the pump and filter sizes don’t match, this could put pressure on either the pump or the filter which could result in damage and a costly repair.
How to calculate how long to run the pump
In order to know how long to run the pump, one must first know what size pump is needed for their pool. To determine this, it is important to calculate the volume of the pool.
The calculation for this is:
length × breadth × average depth × 1000 = pool volume
See the table below to determine the pump size and flow rates for the correct pool volume:
Pool Size (litres) |
Pump Size (kW) |
Filter size (bags) |
Flow Rate (L/Hr) |
20 000-30 000 |
0.45 |
2 |
11 000 |
30 000-35 000 |
0.6 |
2 |
13 300 |
35 000-50 000 |
0.75 |
3 |
15 000 |
55 000-75 000 |
1.1 |
4 |
17 500 |
80 000-100 000 |
1.5 |
5 |
19 500 |
When calculating how long to run your pool pump, the general rule of thumb is to turn over the entire volume of water once in winter and twice in summer. The calculation to determine how long to run your pool pump is as follows:
Volume of the pool ÷ flow rate = pump running time
For example: as per the table above, if you have a 50 000 litre pool, you should have a 0.75 kW pump and the flow rate would be 15 000 L/Hr.
50 000 ÷ 15 000 = 3.5 hours.
Round up to 4 hours* and this is the amount of time to run a 50 000 litre pool in winter.
*Please note, the above calculations do not take into consideration pipe sizing and restrictions from the multiport valve. Therefore, we advise the pump to run for an additional half an hour over and above the calculation.
Contact a professional at any of The Pool Team stores for further assistance on your personal pump solution.