A good rule of thumb for pools in the Sacramento region is 8 to 10 hours a day in the summer, and 5 to 6 hours a day in the winter.  You want to keep the pool circulating more in the summer as sunlight has the biggest effect on chlorine degradation and algae growth.  Longer days and warmer temps require more circulation.  Also, you can't run your pump too long, most commercial pools run 24 hours a day, so the more the better.

With variable speeds pumps you want to run them slower for longer to utilize the energy efficiency of the pump.  A pump run at half speed uses 87% less electricity, that's like going from having 30 light bulbs turned on to just 3.  A good rule of thumb is if you normally run the pump 8 hours a day, run it for double that at half speed.  We like to set ours to run for 2 hours in the morning at high speed to get the water moving and then dial it back to half speed or less for 12 hours.

You always want to run your pump during daylight hours.  The sun has the biggest negative effect on water balance, and sitting water is stagnant, so run that pump during the day to keep the water circulating and help maintain good water balance.  If you are on PG&E electricity, try and set your run times to end before 4pm because that's when electricity rates go up.   

This used to be a good idea as electricity rates where cheaper then, but in the last 10 years all the time of use electric plans have shifted to afternoon/evening as high rate time, and night time is the same as during the day.  It's more beneficial for the pool to run during the day, just do it before the 4pm rate jump.

That is your mineral re-charger for the summer algaecide that we use in our pools.  It helps keep algae out and water balance so please leave it in your basket.

Yes, it's one of the best financial investments you can make for your pool.  A variable speed pump vs a traditional single speed pump can save upwards of $100 a month on your electric utility bill, so they usually pay for themselves within 2 years.

Twice a year is usually enough if you have a 4 cartridge filter.  Pools with lots of leaves and/or dirt may require more frequent cleaning to keep the circulation at optimum levels.

The most common problem is a dirty filter.  If after cleaning the filter cartridges the pressure still seems high you can check to see if the cartridges need replacing.  An easy method to check is to run the pump and filter without the cartridges installed and note the filter pressure.  When you put the cartridges back in it should be the same pressure, any higher and you need new ones. 

If maintained properly filter cartridges should last 5 or 6 years.  When new cartridges are installed, note the pressure on the pressure gauge as a baseline.  Each time you clean the cartridges note the pressure after cleaning, once it increases 4 psi from the baseline it's time for new cartridges.

Definitely, salt pools have many advantages.  First off, let's be clear that salt pools still use chlorine, they just make it on-site as opposed to having to add it manually.  The advantage is the type of chlorine that is made is a pure form with no by-products, which is much more effective at killing algae than any type of manually added chlorine.  Additionally, the constant supply of fresh chlorine throughout the week is also more effective at killing algae than just a weekly dose.  The last major benefit is your skin will not dry out as much due to the low level of salt in the pool.

The most common reason is a leak in the pool.  The production of chlorine by the salt system does not affect salt levels, only the loss of water and then the refill water dilutes the concentration of salt.

Yes and it's super easy to do.  We can typically install a new salt system in about 2 hours, and have you swimming the same day.

When water temperature drops below 60 degrees your salt system will automatically shut off to protect itself.  It can't effectively produce chlorine below this temperature and will shorten the life of the system if it tries to.  Although the risk of algae at temps below 60 is small, its still good to keep the water balanced and chlorine in the pool so we have to manually dose during this time period.