Conventional swimming pools and spas include a water circulation system with a pump and a filter for filtering particles and debris from the pool or spa water. The water is usually chemically treated to kill bacteria and algae in the water. The water circulation system ensures that chemicals which have been added to the water are evenly distributed throughout the pool.
Pool pumps are usually powered by an electric motor. The electric motor is commonly connected to a timer which turns the motor on and off at predetermined times. Most often, the timer is set by an end user based on a recommended motor run-time of e.g. 8 hours per day. The motor run time is selected to ensure adequate filtration of the pool without any consideration of actual circulation flow rate and total circulation need. Consequently, pool pumps often run longer than necessary and waste energy.