what is the AMP draw on Pentair Intelliflo Variable Speed

[susa]

this pump:
Pentair Intelliflo Variable Speed Pump VF-3050 3.2kw 3HP 230V

what is the AMP draw (AMP & Watts) or Lock Rotor Amps at startup?

assuming it's set for 90% or 400rpm (slowest..)

 

[Bama Rambler]

Your pump will show power used so you can figure the running amps from that. Here's the formula.
Power (watts) / efficiency / 230 (volts) = Amps

I.E. 1532 (w) / .9 (90%eff) / 230 (v) = 7.4 amps

Locked rotor amps on a VF drive is meaningless. The variable frequency drive will kick out before the motor get to LRA. BUT a 230 volt 3 phase 3hp motor is going to have a LRA of about 115 amps.

 

[susa]

don't actually have pump yet but am setting up the 240v connection and I assumed 20amp breaker is sufficient since I don't have specs on the pump.

the control box outside is a 3-way 240v breaker box, one 40amp and two 20amp breakers.

pump and SWCG control will connect to one of the 20amp breakers.

 

[mas985]

I would go by want the manual states located in this link which is a two pole 20 amp circuit.

 

[susa]

> a two pole 20 amp circuit

that's what I setup so apparently good to go

am shopping for pump now, best price so far is 950.00, about 250.00 less than online and 600 less than local retail stores.

 

[Hotrod30]

I don't advise anyone on how to hook up a pump; but I'll tell you how I did my VF-3050.

I run a 230 volt 30 amp ground fault breaker in the garage. The breaker also supplies a 230V pressure pump for my cleaner that runs when the main filter pump is running. (The cleaner pump is on its own timer) The 230V and 115V lines both come off their own GF brakers in the garage main panel. In the pump shed, both lines go to a 115V and 230V switch just inside the shed door. They are used as an emergency off switch; everyone (including the grand kids) know where they are. (I have let the grand kids operate the switches so they know what to expect) The 230V then goes to a timer that use to run a Hayward pump; but now is always on, then to the Pentair VF-3050. Also off that timer a 230V line runs to a second timer for the cleaner pump. The 115V power goes from its switch to lights and outlets.

The VF-3050 pump runs its self with the internal programs. The power is never shut off to the pump because then you have a loss of power alarm. On my pump, when you turn on the 230V main power, sometimes the pump restarts and sometimes it won't; just sits there with the red alarm lit. It must be manually reset. It seems to depend on what the pump saw first, low voltage or loss of power. (or something else)

You'll have fun programing the pump; I know I did. It does more things than I'll ever want it to do. I run mine 24/7 at about 375 watts. The chlorine pump also runs 24/7. I once took the pump down to about 200 watts, but it did not sound right. For my system, 375 watts is just right, pumping 32 gals a minute.

The emergency switches were turned off only once as an emergency. The grandson slipped off the slide ladder and my 7 year old grand daughter ran to the pool shed and turned off all power. :lol:

Also for turning off the pump, (by my wife) flipping the pump cover open to turn off the pump with the 2 snakes wrapped around the pump might be tough.

When I put the new Pentair pump in, I redid the pump house pool lines that were above ground from 1.5 inch to 2 inch and also put in a new and bigger sand filter that have 2 inch in-and out. I used the valves that are 1.5/2 inch size as the adapter to go from 1.5 inch to 2 inch. I have 2 skimmers and a bottom drain and 2 returns. I also used y fittings to make it easier to blow out the lines and add anti-freeze in the fall. I use 22 gals of anti-freeze to close; but that's another story.

 

[susa]

so for the 375 watts, you pretty much overrode settings in manual mode and then locked that in as the new default, correct ?

sounds good.

will start installation tuesday.

 

[Hotrod30]

No, in manual mode you loose some of the safety setting (filter pressure shut off, blocked intake shut off). For me, running the pump 24/7 and in auto, and being around the house all day, (I'm retired) I set my pump up like this but I don't change it very often. My pool is 20 X 40 inground, about 30,000 gals. I set the pump up for one turnover in a 24 hour day. The pump looks at how many hours I want to run and the number of turn overs I want to how much water I have in the pool and runs to that gal-per-min. To run at 1 turn over for 12 hour day at 30,000 gal, the pump would pump twice the amount of gal-per-min. The setting for the amount of water in the pool is what I change to run the pump higher or lower. To run 31 gal-per-min I set the pool water amount at 45k. For 40 gal-per-min I set the pool water amount to 58k. You can only set the total pool water amount in thousands. Since the returns are two 1.5 inch lines and they are 28 years old, I don't push more than 50 gal-per-min. Also, since I can push alot of water, I use the largest return eyeballs I can find to keep the pressure down. I think the eyeballs have 1.25 inch eyes. I hope I said all this so I make myself clear.

Like I said before, that pump will do more than I'll ever want or need it to do. But running 375 watts comparred to 2050 watts sure saves some money on electricty bills.

 

[susa]

Hotrod,

Good info!

My reason precisely in going with this pump was so that I can program myself the power and use profile and it fits well with my cooling and heating systems which are all inverter based heatpumps (no, I do not heat the pool as it's always warm here...even today at 60F I wear only shorts and t-shirt.. and I am used to swimming in ocean water below 40F)

Since I have precisely half your size (15,000 gallons), I assume my flow rates to achieve same for a 24 hr period would be about half (assuming we have same pipes, mine unfortunately at the pad are only 1.5 and one 1.5 return, one 1 inch return.

 

[chem geek]

Just note that the Pentair VS/VF pumps do not get more efficient for the same number of turnovers below a certain flow rate that is somewhat system dependent. For my 16,000 gallon pool, you can see my power numbers with solar off in this post. 15 GPM is only 155 Watts while 24 GPM is 255 Watts, but if you work out how long one needs to run for one turnover this is 16,000/(15*60) = 17.8 hours at 15 GPM and 16,000/(24*60) = 11.1 hours at 24 GPM so the electric cost for one turnover is 17.8*155/1000 = 2.8 KWh at 15 GPM and 11.1*255/1000 = 2.8 KWh at 24 GPM. So below a certain flow rate roughly at around 25 GPM, you don't get more savings. So you can choose your pump runtime based on other factors such as having circulation more of the time or having some or all of the time at a higher flow rate for better skimmer action.

 

[susa]

Hotrod,

You'll have fun programing the pump; I know I did. It does more things than I'll ever want it to do. I run mine 24/7 at about 375 watts. The chlorine pump also runs 24/7. I once took the pump down to about 200 watts, but it did not sound right. For my system, 375 watts is just right, pumping 32 gals a minute.

Explain what the ..did not sound right.. part means? I ran first 24 hours by not setting up anything in the pump, just start and manual mode, 153 watts and pump started circulating water totally silent, can't hear a thing but can see water coming from returns and running inside basket.

As soon as sun comes up, will continue with the full setup.