Intex 1000 GPH pump vs. 2500 GPH is like night and day

[wsettle]

My Intex 16' pool came with a 637R, 1000 GPH pump. It has done a great job of keeping the water moving and algae free but it just doesn't have the umph to vacuum the pool without a lot of work and going over and over it and still it left dirt on the floor.

Since I run the ~1/16 HP 637R 24/7 I figured it would not last so I wanted a backup plus something that could clean the pool a bit easier. So I ordered a 633, 2500 GPH Intex pump and received it tonight. Took less that 10 minutes to swap the pumps and hoses. I've read that the 633 is a 1/2 HP pump. I'll measure the wattage and cost to run it over the next 24 hours then run some numbers for an approximation of it's HP.

Here is a picture of the two pumps next to one another for a comparison of the sizes.

My first impression when I turned it on was WOW! Know I "kind of" understand what a more powerful pump does to the water. It doesn't just move it, it churns it. My 637R made a small ripple on one side of the pool but the 633 makes the whole pool ripple. Sure, it's way too big for this pool and the small 1-1/4" ports make the water accelerate faster than needed but it works very well.

I plan on making a poor man's two speed pump. I'll get the tees, one way valves and extra hose to run the two pumps in parallel so I can run the small one full time but turn on the big one when I want to vacuum the pool, add chemicals, clear any algae, etc.

While I ordered the pump, I picked up another little ditty. $280 for the pump, SWCG and adapters for the 1-1/4" fittings (on the pool) from ebay. I'm already tired of pouring so much bleach in this thing every day. I'm sure there is going to be a trade off but hey, it's fun during the discovery phase.

Here is a picture of the pump and SWCG and you can kind of see the water rippling all over the pool. Also, vacuuming works SO much better.

Bill

 

[Crzyfrlss1]

My first post :lol:

I just did the same thing you did and I have to agree with you on this.
I actually went and brought an outdoor timer because of that upgrade, my pump runs in 2 6 hour shifts now because I certainly don't need to run it 24/7 anymore

I'm waiting to see if anyone here has any feedback on the 4000gph intex pump, I may upgrade again maybe and just hook it into a sand filter so I can vacuum the pool the right way.

 

[MarkC]

Have you considered adding a skimmer to this pool? I did that on a 12ft diameter AGP pool that had rigid walls made of 1/4" plastic and the skimmer worked great. Not sure if the intex pools can handle that. I had tyo cut a hole in the pool wall and liner.

 

[wsettle]

Have you considered adding a skimmer to this pool?

The pool came with a skimmer and it works great. With the new motor however, I find that it just sucks the bugs right through the skimmer basket so I ordered some skimmer socks that I hope will help.

I had to cut a hole in the pool wall and liner.

The new pump came with a better return nozzle (and larger) that I can aim but I'd have to cut a hole in the liner and reinforce it somehow to make it work. Can you give me an idea of how you cut the hole and reinforced it and what you used to reinforce it with? Cement, etc?

 

[wsettle]

Never mind. After re-reading your post, I see you have a hard plastic wall which should be easy to cut a hole in.

 

[wsettle]

I had a little time this weekend to do some plumbing and this is what I came up with. My "2-speed/backup" pump setup with SWCG.

Here are some closeups of how I tied the pumps together and the system works pretty well. Here are the numbers:

637R pumps 785gph
633 pumps 1629gph
both together pumps 1685gph

This surprised me somewhat in that I expected more than a 55gph increase when both are running. I measured the current when running the pumps in different configurations and I found that the pump current for the small pump drops to about 1/2 when the big one is turned on. This make me assume that the water flow of the big pump is "pulling" water out of the little pump thus reducing it's work load. Just thinking out loud.

Bottom line is that it works like I wanted. I can run the little pump 24/7 and flip on the big pump when I vacuum the pool. Works great plus it will serve as a backup pump in case the little one ever dies.

I do have one problem I need to fix. When I turn on the big pump, there are tiny air bubbles coming out the return. I'm assuming I have a leak on the low pressure side (sucking air) when the big pump is turned on. I cannot find a leak anywhere in the plumbing so I'm not sure what to do.

The water inlet and outlet to the pool is only 1" inside diameter. What is the maximum flow rate in GPH or GPM for a 1" pipe? Is this the reason I can only get ~1700gph out of a 2500gph pump?

Also, is it possible to pull air bubbles from the water itself with a motor/pump this size? Could the 1" line be the reason or maybe I should have used long sweeps. I wonder where the air bubbles are coming from?

 

[wsettle]

Wow, this is a great forum. I found this article, Hydraulics 101, that has a chart with the max flow rates of PVC pipe and it says that 1" pipe will have a max flow of 28gpm or 1680gph which is exactly the limit (and number) I hit. The only way to fix this is to enlarge the holes in my liner and install the bigger ports that came with the 633 pump. Not got the guts or know how to do that yet.

 

[launboy]

That's a neat little setup you have there, I like it! I'm just curious why you didn't plumb the return, after the SWG in hard PVC? I never would have though of using two pumps to get a 2 speed system... I just might have to look for a small pump at a garage sale to add to my system. :idea:

Adam

 

[Crzyfrlss1]

Wsettle,

Do you think I could get a close up of those intex hose adapters on the pool?
I'm trying to figure out a way to use the plunger valves on my pool.

Better yet, does your pool have threaded or slip on connections as mine does?

 

[wsettle]

That's a neat little setup you have there, I like it! I'm just curious why you didn't plumb the return, after the SWG in hard PVC?

