running pump

[matt4x4]

I don't bother with the GPM calculations, mainly because the water in your pool is always mixing, so if you run it long enough to turn your pool water over once, I really don't think you do since you may have turned some of the water over twice, while you didn't turn some other water over any.
I run from sunup, to sundown, make maximum use of my solar gain and try to retain that gain by not running the pump over night.
I tend to take my solar cover off at 5:00 pm when I get home, and put it back on at 9:00 or 10:00 pm or whenever we're done swimming, usually I'll connect the vac during that time. reasons I keep the cover on while I'm at work are:
1. less bird crap
2. less dirt - it lands on the cover and blows off again for the most part.
3. Most importantly for me - little to no evaporation

So far it's worked great, never have algae issues and the water is always clear.

[geordie]

When it is extremely hot, like this summer (day after day of mid 90s), I add bleach and turn the pump on in the evening and let it run until the water sparkles. Sometimes it hits that point by bedtime and sometimes it needs to run all night. When the pool temp hovers around 86-90 degrees, running it at night keeps it from climbing any higher and allows the chlorine to do it's job without me driving my CYA level higher and using more bleach.

When it is just warm (days in the low to mid 80s) I run the pump in the early morning or afternoon and turn it off before bedtime. I have less heat loss this way. I have teenagers at home that can turn the pump on and off when I request (theoretically- if they can tear themselves away from vegging away in the house). I'm just too lazy to use the solar cover anymore, because it precludes the sudden, impulsive dip in the pool whenever someone is in the mood.