Help me pick a pump for my 11k pool

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E

EJ797

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Jan 26, 2013
100
Miami, FL
I recently purchased a home built in the late sixties which came with an existing pool that has a few decades on it at least. The plumbing seems to be old as well. I only have two jets, an overflow whose plumbing is capped because it has a leak, and a drain in the pool. I currently use a skimmer that works on the Venturi effect and uses a jet to skim.

My current pump is leaking water through one of the seals and I don't believe I will be able to find parts for it as it was built in China.

As such, I am considering a replacement pump. I was looking at the variable speed pumps but it seems to me that I would have to run them at their lowest setting so I'm not sure I would be using their variable function all that much, if at all. These pumps seem to be designed for a pools that are larger than my 11k pool.

I plan on a significant remodel of the pool in the future but not before the end of this season at least. My county requires high efficiency pumps so I want to make sure I purchase a pump that will not have to be replaced later if I remodel the pool.

It seems to me a high efficiency .5 HP pump would be the best route but haven't been able to find one yet. Please let me know your thoughts.




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A variable speed pump is worth it if your electric rates are above $0.20/kwh. Below that you will save money by getting a two speed pump. A 1 HP two speed Pentair SuperFlo pump run on low speed is probably the best option. There are also similar choices from other companies. That gives you low speed for super efficient operation and high speed for the occasional moment when you need it (vacuuming, draining the pool).

I am assuming you don't have a spa, fountain, or other water feature.
 
No spa or water features, yet anyway. May add some when I do the remodel. (Are pools remodeled or is there a more appropriate term?) if I did wouldn't it require a separate pump?


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I am now looking at the the two speed whisperpro pumps from pentair (the pump sits under my bedroom window). What am I missing regarding the full rated vs uprated pumps? I've read the pool school pump material and understand that you multiply the the HP by the service factor and you get the "brake horsepower" I believe. When I do this the 1hp uprated and the 3/4 full rated are the same brake horsepower but the uprated pump is more expensive. Is there a reason to go with the up rated?
 
The 3/4 HP full rated and the 1 HP uprated are identical in all respects except for the name plate. Prices vary by region, with one more in some places and less in others.

Any of these pumps running on low speed will be extremely quiet. Noise is mostly a function of pump size, with larger pumps making more noise. The SuperFlo is a smaller pump, lower SF, so it will make less noise (and use less electricity).

You can run a spa and pool with a single pump. A variable speed would handle that easily, while a two speed would have to be larger than the ones we are talking about to run the jets correctly. On the other hand, unless you have a specific upgrade plan in mind, I wouldn't worry too much about making allowances for future expansion.
 
I believe the pump you are referring to would be model 340042 on this spec sheet.

http://www.pentairpool.com/pool-pro/pro ... ps-165.htm

My current pump is wired for 110v and it seems this Superflo is for 220v. I would of mentioned this before but I thought all pumps could be switched between the two voltages. Can this pump run on 110? Would this change your advice? Is there a reason to rewire to 220? I could do the change myself but would rather avoid the expense if not necessary...

I appreciate your help!

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Take a look at the 341111 if you need 115v.

Two speeds only accept a single voltage. It is tricker to make dual voltage two speeds, so manufacturers generally don't. Most single speed motors suitable for pools are dual voltage.
 
I don't think I understand the curve for the 3/4 Superflo 2 Speed pump. It's curve is shown as A and F on the attached graph. It seems that at half speed the pump would not overcome 20 feet of head. Yet I believe I read that an average pool has more than 30 feet of head which would mean the pump wouldn't work well on most pools. In fact, it seems that most of the pumps wouldn't work well above 20 feet of head at half speed. What am I missing?
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Alright, I was thinking that the Pentair Superflo 3/4 HP 2 speed Pump may be too much and was considering going with the Pentair High Efficiency Superflo 1/2 HP, 1 speed pump. However, if 2 speed pumps use 1/3 the power at 1/2 speed to pump 1/2 the water they would at full speed I think the 3/4 HP 2 speed pump is the better option.

I am basing this decision on the following:
1- The 1/2 HP uses 8.8 Amps at full load
2- The 3/4 HP uses 4.7 amps at Half Speed
3- If I Run the 3/4 at half speed for twice as long as the 1/2 at full speed I would be getting more flow for roughly the same amperage. (.6 amps more)

Is that right?

How does a SWG come into play? If I have a SWG would the longer run time of the 2 speed pump set on low allow for the SWG to produce more chlorine if I need it?

How does a Cleaner come into play? Would I have to manually switch the pump to high in order to run the cleaner? Can the speeds be changed on a timer somehow in order to resolve this issue?

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They actually use closer to 1/4 the power at low speed and move about half the water.

Edit: and the answer to all your questions is YES.

Assuming that low speed moves enough water to throw the flow switch on the SWG ... it usually is.

You may need to add a timer if you want the speed to switch automatically.

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Okay, I am going with the 3/4 HP 2 speed Pentair SuperFlo (Product 341111)

In order to take advantage of the 2 speeds it seems I will either have to wire a 3-position switch or a timer to switch between the 2 Speeds.

The switches seem to run between $80 and $100. However, I have not been able to find a timer that will work for a 115v pump.

Are there less expensive Three way switches?
Are there timers for 115v 2 speed pumps?
 
When I ordered my 1HP Superflo 2-speed, it came with a toggle switch on the back already. May want to wait and see if yours does as well. It looks like a pretty basic SPDT toggle switch.

Do you have a timer already? Here are the mechanical Intermatics: http://www.intermatic.com/en/Products/T ... eries.aspx

Usual setup is a T104 for 240V power and a T106 to control the speed ... that would work, or you could use the T101 instead of the T104. You can also find online some combo units that have both mechanical timers in one box. Or there are digital ones as well.
 
Thanks, that page helped a bunch. I believe the Intermatic T105 would work for me.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... tic%20t105

I already have an on/off timer (Intermatic) though I would have to move it outside to sit next to the timer above. Also, since the T105 doesn't come with a box I would also need an enclosure for it. So, I would need the timer and 2 of these enclosures:

http://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-2T2485 ... B004H71H1I

Does that sound like it would work?

Also, what happens to the cleaner when the pump is run on low? Do you have to remove it? Does it just not function?

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Did you search by the model number?

Realize that the 3/4hp is only 115v ... not sure if that matters for you.

Btw I am not sure what is different about the 105, I do not recall other people using it.

Oh and is you cleaner a suction cleaner? If so it will likely not work on low speed. If you had automation, you could run the cleaner on high for a bit and then switch to low through the skimmer/floor.

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I've searched by model, part, and name. I also found a bunch of sites that sell other pentair pumps and tried to find it on those sites. No Luck...

My electrical is 115v, the 105 seems to be the 115v version of the 106.

I haven't purchased the cleaner yet but I'm planning on it being a suction cleaner. Will it hurt the cleaner to be hooked up when the pump is on low? I was thinking I would leave the cleaner hooked up and use a timer to switch between speeds. Switch to the higher speed the cleaner comes on, switch to low it goes off. However, it seems possible only if the cleaner can be hooked up to the pump while it is ran on low without damage to the cleaner, pump or pool finish.
 

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