Thanks Adam. It's working out well. The reason I didn't plumb the return was that I ran out of 1-1/2" pipe before I finished. I have more now so I'll get it all plumbed in PVC.

Do you think I could get a close up of those intex hose adapters on the pool?

Crzyfrlss1, My fittings on the pool are slip-on like yours. The 633 pump came with the values but I had to buy the adapters to fit them to the pool. Here is a link to the Adapters

 

[Crzyfrlss1]

Thank you very much "wsettle"

I couldn't tell if those connected the hoses or the plungers instead.
Thanks again for clearing that up for me.

Looks like I won't be needing any extra valves :-D

 

[mas985]

Wow, this is a great forum. I found this article, Hydraulics 101, that has a chart with the max flow rates of PVC pipe and it says that 1" pipe will have a max flow of 28gpm or 1680gph which is exactly the limit (and number) I hit. The only way to fix this is to enlarge the holes in my liner and install the bigger ports that came with the 633 pump. Not got the guts or know how to do that yet.

FYI, those flow rates listed in the table are not absolute maximums nor limits of any kind, they are only recommendations to reduce the probability of hydraulic shock. Higher flow rates can and do exist in any of the pipe sizes. There are no fundamental limits for flow rate other than the pump's power. So what you are experiencing is only coincidence.

BTW, the reason you do not see an significant flow rate increase with or without the smaller pump is that when running parallel pumps, both pumps experience the head loss due to the combined flow rate of both pumps. So the smaller pump flow rate is significantly reduced by the higher head loss of the combined flow rate. In other words, the smaller pump is close to "dead head" so I would not run it at the same time as the bigger pump.

 

[comawhite12]

Just wondering if anybody who has done this conversion has figured out how
to use the 4 1/2" return jet with the 3" existing flange? I have been all over
the place looking for a 4 1/2 x 3 pvc threaded reducer. any one have a clue,
or possibly a place to find a 3" threaded return with eye?
i work with metal pipe all day, and this would be an easy find

 

[crek31]

I happen to have a 2500 gph in my garage but have not figured out how to put it on my 15' with 1.25" fittings. Can someone walk me through how to do that? I guess I could buy the converter kit off Amazon, but it looks like it gets iffy reviews and also I'm wondering you you guys with some plumbing smarts can direct how to do it for cheaper with parts from a plumbing place. If anyone is game to write it out step by step, I'd love to switch out my 1000 gph pump.

 

[comawhite12]

Well I am going to go ahead and jump the shark next weekend. I am going to enlarge the holes and use the intake and return that came with my 2500. I was wracking my brain on how to get my skimmer to connect to the intake for a week, and then remembered (while holding it) that it HAS the correct threads under the screen. .
Adapters were ok, but too restrictive. And i want an adjustable eye. Any words of wisdom on the cutting would be great.

 

[ncbrit]

Dont you want to keep some flex hose between the walls and the PVC, to take up any movement of the walls? I remember when we had our intex that the walls could flex quite a bit with a number of kids in the pool.

 

[mfarnell]

How do you connect the Intex Pump to regular PVC connections? I thought that I could attach my pump to a 2" threaded PVC adapter, but it doesn't make a good seal. Think it may be a different thread size than NPT. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[dfenrick]

Well I am going to go ahead and jump the shark next weekend. I am going to enlarge the holes and use the intake and return that came with my 2500. I was wracking my brain on how to get my skimmer to connect to the intake for a week, and then remembered (while holding it) that it HAS the correct threads under the screen. .
Adapters were ok, but too restrictive. And i want an adjustable eye. Any words of wisdom on the cutting would be great.

Completely off topic, but I've never heard the term 'Jump the Shark' used to mean 'take the plunge'.

The phrase is usually used to describe a moment when something that was once great has reached a point where it will now decline in quality and popularity. Origin of this phrase comes from a Happy Days episode where the Fonz jumped a shark on water skis. Thus was labelled the lowest point of the show. I hope your retrofit works out better than it did for the Fonz.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_shark

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-it-me ... -shark.htm

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.p ... he%20shark

 

[melissainIA]

Very interesting...I'm looking to replace our 1000gph intex cart. filter & was wondering if 2500 would be enough. The 1000gph makes little ripples on one side of the pool, and I notice that I have a hard time cleaning the opposite side of the pool, debris doesn't circulate from that side to the skimmer, etc... The items I'd been looking at were a 2000gph pump with SWG on ebay. I'll have to see if they have 2500 listed...
Melissa

 

[FoolishCop]

FWIW, I just installed the 633 pump to my 15-ft Intex pool and has been noted in this thread, the difference is night and day. I bought the pump and adapter kit off eBay for $114 complete, which was the cheapest price I could find anywhere.

The installation is straightforward, and took me about 10 minutes. For those who are worried about the adapted kit, it looks like a pretty solid addition and uses the existing basket strainer covers that originally came with the pool. It doesn't seem "iffy" to me at all. The hard plastic pipe is inserted through the port and the adapted piece is slipped over it on the outside and tightened down. The plunger valve is then attached to the adapter and the hoses hooked up to the pump. As I said, it took me all of about 10 minutes to complete.

Just wanted to thank the forum for the assistance here. My small, original pump died on me and in searching the Net or replacement information came across this thread. I then knew what I needed to get, searched until I found a highly rated eBay store selling the entire kit at what seems like a very reasonable price, and had to wait a week for it to arrive.

Of course my pool is now a nice neon green, but after adding algicide I can already see it starting to clear up a little as a result of the pump. Thanks again to all who contributed here.

Rich