To be able to swim in a clean water and so healthy, it is necessary to activate the filtration system of your swimming pool. However, it is not useful for it to run permanently, with rare exceptions. In fact, the filtering time depends on several factors which we will discuss here after reviewing the usefulness of filtering.
Filtration of a swimming pool: what is it for?
Filtering your pool helps keep the water clean. It is essential to be able to swim in complete serenity. Properly filtered, the water is rid of all impurities, and therefore does not risk causing problems in terms of hygiene.
Filtration is essential for renew pond water regularly. The pump routes the water to the filter, then sends it back to the pool once it is completely free of dirt, insects, bacteria, fungi, algae… The filtration system also prevents the water stagnates and favors the diffusion of treatment products.
What influences the filtration time of a swimming pool?
Different factors must be taken into account to determine the filtration time of your swimming pool. It’s about :
- water temperature,
- Of the season,
- The number of bathers,
- pool usage time,
- Brightness.
All of these factors can increase the rate of water pollution and promote the proliferation of bacteria and other organisms. So for example, in summerthe water is very warm, the very strong luminosity promotes photosynthesis, and the swimming pool is rather well attended and the bathing sessions are prolonged. In winter, the water temperature is below 12°C, the light is low, no one is using the pool. In the first case, the filtration system must be activated very frequently, in the second case, one filters with parsimony especially when one opts for an active wintering of the swimming pool.
As we have seen, it is during the day that the light is omnipresent and the heat the strongest, which leads to the proliferation of microorganisms. This is why it is useless to filter during the night when it is during the day that you have to run the filtration. It remains to be seen for how long.
Activate the filtration of your swimming pool: know how to determine the ideal duration
For water at less than 15°C, we simply filter for 60 minutes in the morning and as much in the evening. Between 16 and 24°C, the filtration time required is 8 hours. Above 24°C, professionals recommend halve the water temperature in order to know for how many hours to run this system.
For example, if the pool water is at 26°C, it is filtered for 13 hours. If it is at 22°C, 11 hours of filtration are sufficient. Attention, these durations must take place in several complete cycles to be distributed over the day. Thus, 3 cycles for 13 hours of filtration or 2 to 3 cycles for 11 hours.
This is valid for a swimming pool used by one or two people. Because we must also take into account the pool attendance since the more it increases, the more the water pollution rate is important. This is why we must filter for 24 hours non-stop provided that 6 bathers or more enjoy the pool at the same time for at least 60 minutes.
In which cases should you filter your swimming pool continuously?
And cycle de filtration complet lasts about 4 hours. But there is three issues which justify running the filtration of your swimming pool continuously for at least 24 hours, namely:
You must start by disinfecting the water to “catch up” with it if it has turned, then activate the filtration continuously until the pool water becomes perfectly clear again and allows you to swim in it again. .
- In case of proliferation of microorganisms
This is a phenomenon that can be observed when the temperatures are scorching. Excessive heat indeed promotes the multiplication of bacteria, for example because the water is no longer balanced in terms of pH, TAC and TH. As soon as the water temperature is above 28°C, the risks are increased and increase with the degrees. In this case, the filtration system must run continuously until the disappearance of the micro-organisms and the rebalancing of the water. It is recommended toact preventively by regularly carrying out a shock treatment during high temperatures.
- When the rate and the duration of attendance of the swimming pool are substantial
As we pointed out previously, when many bathers share a bathing session in summer, this justifies continuous filtering for 24 hours.
No need to over filter if the water does not need it or even overnight. In fact, you have to think about optimize the duration of filtration because it consumes a lot of electricity, around 1 kW/h, which is not negligible all year round! In addition, the pump of the filtration system makes noise when it turns. It is therefore preferable that it be at rest overnight unless it is absolutely necessary to filter continuously, or if in winter there is a risk of frost.