I recently found this site and have learned a lot while browsing through all the posts and articles. I thought this would be the perfect place to help with my decision.
We are currently in the planning stages of our pool (waiting for permits). We have all the details nailed down, except one. So I am hoping you all can help me make up my mind.
The pool will be 38' long, 20' wide in the shallow end (3.5'), and 16' wide in the deep end (9'). It will be about 29,000 gallons. The water features are a 16'-20' (ok I haven't decided everything) weeping wall, and two bubblers in the tanning ledge.
I am hoping to have a variable speed pump (timing may allow us to get the new Hayward EcoStar). Now here is what I keep going back and forth on. I think I would like to have the variable speed pump run everything. That way I can adjust the flow of the water features by adjusting the speed of the pump with the remote. I also think this pump will have enough output to provide a decent amount of water flow to the water features. Also, I believe this will be better on my electric bill. The PB, however, would like to install a separate Tristar 1.5Hp pump to run the water features. His reasoning is, that will allow the main pump to continue directing water to the returns while the water features are running in order to keep the water circulating properly. His other concern is, not having any experience with this particular pump, he is not sure it will provide enough flow. My argument is that the water features will not be running all the time and the 2-4 hours a day they may be running won't have that much of a negative effect on circulation. My other option is to install a separate two-speed pump so I can have some control over the flow of the water features.
My PB will install whichever I choose. I would just like more opinions on 1) Would the variable speed pump have enough flow to run the water features, and 2) Would I be better off running the water features off a separate pump?
Thanks
We are currently in the planning stages of our pool (waiting for permits). We have all the details nailed down, except one. So I am hoping you all can help me make up my mind.
The pool will be 38' long, 20' wide in the shallow end (3.5'), and 16' wide in the deep end (9'). It will be about 29,000 gallons. The water features are a 16'-20' (ok I haven't decided everything) weeping wall, and two bubblers in the tanning ledge.
I am hoping to have a variable speed pump (timing may allow us to get the new Hayward EcoStar). Now here is what I keep going back and forth on. I think I would like to have the variable speed pump run everything. That way I can adjust the flow of the water features by adjusting the speed of the pump with the remote. I also think this pump will have enough output to provide a decent amount of water flow to the water features. Also, I believe this will be better on my electric bill. The PB, however, would like to install a separate Tristar 1.5Hp pump to run the water features. His reasoning is, that will allow the main pump to continue directing water to the returns while the water features are running in order to keep the water circulating properly. His other concern is, not having any experience with this particular pump, he is not sure it will provide enough flow. My argument is that the water features will not be running all the time and the 2-4 hours a day they may be running won't have that much of a negative effect on circulation. My other option is to install a separate two-speed pump so I can have some control over the flow of the water features.
My PB will install whichever I choose. I would just like more opinions on 1) Would the variable speed pump have enough flow to run the water features, and 2) Would I be better off running the water features off a separate pump?
Thanks