Replacing single speed motor with a variable one

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When I replaced my Pentair Whisper Flow one1/2 hp with a 3 hp Intellflow my electric bill went down $50 a month. That was over 12 years ago. You can replace it with a larger pump; just don't need to run that higher-speed. I never ran the Intelliflow of past speed 3. It was not necessary.
 
1poolman1 said:
If you have a Polaris 280, as in your signature, it has nothing to do with the suction side of the plumbing meaning no air leak from it.
If you have a suction cleaner, it could be in the hose connections. It could be in the O rings in the suction valve. It could be a pump-lid O ring that needs lube or replacing.

If there is even the slightest suction leak possible in the system, like O rings that are about to fail, pulling water from the bottom of a pool will increase the suction to the point that they will leak air. It could be at the drain plug on the hair-and-lint pot doing the same thing. Anywhere a pump can get air it will given the right conditions.

The inlet fitting has been threaded all the way into the front of the pump. That can damage even what appears to be a CPVC nipple. Put a bead of silicone sealant on that connection all the way around the fitting. That may stop the suction leak.
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I replaced the pot lid O-ring, slight improvement.There’s still air leak, I also applied silicon around all joints on the suction side. I ran soap foam test to check all joints and around the valves, couldn’t find anything. I can still see air bubbles coming out from the returns! Not sure what else and how to check.
 
zob said:
When I replaced my Pentair Whisper Flow one1/2 hp with a 3 hp Intellflow my electric bill went down $50 a month. That was over 12 years ago. You can replace it with a larger pump; just don't need to run that higher-speed. I never ran the Intelliflow of past speed 3. It was not necessary.
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I just bought this new variable motor, not really ready to spend more money and time. At 3k rpm the MX8 cleaner seems to be doing ok with roughly 50% of the flow going through. The Hayward SWG is not generating Cl below 2k rpm, so need that as the 2nd speed. The 3rd is still 600rpm, I can feel some flow although it’s not much. The basket pot 98% or so full even at low speed. So l’ll give it a week or so to see how it works.
 
This is just a random thought, but I noticed you have a Hayward SWG just like me. SWGs, when operating, release chlorine gas and hydrogen gas. By the time the water reaches the returns, the chlorine gas has been saturated into the water (this is how chlorine gets added to your pool), but the hydrogen gas remains gaseous. This gaseous hydrogen gets released into the pool through the returns and bubbles out into the atmosphere, causing very small bubbles to come out of the returns. Could this be your issue? (Which isn’t an issue at all) or are your return bubbles large in size and more substantial?
 
DavidArmenB said:
This is just a random thought, but I noticed you have a Hayward SWG just like me. SWGs, when operating, release chlorine gas and hydrogen gas. By the time the water reaches the returns, the chlorine gas has been saturated into the water (this is how chlorine gets added to your pool), but the hydrogen gas remains gaseous. This gaseous hydrogen gets released into the pool through the returns and bubbles out into the atmosphere, causing very small bubbles to come out of the returns. Could this be your issue? (Which isn’t an issue at all) or are your return bubbles large in size and more substantial?
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Interesting thought, I wouldn’t say substantial, they are 1/16-1/8” in size and more visible when 3k rpm starts for the first 20-30min. They grow in size and number as I increase the flow through the MX8 cleaner.
 
makhmal said:
Interesting thought, I wouldn’t say substantial, they are 1/16-1/8” in size and more visible when 3k rpm starts for the first 20-30min. They grow in size and number as I increase the flow through the MX8 cleaner.
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Maybe you could test the hydrogen-bubble theory by turning off the SWG and running the pump for a while. If the bubbles are still there, then it’s not the SWG causing them.
 
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Chris1955 said:
Maybe you could test the hydrogen-bubble theory by turning off the SWG and running the pump for a while. If the bubbles are still there, then it’s not the SWG causing them.
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I turned the SWG off and still could see bubbles coming out of the returns, interestingly enough, I can see them in one return only!
 
makhmal said:
I turned the SWG off and still could see bubbles coming out of the returns, interestingly enough, I can see them in one return only!
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This tells you that you have an actual suction side leak.
Is that Return the closest return to your pad? A lot of times the air escapes at the earliest chance it gets, which is the first/closest return outlet from the equipment pad.
 
DavidArmenB said:
This tells you that you have an actual suction side leak.
Is that Return the closest return to your pad? A lot of times the air escapes at the earliest chance it gets, which is the first/closest return outlet from the equipment pad.
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Yes, it’s the closest return, and I don’t know how to find the leak source!
 
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