Whisperflo 2hp motor died, need advice on replacement

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R

rpoldervaart

0
Nov 23, 2007
26
Hi all,

My 2hp whisperflo motor died. Tripped breaker and when reset, the motor makes a lot of noise and trips again. I know I can just replace the motor side of the pump, but would like to know options for getting a smaller motor and/or 2 speed. Can I put a 2 speed motor on my whisperflo wet side of the pump? I'd rather not buy an entire new pump, unless there's significant cost justification.

Details:
21,000 IG pool with spa
2" suction and 2" returns
Aqualogic PS8 SWCG
Polaris 280 w/ booster pump.
Pentair Clean & Clear (320 I think)
Gas heater

I run the pump for about 6-8 hours a day. I noticed a big jump in electric bills when the pool was put in.

From a link I found by Harward pump sizing, I think I have about 53 ft of head. Does that sound right? Clean filter pressure is about 18. I believe the 2HP is way too big for my pool.

Options:

O1 - Drop down to a 1.5hp pump. The pool store said I have a "universal" impeller and going down to a single speed 1.5hp, I would not need to change the impeller. This would be about $200.

O2 - Get a two speed pump, run longer on lower speed. Can I do this and keep the same wet side part of the pump?

O3 - Replace entire wet and dry side with a new pump. What do you recommend? I'm assuming that would be $750 or more, so I don't think that's a good option for me right now.

Questions:
Q1 - If I get a lower hp pump, or a multi speed, I would need to run the pump longer, right? I assume the lower speed or lower hp operate at such a lower cost that running longer would still be cheaper.

Q2 - With my Aqualogic PS8, I think it can be programmed for two speed pumps. Will that work with intelliflows or other new pumps that you might have recommended in O3 above?

Thanks. Glad this died during winter and not summer. I'll add chlorine for a bit until I decide what to do.

Thanks,
Robert
 
You can put a 2 speed motor on your current wet end but the new motor needs be the same or bigger SFHP (service factor horse power).

O1 - you cannot put a 1.5 HP full rated motor on a 2 HP full rated impeller but you can put a 1.5 HP full rated motor on a 2 HP uprated impeller. So you need to know what have first. Either a motor # or a pump # will do.

O2 - Yes but the motor must be matched to the impeller.

Q1 - Yes when you downsize, you will need to run the pump longer. However, with a spa, you may not want to downsize the pump as your jets will become weaker. The better option might be to go with a two speed motor matched to your existing impeller.

Q2 - The Aqualogic will work better, depending on the rev level, with the Ecostar pump. The Intelliflo would end up being a much more expensive option since an interface unit would be needed plus it wouldn't have all of the functionality.
 
Thanks Mark. Here are the numbers from the pump.

Pump Model WF-28, HP 2, Serial # 1-14-B05, SF 1.1
Motor - AO Smith, Century Centurion, Serial BZ12-01, Part 7-177476-20, Type CX, Y56Y, rpm 3450, it's hooked up to 230v.
Let me know if I didn't get the right ones.

O1 - I think impellers are another $75, so if I put a 1.5hp motor and 1.5 impeller on, could I do that with the wet side of my 2hp pump?

The ecostar sounds like a nice pump, and the energy savings would probably pay for it in a couple years. My aqualogic has the following revs: main software rev2.22, display software local -08 r3.00, rf base software r1.20

So if I went with a Ecostar, given the information I gave in my original post, which size pump do I need?

If I just go with a 2 speed motor, are you saying I would need a 2hp 2 speed, assuming the sf is close to 1.1 like my original motor?

Oh, one other thing. With a 2 speed motor, or lower hp, I'll run it longer. Does that shorten the lifespan of the motor by running it longer per day?

Thanks again!

Robert
 
So what you currently have is an uprated 2 HP pump which is equivalent to a 1.5 HP full rated pump. So if you go with a 2 speed, make sure the motor service factor times the HP is greater than or equal to 2.2 OR simply ask for a replacement motor for a WFDS-28. That will get you the correct motor for your wet end.

O1 - Again you have the equivalent of a 1.5 HP full rated pump. Given the spa requirements, I don't think you would want to reduce it anymore. Otherwise the jets will be weak.

Unfortunately, I don't believe that rev 2.22 will support the EcoStar but you should be able to replace the board for less than $500. Search Ebay for GLX-PCB-MAIN and you can usually find one but double check with Hayward to find out which version of the board that you would need to control the EcoStar. There is a version 2.85 on Ebay which might work but I am not 100% sure. However, given the cost of the upgrade and pump, it would be much less costly to just replace the motor than to go with a variable.

Also, the EcoStar comes in only two versions but they are the same size. The difference is the SVRS which prevents entrapment on the suction side. That may be a good feature to have with a spa.
 
Thanks Mark and Scott,

I think I'll get a 2hp 2 speed pump, a replacement for WFDS-28. Any particular brand I should look for?

I saw in some other posts that I'll need to hook the additional speed up to an aux relay in my PS8 and make some changes in the config.

By the way, what does it mean to be uprated or fullrated? I see that it probably has something to do with the service factor. Is it better to have a fullrated 1.5 or uprated 2.0?
 
The HP x SF = Total HP. Fullrate pumps have a high SF, whereas Uprate pumps have a low SF. It's terribly confusing & originated as a marketing device 30+ years ago, but we still have to live with it. The Uprate 2hp will move slightly less water than a Fullrate 2hp, but not a noticeable difference. The motor on the 2hp Uprate pump is identical to the 1.5hp Fullrate pump - multiply HPxSF as above & you'll see the similarity in THP. The formula relates to something like Potential workload... lots of theory, doesn't seem too practical.
The motor brand won't really matter much. Chances are that a Century brand motor is most commonly available in your area. Stay away from Emerson.
You will need an unused relay in your PS-8 to add the 2nd speed, but it'll be worth it. Minor changes to the configuration.
 
Update: I bought a 2hp 2speed motor, replacement for wfds-28. I brought the motor into the pool store where they took the old impeller and parts off and put them on the new motor. Brought it home and installed on the original wet side of the pump. Following the install manual for the aqualogic, I wired it up using an unused relay and configured the settings. All seems to be working fine.

I was running the pump for 8 hours (4 in morning and 4 at night). I set this up for 16 hours running low speed from morning to night. I lowered the salt generation from 60% to 30% since I doubled the run time. My only problem is that I don't get a lot of skimmer suction at low speed. I already have the valve turned to get most pull from the skimmers and only a little from the bottom. I didn't want to turn it 100% skimmer just in case the skimmers get clogged. I figured it would at least get some water out of the bottom then. Polaris 280 seems to be running fine with booster pump and this new one at low speed. I'll keep an eye on the skimmers and see if they're working ok.

Thanks for the help!

Robert
 
You have discovered one of the downsides of lower speeds. It will probably be something that you have to learn to live with and just expect that you will need to run on high speed to get decent skimming.
 
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