Intelliflo VS -- not very quiet -- makes "tone" at higher speeds.

[lalittle]

I just had a Pentair Intelliflo VS installed and am surprised by how loud it is. Unless I run it at low speeds (1750 RPM or so) it makes a "tone" that is very noticeable even from the other side of the patio. It doesn't really sound like something is "wrong," and the installer didn't indicate that it was a problem (nobody mentioned it while he was here), but given the reviews I've seen talking about how quiet these pumps are, I'm rather disappointed. The net result of the "tone" ends up making it sound worse than the pump I replaced, which was VERY old -- it was an all-metal body unit that the installer estimated was no newer than the 70's.

Should I only hear the white noise "water" sound when it's running at speeds in the mid 2000's, or is it also normal to here a motor "tone" at these speeds? Does it sound like something is wrong?

Thanks,

Larry

 

[Vettechick99]

I think that's the one I have. We actually find it to be a lot quieter than expected. I guess that's because our PB said we shouldn't put it by our back deck because it can be so noisy it interrupts conversation, so we expected something super loud. Instead we put it behind the pool about 10' away (instead of the 25' away by the back deck we initially wanted) and it's not bad at all. And now it's such an eyesore that now we have to cover it with a fence or something. I agree, when it first kicks on it's pretty loud, but then settles down into a nice hum. Can you take a video and post it? We can compare noises.

 

[JasonLion]

Yes, it is normal for it to make a noticeable noise when at a somewhat higher speed. Down around 1000 RPM it is very quiet though audible if you walk right up to it, but at 2000 RPM you can hear it, and at 3000 RPM it gets fairly loud.

You may not need to run it that fast. You generally only need speeds above 1500 if you have a pump driven pool cleaner or solar panels or some kind of water feature or spa. Many people run it at 1000 or perhaps 1200 and never go any faster than that.

 

[Donny]

My Hayward Max-Flo 2300 VSP 1.5hp is really not that loud at 3,000 rpm's. 2 inch pipe. I'm very happy with the noise level.

 

[Modawg2k]

My Intelliflo gets decently loud at 3000 rpms. I only run the high speed middle of the night for my infloor

 

[lalittle]

If I use it down around 1700 or so, it's very quiet. Unfortunately, I have a suction side cleaner and I need the skimmer to work as well, so I need to run it in the upper-mid 2000's for a good portion of the time. If I didn't do this, I'd end up with a lot more stuff on the bottom (since it didn't get skimmed), and I'd have to manually skim with a pole/net a lot more.

I'm sure that opinions vary wildly when it comes to what people consider "too loud." Also, the overall volume is only part of the problem. The actual frequency spectrum that the pump produces is just as important. Most people would be far less bothered by a louder white noise sound when compared to a lower decibel sound that had a noticeable "tone" or "whine." The Intelliflo is somewhere in between. It's certainly not a terribly obnoxious tone, but it's not just white noise either.

I may give it a shot, but I'm not sure how useful a video/recording would be. In my experience, a recording doesn't accurately portray what this sort of thing sounds like locally, and there can be a lot of variation due to both the specifics of the location and the recording device.

Thanks for the feedback,

Larry

 

[JamesW]

I have found that some variable speed pumps have a somewhat annoying whine at the higher speeds. I am not sure if there is any solution other than running at lower speeds.