The pool pump is an important part of pool sanitization, cleaning and overall pool health. You might wonder if you need to keep your pool pump running if you go away for a few days and won’t be using the pool. And as with everything mechanical with moving parts, a pump will eventually wear out or otherwise die and need to be replaced. I had one pool pump die over winter and didn’t notice until spring when opening the pool to find out it had seized up and was deceased.
A pool can continue for several days without an operational pump in the summer months before you will start to notice water clouding over and algae most likely starting to set it. Not to mention the water is no longer getting filtered so dirt and debris starts to accumulate. When a salt water pool’s pump isn’t running, no chlorine is produced and within days, the remaining chlorine will die and you will lose sanitation and cleanliness of water.
When The Pool Pump Is Unavailable
Pump Breakdown
Like other machinery, a pool pump often gives you a hint it’s going to die in advance. It may suddenly get louder when it runs. It make take a second or two to start up when it turns on. It may make a rattling or other noise that it doesn’t normally make. You might hear something rubbing or friction that indicates a problem. Best not to ignore that problem(s). If it persists shut the pump off and call your pool company. If the pump is damaged it might be able to be fixed and shutting it down can prevent further damage from occurring.
When your pump dies, try to have it replaced as soon as possible. Since it’s probably hardwired into the system you may require professional installation which may also delay replacement. Check with your pool company and other local pool companies to see how quickly they can replace it and at what cost. Go online to see if you can get a decent price and quick delivery if you can install it yourself or have a person in mind who can do the work ie. another pool installer, an electrician.
Keeping The Pool Running On Vacation
With a modern chlorinator system like the Hayward AquaRite system we have, I have timers set that turn the pump on and off automatically each day. So when we go away for a day or three in the summer, the pump can remain running, chlorine continues to be produced and things are in order upon our return. A few times my sister and her family have come over to swim and can keep an on things but other times, the house was empty during that time we were away.
If you don’t have the magic of automation like we do and you are going away for more than several days, you can either keep the pump running 24/7 while you’re away or have someone check on the pool and keep it going. When you’re away for 3 or more days without a pump running in the hot summer, you run the risk of returning to a pool that is dirty, cloudy and starting to grow algae. If you have a trusted family member of neighbor who can keep an eye on things, that’s your best bet.
It also ensures that if something goes wrong, you have someone on the case to at least look at it. Once in the summer, our neighbors behind us with a pool must have gone away because I could hear the pump sucking air for about 2 days. I didn’t know the neighbors at this point and our backyards were separated by a privacy fence with 15 foot high evergreens on our side so I couldn’t see what was going on. Things can get stuck in the skimmer, skimmer baskets can get clogged when no one is around to keep an eye on things and leaks and other serious problems can occur.
Maintaining A Pool Without A Pump
Let’s say your pump has died and has stopped working. How long can you keep things running until a new pump is operational and what should you do in the meantime? The hotter the weather the shorter time you have to react, so here’s what to do to help your pool out in the meantime.
Test Your Water
Do a water test daily to check chemistry and especially chlorine level to see where you’re at. The higher the chlorine level the longer you have to play with before the water gets cloudy.
Add Chlorine Manually
Depending on what your chlorine level is and how long you have no pump action, you will probably have to add chlorine. Add the required amount around the pool depending on your needs to spread it around as evenly as possible. You might consider the use of a floating chlorine dispenser that sits on the top of the water and slowly lets chlorine out over time.
Use Your Robot Vacuum
If you have a robot vacuum that is plugged in electrically and doesn’t use the skimmer for suction (ie. the pump), then use it daily to keep the pool clean and also to help circulate the water.
Brush The Walls And Floor Of The Pool
Use your pool brush daily to clean the walls, floors and basically all aspects of the pool. It helps to keep dirt from settling and algae from growing. It also helps to create some temporary water flow as you swish it around.
Use Your Pool Strainer
Use the pool strainer to skim the pool for leaves and other floating debris and get it out of the pool as soon as possible before it begins to rot and decay.
Don’t Use The Pool
Stay out of the pool and don’t use swim in it until the new pump is up and running. Using the pool adds more contaminants, increases chlorine requirements and makes it harder to keep the water clean and sterile.
Conclusion
When your pump breaks down and you have a salt water pool, chlorine production stops since the chlorinator runs in conjunction with the pump. Try to get a new pump installed as soon as you can and in the meantime, you may have to add chlorine to keep the pool sterile. Avoid using the pool to prevent more contaminants from entering the pool.
When traveling, it’s best to keep the pump running at least a few hours per day to keep the chlorinator running and thus chlorine being produced.
Learn more about how long to run your pool pump each day to maintain chlorine levels while also avoiding running it more than you have to. This will keep your energy bill down and minimize pump and chlorinator wear and tear.