🏊What does a pool pump cost to run?

Long enough for roughly one full turnover of the water in domestic use — commonly six to eight hours on a single-speed pump in summer, less out of season. Continuous running is rarely necessary and doubles or triples the bill. Chemistry and skimming matter more than raw hours.

Yes, and it is the rare case where the marketing understates it. Power rises with the cube of flow, so half speed is about an eighth of the power. Running at half speed for twice as long gives the same turnover for roughly a quarter of the electricity — typically $200 to $400 a season on a mid-size pool, which pays for the pump in a season or two.

Only if you are on a time-of-use tariff, in which case it saves a lot. On a flat rate the pump costs the same at any hour. Many owners run during the day for skimming while the pool is in use, then a shorter overnight cycle on the cheap rate.

Smaller than most installed pumps. Oversized pumps are extremely common, and they cost twice over — more power drawn, and higher friction losses in undersized pipework. If the pump is being replaced, sizing it to the plumbing and the turnover requirement rather than to the biggest available is where the saving starts.

Yes. A clogged filter raises the pressure the pump works against, which on a single-speed pump means it moves less water for a similar draw — so it has to run longer. Backwashing or cleaning on schedule is the cheapest maintenance on the whole system.

Different order of magnitude entirely. An electric pool heater is 5,000 to 15,000 W against 1,100 for the pump, and a heat pump pool heater draws less but still dwarfs the pump. If a pool is heated, the heater is the bill and the pump is the footnote.