New pump and SWG recommend

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1Low6Foe

Member
May 13, 2023
5
Kentucky
Pool Size
3
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
I’m on the market for a new VS pump and converting to a SWG system. My pool is rectangle shape ( 18x38) 3.5 shallow w 7.5 deep est. I have an Entermatic control type setup ( wireless remote ) . No slides or water falls, upgraded to a robotic cleaner and will be deleting the booster pump cleaner ( Polaris ) . Would you guys / girls recommend a good , dependable pump / swg to run. Currently have a Carvin single speed .. I think .
 
1Low6Foe said:
Looking at the Pentair VS pump, maybe even the controller and I/0 board for swg. Any second choices ?
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You mean the Intelliflo3 with IO Board? Get it with the optional display if you do not want to be phone and app dependent.

Hayward and Jandy have similar pumps but I like the Intelliflo the best.
 
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1Low6Foe said:
Any reason in particular.. warrranty , features , price point?
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If you DIY install you do not get much of a warranty from any of them.

Intelliflo3 has the best features.

There are less expensive pumps that are not as robust.
 
You’re about the same specs as my pool that I just bought in the same condition. I had a puck feeder and a single speed 2hp whisperflo pump. I have just installed a circupool core control 55 SWG. I am going to buy a 3hp circupool/b&d VS pump. It’s the same as the calimar, except with a 5 year warranty instead of 1 year. I might buy the calimar if I could figure out how to put a 3rd party warranty on it.

Keep in mind if you’re not buying a brand name pump (pentair/hayward/etc.) you may have trouble sourcing parts locally at the LPS. I’ll be looking for a pump kit and extra shaft seals (they’re easy to booger, ask me how I know) to keep on hand for when it eventually does go down. My present pump is still working fine, so I’ll probably rebuild it when I switch over so that I have a “Plan B” drop in replacement when the original goes down.

For my knowledge, which robotic cleaner did you go with?
 
ol_whistle_britches said:
. I might buy the calimar if I could figure out how to put a 3rd party warranty on it.
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I know I was able to get an Assurion 3-year warranty on it when I purchased it through Pool Supply Unlimited - not sure if that's still an option.

Only negative I've had with the pump is connecting it to automation. Needs a separate board (another $50-100) and then doesn't seem to be very flexible. No feedback of pump speed or anything, at best you can pick from 3 pre-defined speeds via relay.
 
SJPoe said:
Only negative I've had with the pump is connecting it to automation. Needs a separate board (another $50-100) and then doesn't seem to be very flexible. No feedback of pump speed or anything, at best you can pick from 3 pre-defined speeds via relay.
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The board I was aware of. Do you need the automation board if you just want to program it to run X hours at speed 1, Y hours at speed 2, etc?
 

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ol_whistle_britches said:
The board I was aware of. Do you need the automation board if you just want to program it to run X hours at speed 1, Y hours at speed 2, etc?
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Nope - that is direct from the panel.

The scheduling is a little quirky (because you know, timers and clocks are leading edge technology these days..) and runs from a single start time, and then is X hours at Y speed. You don't seem to be able to set X hours at 0 speed tho, so if you need a pause during the day, you kinda have to offset your start time to accommodate it.

Most people running VSP and SWG would be running it pretty much 24x7, so this hasn't been a big deal for me so far.
 
1Low6Foe said:
What would you guys opinion of this setup be circupool rj-60 and the Pentair inteliflo 3hp, w touchscreen and relay board .
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RJ-60+ is rock solid from what I hear. Ignore the 10psi sticker limitation that is referenced in our wiki. I talked with Circupool about that specifically when I looked at buying mine and they said that info was no longer relevant. RJ cell has a 15k hour life versus the 10k hr life on my Core Control 55.

Intelliflo is probably what I would otherwise buy if these chinese pumps weren't otherwise available. Keep in mind you can buy three Calimar's for the price of one Intelliflo. In my mind, pumps aren't new gadgets. The intelliflo looks like the whisperflo with a VFD added it, but I may be wrong. In my locale (coastal - high salinity in the air) I worry more about the life of the electronic control board versus the life of the motor. That's a $300 part on the Calimar, but looking at the Pentair (I was curious) it looks like it may be around $1,000, if you can get someone to sell it to you (saw 1 google result saying availability was warranty only). @Jimrahbe is the pump guy around here, if memory serves. He's the guy you want to hear from.

If you don't have automation and you're thinking about it, call circupool and talk to them. The Core Control product line is supposed to become kind of like a poor man's build-your-own automation kit. Works for me.
 
I have the Intelloflo3 with relay board and no touch screen. It was cheaper to buy the relay board and pump separately, and its very easy to install. Its an expensive pump so every little bit of savings mattered to me. I don't miss the touchscreen at all if it matters. I have had zero wifi problems, and if wifi goes down, you can connect your phone directly to the pump via Bluetooth. TBH if my wifi is out, likely that means my power is out too so no pump anyway. There was minimal plumbing required for me since I replaced a 1.5hp Whisperflo, but you will have quite a bit I'm sure.

I have the SWG hooked to the lower amp relay. The flow switch produces chlorine even at the lowest setting, although I run the pump at 35 percent 24/7. The larger 16A relay would power my waterfall pump but I haven't wired it up and don't plan to as its not close by. I have considered replacing my RJ-30 with an IC-40 and automation panel to be able to completely control everything from my phone but it's really expensive. I might check out the Core from DSP. The VS running 24/7 at 35 percent uses about a third of the power of my old single speed.

DIY warranty is only one year parts only, so if I did it again, I would have used a card that gives extra warranty. Last time I checked, most replacement parts were in stock at Inyo, but that may have changed.
 
The intelliflo3 with touchscreen and io board as a unit has been discontinued. If you can find one great, otherwise you have to buy it with the board and add the touchscreen on independently. Not a big deal and usually is a little cheaper than the original full package deal. It’s a great setup and pretty intuitive. You can run a light, heater, SWG from the relay board. Memory serves with the RJ 60+ drawing 1-2 amps (240v/120v dependent) you can run the SWG from either relay….just double check the amperage rating of the SWG to be sure it’s under 5A if you hook it to the low amp relay. It’s a great pump. Just installed another one for a customer with a heater and light on the board and he’s very happy with it.
 
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