I thought I would share my experience upgrading my pump to a variable speed.
I had a 1hp single speed AO Smith motor on a Hayward super pump. It was making some brutal noises last fall so I knew it was time for it to go.
I decided to replace the motor only since the wet side of the pump was in good shape. Spoke first to Regal Benoit and they recommended that I replace the motor with a Century VGreen 165 Variable Speed Pump Motor. Thumbs up to Regal Benoit customer service for efficient support.
Then I want to INYOpools.com and ordered the motor, a new impeller and seal kit. I followed the excellent instructions on INYOpools's website and replaced the impeller, seals and motor. Flipped the breaker and nothing happened. Ugh. I thought I screwed up the wiring but checked it and rechecked it and it was fine. So I replaced the breaker and voila - the LED lights powered up.
Hit the start button and pump started on the default program. First thing I marvelled at was how quiet it was. Basically just a low hum. Hardly noticeable from 20 feet away. And the extra flow I got from going from 1 hp to 1.65 hp was very noticeable.
I don't have an electricity bill yet so can't comment on the energy efficiency but I can say that the installation was a breeze and my first impressions of the pump operation totally positive. The only hiccup in installation was the aforementioned breaker problem and the fact that the screws were seized on the old pump motor. I had to use a pry bar and basically rip the cover off. Oh and - one caveat - the Century pump motor is about 3-4 inches longer than the old AO Smith. My power wires would not reach so I had to run new ones from the breaker box.
Now, one question. Since I am just opening the pool and it is cloudy, should I be running at full RPMs until the pool clears or is that overkill?
I had a 1hp single speed AO Smith motor on a Hayward super pump. It was making some brutal noises last fall so I knew it was time for it to go.
I decided to replace the motor only since the wet side of the pump was in good shape. Spoke first to Regal Benoit and they recommended that I replace the motor with a Century VGreen 165 Variable Speed Pump Motor. Thumbs up to Regal Benoit customer service for efficient support.
Then I want to INYOpools.com and ordered the motor, a new impeller and seal kit. I followed the excellent instructions on INYOpools's website and replaced the impeller, seals and motor. Flipped the breaker and nothing happened. Ugh. I thought I screwed up the wiring but checked it and rechecked it and it was fine. So I replaced the breaker and voila - the LED lights powered up.
Hit the start button and pump started on the default program. First thing I marvelled at was how quiet it was. Basically just a low hum. Hardly noticeable from 20 feet away. And the extra flow I got from going from 1 hp to 1.65 hp was very noticeable.
I don't have an electricity bill yet so can't comment on the energy efficiency but I can say that the installation was a breeze and my first impressions of the pump operation totally positive. The only hiccup in installation was the aforementioned breaker problem and the fact that the screws were seized on the old pump motor. I had to use a pry bar and basically rip the cover off. Oh and - one caveat - the Century pump motor is about 3-4 inches longer than the old AO Smith. My power wires would not reach so I had to run new ones from the breaker box.
Now, one question. Since I am just opening the pool and it is cloudy, should I be running at full RPMs until the pool clears or is that overkill?
