Filter question...

[Heather Nikole]

This is my first pool and thanks to this forum almost all of my questions have been answered simply by reading other posts.
One question I still need answered is, how long do I need to run the filter during a 24 hour period? I have been running it continuously since opening the pool last month. The water is crystal clear and this is why I have been apprehensive about shutting the filter off at night. Needless to say, my electric bill is quite high. The Hubby is on my back to only run it during the day! I would appreciate any feedback I can get for my question. Thanks!!!
Heather

[Pool Helper]

A "typical" pool needs to be run for at least 8-10 hours a day. This depends on the bather load and environmental conditions.

In dusty climates, busy pools or hot regions the pool should run for longer. A good rule of thumb is to turn the pool water over at least twice in each 24 hour period. To work out how long your pump takes:
- multiply the pump capacity in gpm by 60 to get gallons per hour
- divide the pool volume by the result above
- this result is the turnover rate in hours
- multiply the hours by 2 to get recommended minimum pump run time

I always like to break up the pump cycle into two, half (or more) during the day and the rest at night. That way the chemicals get mixed around better and you circulate the water more often in the low circulation areas where algea tends to rear its ugly head.