Hi all, My pump is dying and seriously oversized, so I am researching a replacement. The filter is Pentiar and current pump is Emerson 3hp. Our pool is an 18 x 36 Grecian with vinyl liner, about 24,000 gallons. No water features, Minimax propane heater. Of course, the pool store is pushing for a variable speed, but I'm thinking I would be dead before it paid for itself. So, a 2-speed is also an option. Here in Virginia, our electric rate is 11.4 cents/kWh. What specific pump would you guys suggest?? Thanks in advance for your words of wisdom!
Yet another request for advice on pump replacement :)
- Thread starter Vapoolmom
- Start date
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,028
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
hmmm, I love mine and it moves plenty of water on low at 2 amps and high is only 8 amps... at 450 bucks you cant beat it 
Amazon.com : Pentair 340042 SuperFlo High Performance Energy Efficient Two Speed Pool Pump, 1 Horsepower, 230 Volt, 1 Phase - Energy Star Certified : Swimming Pool Water Pumps : Patio, Lawn Garden
Amazon.com : Pentair 340042 SuperFlo High Performance Energy Efficient Two Speed Pool Pump, 1 Horsepower, 230 Volt, 1 Phase - Energy Star Certified : Swimming Pool Water Pumps : Patio, Lawn Garden
That sounds like I a great price! Especially, when the variable speeds are around $1000.
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,028
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
just make sure it will move enough water to keep your heater happy.. it may have to run on high but at 8 amps it will not cost anything compared to that 3hp it would be a bonus if it could run on low and the heater still worked...
it would be a bonus if it could run on low and the heater still worked...
What size are the plumbing lines for your pool? You want to be careful and not get too low a power of a pump. No solar panels, right? Just checking.
Our plumbing lines are 2" and no solar. With such a large outlay of cash, I really want to be sure we get the right pump!
Well, my pool is about the same size as yours. I also have solar panels on top of the second story of my house. My suction lines are 2". My return lines are 1.5".
I have a VS IntelliFlo pump from Pentair. I can run that sucker at a very low rpm (like the equivalent of a 3/4 HP pump I'm told by a Pentair tech) and STILL pump up to my solar panels and back. Since you have the bare minimum in pool equipment, I think the pump size that cowboycasey posted would work just fine and think that you could likely run it at the low-speed and still be fine. As as was said, just bump it up to the high speed when you run the heater. Keep it on low speed for general filtering and flow. Run the low-speed for a longer period of time than your old one and you'll still be miles ahead in energy savings.
I have a VS IntelliFlo pump from Pentair. I can run that sucker at a very low rpm (like the equivalent of a 3/4 HP pump I'm told by a Pentair tech) and STILL pump up to my solar panels and back. Since you have the bare minimum in pool equipment, I think the pump size that cowboycasey posted would work just fine and think that you could likely run it at the low-speed and still be fine. As as was said, just bump it up to the high speed when you run the heater. Keep it on low speed for general filtering and flow. Run the low-speed for a longer period of time than your old one and you'll still be miles ahead in energy savings.
Great! Thanks so much for the feedback. With a purchase like this, I just want to be sure we are making the right decision.
Pentair also makes a 1-1/2hp VS pump, 342001 for 650 bucks.
Pentair SuperFlo VS Pump 342001 | Pentair 342001
Pentair SuperFlo VS Pump 342001 | Pentair 342001
Sorry to hijack the thread and I am sure there are plenty of other 2-speed versus variable speed discussions out there. Just a quick question for you all.
I too am shopping for new pump and motor and read in a hayward user manual for a two-speed that priming must be done at high speed. How can I do this if I run a timer? Do I have to run it on high for 30 seconds before going to low every day? How would one do that? Thanks!
I too am shopping for new pump and motor and read in a hayward user manual for a two-speed that priming must be done at high speed. How can I do this if I run a timer? Do I have to run it on high for 30 seconds before going to low every day? How would one do that? Thanks!
Just a FYI, Hayward also makes a VS Pump in the $650 price range
Hayward Super Pump Variable Speed Pump SP2602VSP - PoolSupply4Less
I can only tell you the my VS IntelliFlo does that but it senses the flow rate and if it doesn't prime in the first 3 seconds (at 1800 rpm), it'll ramp to max speed and attempt to prime for about 20 seconds. Assuming it primes at the max speed, the pump will then drop back to whatever it was programmed to run at. If it doesn't prime, it repeats the priming process: 3 s at 1800 then 20 s at max. It'll do this for 11 minutes before stopping and then it shows a priming alarm. I don't know what intelligence/communication, if any, is built into the Hayward pump you are referring to. I also don't know what kind of access you have to the two speeds for the motor. If they simply bring out 3 wires (high, low, common), then conceivably you could hook up two timers or run it through some kind of a contactor switching system or buy a control panel assuming the pump has some kind of a communication port (2-wire, RS-485, for example).
If the system isnt opened to allow air in (pump lid opened to remove debris, filter taken apart, etc) and you have no air leaks in the system, keeping the pump on a timer to start in low speed isnt a concern. The pump holds it's prime overnight. If you notice that, after being off for several hours, the pump is no longer full of water, you have air leaks somewhere in the system that need to be addressed.