Experience with VS pump and suction cleaners?

djdonte said:

My 1.5hp single speed is on borrowed time, so I would like to upgrade to a VS. I have an MX-8 elite that I do not want to get rid of. I like having it in the pool full time and I don't want to spend money on a robot that needs to be put in and taken out all the time. Is this even worth it with the speed I will have to run the VS? I have most of the suction diverted from the two skimmers going to the pool cleaner outlet.

Click to expand...

You just run your cleaner for a smaller portion of the day and then run the pump at a slower speed for the bulk of the time skimming.

As others have alluded, you'll be able to program your new VS pump with more then one schedule, and each schedule can have its own speed. You'll determine the optimum RPM setting for your vac, and then create a "cleaner" schedule at that RPM. And that setting will likely be much lower than the new pump's top speed.

My pump will run at 3500 RPM, but I only need 2200 for my vac, which runs 1.5 hours a day. The rest of the time, my pump runs at 1500 RPM (the optimum speed for my saltwater chlorine generator). But...

I couldn't find an optimum speed to run my vac that also kept my skimmer working well. Sounds like you've already discovered that vacs are "suction hogs." So I bolted an actuator onto the valve that controls the flow between skimmer and vac. When it's vac time, the actuator moves to favor the vac, and then moves back to apply 100% of the suction to the skimmers. Now both functions work really well, because they no longer have to compete for the pump.

Plus, I had a concern about the safety aspect of a suction-side vac. It is, after all, an easily accessible suction port running around the pool. I don't trust my rambunctious ones to leave my vac alone, so I schedule my vac to run only when no one uses the pool (very early in the AM). The rest of the time, it's dead, and 100% safe.

The caveat to this setup is the scheduling control. While most VS pumps can schedule themselves, not all can schedule something else (like an automated valve). I have an EasyTouch pool automation controller that handles all that. But there are much simpler and cheaper solutions if you want to pursue something similar. Either some sort of accessory timer, or a VS pump that is capable of controlling external devices. Something to consider when selecting the brand and model of your new pump.

djdonte said:

. What are my cheaper/simpler choices for automation?

Click to expand...

Pentair Intelliflo3 with IO Board provides simple automation app and two relays. One relay can control the SWG. Although the new IntelliChlor Plus has SmartSense™ technology that adjusts chlorine output when the pump is off and I think will eliminate the need to control the power.

No simple automation controls an actuator but a circuit can be built to control an actuator with a relay. See…

djdonte said:

Hmm interesting. I dont have automation and the Pentair VS upgrade motor I was looking at does not have anything to control an actuator, or a SWG which is my other problem. Circupool want me to leave the cell powered 24/7 so the flow switch can control generation but I dont know how I feel about that. What are my cheaper/simpler choices for automation?

Click to expand...

Your instincts are good. Relying solely on an SWG's flow switch to keep it from generating without proper flow is not as safe as having a setup that includes both a flow switch plus some sort of mechanism that powers down the SWG when the pump is not scheduled to run. @ajw22's pump recommendation would give you both safeguards.

If you only need to automate/schedule an SWG and a vac actuator, it sounds like that pump would be perfect for you.

If you have, or plan to someday have, more features to control, then pool automation might be something to consider. Spa control? Water features? Gas, heat pump or solar heater? Pool lights? Etc. And keep in mind, a pool automation controller can be used to control other things, too, like patio and garden lights, fountains, bug zappers, etc, virtually anything that can be plugged in to a power source.

I found with my VS pump that my suction cleaner, a Polaris MAXX (very similar to the MX-8 which was my previous cleaner), cleans at 2500 rpm and still climbs the walls. I clean for 4 hours during the day and the rest of the time run at 1200 rpm. The cleaner just sits still and waits for the next cleaning. My pump has a quick clean button so if a lot of leaves drop after the cleaning I can run the cleaning again. I've been reducing the cleaning time and may reduce it more. The only time my pump runs faster is during the priming program. It runs at 3000 rpm for two minutes then goes to the programmed speed.