5 Things to Know About Running Your Pool Pump on a Timer

Run your pump intermittently, not nonstop The goal is total water turnover per day, not constant running. Most pools need about 8–12 hours of pump time in summer, less in cooler months.

Split run time into two or three chunks Run 4 hours in the morning and 4 in the evening. This keeps water moving and chemicals mixed without running the pump all day.

You will save electricity Intermittent running cuts power use significantly. Water quality stays fine as long as total run time meets your pool’s turnover requirement.

Do not skip entire days Still water breeds algae and bacteria fast. A day off can mean a green mess that takes far more energy to fix.

Variable-speed pumps are more efficient at lower speeds If you have one, running longer at low speed beats short bursts on high. For standard pumps, intermittent is the smart move.