Need advice on main pump runtime/setup

[mas985]

For general circulation, you only need 1 RPM schedule and that should be at a setting that will allow the skimmers to skim. Since you have two skimmers, 30 GPM should be sufficient and that would be about 1200 RPM on 2" plumbing. As for run time, 3-4 hours should be plenty but it doesn't hurt to go longer other than more energy costs.

Also, I am not 100% sure with that pump, but you shouldn't need a special prime schedule. That should happen anyway at pump startup.

 

[ciaka]

Yeah. The pump has automatic priming for 3 minutes after start. But one can change that in settings. I have it set for 5 minutes. Why? Have no idea. Just sounded better to me. So after 5 minutes at 3450rpm, pump goes to 2750 for 3 hours, then after that, goes to 2krpm for rest of time. Thought, have higher rpm for skimmers, then lower rpm later for circulation.
When you say at 2" plumbing, do you mean 2" return pipes? Or 2" at the inlet and outlet of pump? I have some pics and can go see.

For general circulation, you only need 1 RPM schedule and that should be at a setting that will allow the skimmers to skim. Since you have two skimmers, 30 GPM should be sufficient and that would be about 1200 RPM on 2" plumbing. As for run time, 3-4 hours should be plenty but it doesn't hurt to go longer other than more energy costs.

Also, I am not 100% sure with that pump, but you shouldn't need a special prime schedule. That should happen anyway at pump startup.

 

[mas985]

When you say at 2" plumbing, do you mean 2" return pipes? Or 2" at the inlet and outlet of pump? I have some pics and can go see.

I mean a pool plumbing setup that is typical for 2" plumbing. So 2" suction/return/pad pipe. This results in a plumbing curve of

Head (ft) = 0.0082 * GPM^2

With the plumbing curve, you can then determine the flow rate of the pump at any RPM with the pump's head curve.

But it really isn't that critical. The point I was trying to make is that most pool owners purchase a VS pump to reduce energy costs and running it at high RPM like your original schedule defeats the purpose of having a VS. The objective should be to run at the lowest RPM possible while still allowing the skimmers to functions. This is why I suggested trying 1200 RPM and see if that works for you.

Just for comparison, your original schedule would use 5.8 kwh per day and my suggested schedule at 4 hours per day would use 0.58 kwh per day. A factor of 10:1 in energy cost.