I am in the process of getting a small (21ft) AGP installed. The standard package comes with a single speed pump but with all I've read here I'm thinking of going variable speed. The added cost for the Hayward Proflow vs 300 is $700. If I did get this I would not install a time clock Wich saves about $100. I'm wondering if there is enough benefit to spend the extra money on the VS pump. I live in Maine so we really only have 4 to 5 months of warm weather and our electric rates are roughly $.18/Kwh. Thanks in advance!
Variable Speed vs Single Speed Pump on AGP
- Thread starter Yamo207
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 54,057
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You are not going to have your pool open enough in Maine to get payback from the electrical savings of a VS pump. SAve your money and get a simple SS or 2 speed pump and enjoy your swim time.
You don't think there could potentially be $30 to $50 a month savings paying itself off it 3 to 5 years? If that's the payoff period I'm okay with it especially with the added benefits of being quiet and running for longer hours to help in filtering.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 54,057
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You have to run the numbers. What specific SS pump are you plkanning? HP? amps or kwh?
Unfortunately the pool builder did not give me that information. They left it vague at a 1HP Hayward SS pump.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 54,057
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Figure a pump uses 1 kwh for 1 HP. So your pump will cost 0.18/hour. If you run it 8 hours a day it will cost you about $45/month. For $225/year how much do you think a VS pump will save you?
One of the worst mistakes I ever made was following advice to buy a 2 speed pump. Ended up after testing just running it on high all the time.
On low there was not enough circulation to keep dirt suspended in water to make it to the skimmer. Which also had less suction. To look good had to vac once a week.
Using just high speed. I only vac every couple months. Run the pump 8 hours vs 24 hours on just low speed.
Dont run pump as long and still works better. Dirt or whatever ends up in a nice little pile dead center of pool. Easy to get with one dip of the net. Instead of spread out all over the bottom.
Have a 18FT AGP and tried a 2 speed Hayward which had 1/2 hp or 1 hp setting.
I always find it better to oversize for the above reasons. Just much less maintenance.
I'm in a similar situation - looking into getting a VS pump. Right now - we run our 1HP pump 24/7. Why? Not really sure - it's just what we were told to do when we first moved in and so we have. This year I decided to do some math. Our pump draws about 1kw, so 24kw a day, or 720kwh a month. I found an excellent set of pump comparison tools available from Release - Google Drive - I can't seem to find the post that referenced these, but I know it was on this forum somewhere.
You can plug in the number of hours, the pump you have, the pump or pumps you are looking at getting and calculate run costs. By default it is based on number of months and a 6 month pool season. But you can change that pool season to 4 or 5 months just by renumbering that field.
What I found out was that I can get a VS pump and run it on a lower setting to keep the water moving and it will pay for itself in electricity savings. The argument here of course is that I could get the same savings simply by turning off the pump at night. Perhaps - but we have had very few issues with the pool, and we aren't sure if the constant movement of water is part of that...
You can plug in the number of hours, the pump you have, the pump or pumps you are looking at getting and calculate run costs. By default it is based on number of months and a 6 month pool season. But you can change that pool season to 4 or 5 months just by renumbering that field.
What I found out was that I can get a VS pump and run it on a lower setting to keep the water moving and it will pay for itself in electricity savings. The argument here of course is that I could get the same savings simply by turning off the pump at night. Perhaps - but we have had very few issues with the pool, and we aren't sure if the constant movement of water is part of that...
- Jul 16, 2012
- 7,212
- Pool Size
- 27000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
My small VS (1.85HP) runs about 350 watts at 2100 RPM's, which is a lowish speed but fine. That would cost you $15/mo. or $75 for 5 months. So $150/year saving. That would make it a 4.5 year payback for the $700 delta. I suspect that Hayward AGP VS pump has similar electrical usage or less since it is the first pool pump by any manufacturer to meet Energy Star 2.0 specifications and just came out last year. So your savings calculations do in fact check out. The numbers represent a 67% decreased energy usage which roughly jives with the Hayward spec of it saving 80% versus a single speed pump.
What can't be accounted for in the numbers is the much quieter operation. It will be super quiet (and a pleasing sound) at lower RPM's. The SS pump will be much louder.
What can't be accounted for in the numbers is the much quieter operation. It will be super quiet (and a pleasing sound) at lower RPM's. The SS pump will be much louder.
I've decided to go with the VS pump. The reduced noise and the ability to run the pump longer at lower speeds were the main factors. That it will pay itself off in a handful of season is just an added benefit. Unfortunately COVID has delayed my pool until July so I'll have to wait to try it out. Thanks for all the help!