Steve B wrote:
"Ross Mac" wrote in message
. ..
I run my pool pump about 6 hours a day as recommended by the builder. I
think this is excessive from the calculations I have made from several
websites which recommend 2 to 3 hours a day for my equipment. The pump is a
Whisperflow WF26 @ 1.5 HP and plumbed with 2 inch PVC. The cartridge filter
is a Pentair CC150 with 150 square feet of media and runs clean at 8psi.
The pool is somewhere around 9500 gallons and is screened in to keep the
creatures of Florida out. As far as "feet of head" I can only guess at 40
or so. I have had no problems with the pool but would like to save on the
electric bill if at all possible. Can I get away with 3 hours or so??
Thanks in advance for any help.....Ross


I was told by my friend (who owns a service company that services several
Las Vegas hotels) that you should run the pump one hour a day for every ten
degrees of maximum temperature, with an eight your max. I think your water
would get skanky real soon at two hours a day. Swimming pool water
skankiness is far far easier to prevent than to cure.

Steve

July 15, 2002: Our Pool in Buffalo NY Theory and Care and Feeding of
our 12,000 gallons of pool water
which is 3-1/2 ft. deep: BEGINNER PAGE

1. ADD WATER [hose fills the pool at only one-half inch per hour].
Water level in the skimmer box should be 2/3 full plus whatever you are
about to use for vacuuming and backwashing. Skimmer Box Level must not
be below 1/2 or the pump will suck air thru the skimmer box, damaging
the pump. Skimmer Box Level must not be full, or the skimmer can't skim
the floating leaves off. Add water as needed for vacuuming to waste,
backwashing, and rinsing, and to replace evaporation and splashed
water. Hose water to fill the pool: At 11 Upper kitchen, it takes 30
seconds to fill a one-gallon pitcher with cold water. Hose delivery
will be faster at the pool [at ground level without kitchen fixture].
Use 2 hoses without nozzles for filling. 12,000 gallons at only 2 gpm
takes 6000 minutes divided by 60 minutes in an hour = 100 hours, to
fill to 42 inches. But that's at a fill rate of only .42" per hour.
Our average water depth is 3.5 feet. Walls are 4 feet tall. The
capacity of a Circular shaped pool, which measures 24 feet in diameter
with a depth of 3.5 feet of water , is approximately 11894.4 gallons.
http://waterworks.olin.com/
2. Manually clean the Pool: Use hand skimmer to remove leaves, etc.
3. In your swimsuit, whirlpool your bottom leaves to the center, to
make vacuuming easy.
4. Empty skimmer basket. 5. Empty pump basket.
6. Vacuum to Waste never to Filter. Vacuuming requires a higher level
of genius intelligence than usual. Find the skimmer box's insert
adapter, vacuum hose, and brush head on extension handle.
a. Hose dirt off the vacuum hose. Connect 30-foothose to brush head
with extension handle, submerge vacuum brush head with vacuum hose
attached.
b. Turn pump on in Filter mode. Fill the floating vacuum hose to with
fast return hose from filter [or slow garden hose] until air bubbles
stop. This will take several minutes. You may encourage the air
bubbles to move along by tipping the vacuum hose to allow the air
bubbles to get pushed out the submerged brush head.
c. Pump off. Quickly attach vacuum hose thru from pool to skimmer box
insert adapter while keeping brush submerged. Pump on in Waste mode.
7. BACKWASH: Pump's SAND FILTER likes low 10 pounds pressure on the
gauge. When pressure reaches over 10 pounds:
operate BACKWASH for 2 minutes,
RINSE for 1 minute,
and FILTER. [Watch the clock or you will pump out your water to the
bottom of the skimmer box and cause pump damage. The water cools the
pump!]

POOL CHEMICALS: Do not mix chemicals. Choose the most suitable one for
the dose.

Leaves, dirt, and sunshine reduce the chlorine level. 1. Avoid skin
contact. 2. With filter running, and when swimming is over for the
day, add to empty skimmer basket and run pump overnight. 3. Rinse
hands, measuring devices, and bottle. Circulate liquid bleach 5
minutes or dissolve 5 oz. granular 10 minutes minimum.

8. Bad Water? If water is cloudy or green algae or "heavy bather
load" or chlorine smell is present:
a. If going swimming now add big 22 oz. scoop of granular Oxygen
[sodium persulfate] to skimmer basket with pump running for 10 minutes
or until return hose is clear.
b. If after swimming time add shock dose to skimmer with pump running:
22 oz. granular chlorine for our 12,000 gallons. Also use shock dose
of 22oz. weekly during 80-degree hot weather, and August algae season.
Note August hose water may arrive with higher levels of chlorine, so
it's always best to test.
9. Testing. If water is sparkling clear [object on the floor of the
pool appears in focus], test the water at 18-inch depth with 5 yellow
drops in chlorine tester. For an unstabilized pool:
CHLORINE:
Pool "hockey pucks" are EXPENSIVE STABILIZED CHLORINE: maintain
1.0 to 1.5 ppm chlorine. One 3" tablet per week or as needed to
maintain proper chlorine levels. Dosage may vary depending upon water
condition, bather load, time of day and geographical location.] When
tester shows 1.0 ppm or less, just add a chlorine "hockey puck"
tablet to an empty skimmer.]
GRANULAR CHLORINE: If tester results are clear [with zero ppm], add
routine chlorine dose with pump running: 5 oz granular chlorine for
our 12,000 gallons. Maintain 0.6 to 1.0 ppm chlorine when using
granular chlorine.
CLOROX: If you are going swimming now you may use Regular dose of
liquid Clorox: Add One quart (32 ounces) will raise the pool 1.0 ppm.
There are 4 quarts in a gallon (128 oz.) CLOROX LIQUID BLEACH (5.25%
sodium hypochlorite) (800) 242-7482 from product bulletin 224-83 FOR
OUR 12,000 GALLON POOL
Regular dose of Clorox: One quart (32 ounces) will raise the pool 1.0
ppm.
Shock dose of Clorox: Two quarts (64 ounces)
Cloudy Water/Algae dose of Clorox: One gallon (128 ounces)
Bill's Note: Clorox is more expensive than granular chlorine. It
works faster in the pool. It weighs more, so is less convenient. Read
% ingredients when using other chlorine liquids.
EXPERT Department: Never let your water be less than crystal clear. If
pool is a not crystal clear, algae is beginning to cloud your water.
Liquid acts faster than granular.
Tester used with proper chlorine added will bring pool water to similar
levels required for drinking water. Because of dirt it is not for
drinking, of course.
Pool chlorine tester may also be used for testing refilled fish tanks
when removing chlorine.
11. PH Test [red drops] Skip it unless you have water trouble. ph
range should be 7.2 to 7.6 (It usually stays in this range by itself.)