Tips for using your pool pump efficiently

What you need to know

• Filtration time

  Filtering the water is critical to keeping a pool safe for swimming. In summer, the general advice is to run the pump for eight hours, but this depends on the size of the pump, the size of the pool and the conditions. It may take some experimenting but finding the lowest acceptable running time could save a large portion of your pump's electricity cost.

• Install a timer

  It may be more efficient to run the pump for a few short periods across the day, to allow debris to collect in between. Using a timer will allow you to be more flexible with your pump use to make its operation most effective and efficient. If your pump is quiet enough, the timer can also be used to make the most of off-peak tariffs by operating the pump at night.

• Keep drains clear

  Drains that are full of debris place extra pressure on the pump, making it work harder and use more electricity. Make sure you backwash at appropriate intervals to clean the filtration system of debris that could stop the pump from working effectively.