Will a 1HP pool pump alone operate a Pressure Cleaner without need for a Booster Pump

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C

CountryBumkin

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Jan 9, 2017
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Orlando/FL
I have 1HP Whisperflow pump setup for my waterfalls (and available for future water features), and a separate pump for the pool filtering.
I want to install a Pressure Side Pool Cleaner that normally would require a Booster Pump.

The 1HP pump has a 2" return line directly to pool with an adjustable valve to control the flow to the waterfalls (I can have all water from the pump go the water falls, or I can open the valve some and let some water return to pool to reduce waterfalls). So I can control the flow to a Pressure Side Cleaner. I would not be able to control the water pressure though.

The specs on this Whisperflow pump say it can flow around 90GPM at 30ft dynamic head (way more flow than a Booster Pump has). A typical Booster Pump is rated around 50psi @ 12GPM.

Will this pump operate a Pressure Side Cleaner?
I have more than enough flow (GPM) but I don't know what PSI I would be at (the pump on the filter side runs around 20psi). Do I need high pressure and low flow to run a Pressure Side Cleaner?
I've looked at a couple of Pressure Side Cleaner manuals, and none say what the required flow and psi need to be for the Cleaner to operate.


BTW- there is a Pressure Side Cleaner (Legend II) available that does not need a Booster Pump (will operate directly off a pool return fitting), but the Polaris model I want says it needs a Booster Pump.
Thanks
 
Most pressure side cleaners require a booster pump in order to generate the water pressure needed to drive the internal gear mechanisms that cause the cleaner to move. Flow is not nearly as important as pressure in that circumstance. Pool pumps are generally designed to move water volume, not generate lots of pressure. You might find some combination of waterfall-to-return split that gives you the right pressure for the cleaner but it will require a lot of fine tuning.

This is merely an opinion, but you'd probably be better off using the money you'd spend on a pressure side cleaner and consider a robotic cleaner instead. Honestly, pressure and suction side cleaners are like the rotary phones of pool equipment. Robots are really the best thing as they are very efficient at cleaning pools and don't require the use of the pool pumps to operate. Many robots operate at less than 250W of power and can clean a mid-sized pool in under 2 hours. So they are a very efficient way to clean. You certainly have to pay more for them upfront, but I have not met many people who ever regret going with a robot.
 
I would recommend you go with a robot. They work as well as or better than a pressure side cleaner. And they cost much less to operate.

Polaris offers a pressure side unit that will operate off a regular pump Polaris 360. They work great, I have one in my pool right now.
 
I did speak with Polaris and Pentair regarding using my Whisperflow to power a Pressure Side cleaner. I read the specs on a couple of booster pumps - they out put 50 psi at 12 GPM.
The pump curve for the 1HP Whisperflow shows it puts out around 39-40 psi (90 ft head) at 10-20 GPM. I just needed to know if the PS Cleaner needed 50 psi to operate or if 39-40 psi was enough.

Then I called Pentair and Polaris to see what pressure and flow their PS Cleaners needed to operate. I couldn't get any useful info from Pentair, however Polaris told me their 280/380 Cleaners need around 36 psi.
So that tells me the Whisperflow could work. Whether or not it is efficient, I don't know. But I would not need to buy any new equipment (i.e. booster pump) or run any new lines.

I thought about a Robotic Cleaner, but they cost over a $1000. A PS Cleaner is about half that. Also I leave the cleaner in my pool all the time (24/7) and just have the pool automation turn it on and off at selected times throughout the day. Robotic Cleaner owners said they need to remove the cleaner every day or two to let the cord dry out.
I think my leaving the cleaner in the pool all the time contributes to its short life (I seem to get 2 to 3 years life out of a cleaner) and I don't want to change my behavior on this, so I don't want to be investing too much money on a "short-life" cleaner.

I looked at the Ploaris 360. It doesn't require a booster pump but owners reported (on Amazon reviews) that they need to block off the "unused pool returns" so all flow goes to return connected to the cleaner. My pool has 4 returns.
However, it may work out nicely if I put the 360 on my dedicated Whisperflow pump with the single return line to the pool (I would adjust the flow between this return and the waterfalls as needed).
 
A bunch of folks here at TFP, me included, have bought a Doheny's Discovery. It is a great robot and is usually priced at 650 bucks. There has been nothing but compliments about this robot. It does a WAY better job than my old pressure cleaner. It has a weekly timer that can be set to run daily or twice a week or thrice a week. Mine lives in the policy during winter and I usually take it out on the weekends during summer. After a week it shuts itself off. Lots of discussion about it here, First Robotic Cleaner, Doheny's Discovery
 
I have a dedicated line for my 360 and have my 4 returns adjusted accordingly. The 360 gets most of the flow. But my pool was designed for a 360.

Sure most pressure side cleaners will operate without a booster pump. But they won't operate properly or clean nearly as well in the vast majority of pools. I have a neighbor who does use one without a booster pump. His appears to work ok. With his pool. They really do need the booster pump to do an reasonable job.

As I said before in the end you save money and get a cleaner pool with a robot, and the one Danny recommends above does do a great job.
 
I have a Polaris 360 on order. Should be here Wednesday, The price was $350 including tax from Amazon (warehouse deal) so I went for it.
The next time I need a cleaner (when this 360 is worn out) I'll go Robotic.
Thanks for your help and recommendations.
 
pooldv said:
A bunch of folks here at TFP, me included, have bought a Doheny's Discovery. It is a great robot and is usually priced at 650 bucks. There has been nothing but compliments about this robot. It does a WAY better job than my old pressure cleaner. It has a weekly timer that can be set to run daily or twice a week or thrice a week. Mine lives in the policy during winter and I usually take it out on the weekends during summer. After a week it shuts itself off. Lots of discussion about it here, First Robotic Cleaner, Doheny's Discovery
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Don't mean to hijack the thread but just had a quick question. Can this robot stay in the water indefinitely since you said it has a weekly timer? I purchased a Polaris robot 4 years ago and had to have it repaired twice, now the wheel has fallen off. They advised it was not sealed good enough to leave in the water and had to be taken out after each use. It was literally a pain in my rear end. I like the OP was looking at going with a pressure side like the 360 because the Polaris left a bad taste in my mouth with robots. The Doheny's sounds interesting if it can be left in the water during the summer months. Thanks!
 

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kyle11 said:
Don't mean to hijack the thread but just had a quick question. Can this robot stay in the water indefinitely since you said it has a weekly timer? I purchased a Polaris robot 4 years ago and had to have it repaired twice, now the wheel has fallen off. They advised it was not sealed good enough to leave in the water and had to be taken out after each use. It was literally a pain in my rear end. I like the OP was looking at going with a pressure side like the 360 because the Polaris left a bad taste in my mouth with robots. The Doheny's sounds interesting if it can be left in the water during the summer months. Thanks!
Click to expand...

I don't know if my experience with this will help since I never owned a robotic cleaner, but I leave my cleaners in the pool all year. I get about two or three years life out of them. But my cleaners don't have electrical motors or circuits ion them.

I think anytime something is in the water all the time it has some deteriorative effect on the item. Especially if your water's PH is not neutral.
 
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