Found this site too late - Need equipment recommendations

[Kebabian]

So... The pool company I hired to build my pool last year were not very good at educating me and I stupidly didn't do enough research. They installed a single speed 2HP Hayward Main Pump. An additional 2HP Hayward pump for a water feature. A 1HP booster pump for the cleaner. The entire system is on a mechanical timer and there is a secondary mechanical timer to run the pool cleaner which draws from the main return line. The water feature is controlled via a manual switch.

I'm fairly sure that running all of this contributed to some pretty enormous electricity bills.

Is it possible to convert some of this to more efficient options? If I replace the main pump with a variable speed pump, would it have to switch to full power during the time that the booster pump is running for the pool cleaner? How would this impact the pool heater? What about the water feature pump? How do I know if it's oversized etc?

Suggestions?

 

[Patrick_B]

Welcome to TFP!

How long is it set to run? I'm betting you can cut down a huge amount of run time for starters. Sorry to say it now, but if you spend some money on a Robot, you can save money long run by not running the pump for it. Or the two that actually have to run when its going. The main and the dedicated pressure cleaner units I mean. Robots run on their own power from a AC/DC converter that comes with them and use virtually no power in comparison. They also do a phenomenal job cleaning your pool. I really don't know how high a VS would have to run to feed the cleaner pump, but not full out I wouldnt think. As for your water features, I'm no expert there, but they are usually pretty powerful depending on what you are driving. Others can answer for you better on that one.

 

[Jimrahbe]

K,

As Patrick says, reducing run time is easiest way to save energy.

My guess it that your pool builder set the times when he built the pool and you assumed that he knew what he was doing, and have never changed them...

How long does the main pump run?

How long does the cleaner run?

How often and for how long do you run your water features?

My guess is that you would have to run a variable speed pump at 3/4 of full power to run your pressure side pool cleaner (Plus your booster pump)

If you can provide us with the answers to our questions, we can try to point you in the right direction.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[Kebabian]

Patrick / Jim,

Thanks for the responses. The main timer was originally set for 12 hours, I think I reduced it to 10 hours but honestly can't remember and the "on" pin was removed during closing. The cleaner ran for 1.5 hours in the morning, every morning.

One thing I forgot to mention is that the main pump also runs the spa and is normally set to return water to the pool and spa, but slightly more to the spa to enable water to flow over the spillway into the pool. When we want to use the spa, I move the return valve to direct to the spa only and a supply valve to draw from the spa drain only. (And obviously switch the heater from pool mode to spa mode)

Keith

 

[Jimrahbe]

Keith,

I was hoping you were going to tell us you were running 24/7 which would have made it pretty easy to save you some money...

If you are currently running 10 hours a day, you could cut that in half if you wanted. Your pressure cleaner only needs to be run when the pool needs cleaning.
Depending on your location, and what gets in your pool, that could be everyday, or once a week.

Replacing your single speed pump with a variable speed pump, or two-speed pump, would save you some money, but how much would be determined by how high your electrical rates are.

As an example, I can run my variable speed Intelliflo 3 HP pump at 1,200 RPM, 24/7, for less than $20 per month.

A lot also depends on how you sanitize your pool.... since I use a SWCG, I run my pump, as lot more than someone that manually doses with Liquid Chlorine.

Besides your UV and Ozone what else do you use to sanitize your pool?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Kebabian]

In addition to the Ozone and UV I was putting 3" Chlorine Tabs into a floater to maintain FC levels as instructed by the pool service company recommended by the pool builder. That was supposed to be until they installed an in-line chlorinator which was only installed last week. Will start using that this coming season, although I just heard from this forum, that it might not be a great idea since it supposedly reduces flow. (Inline chlorinator is a CMP Powerclean)

 

[triptyx]

We mainly don't like inline chlorinators because they use solid forms of chlorine, which either add unneeded stabilizer (CYA) or unneeded Calcium (CH) to your pool. People using the TFP method generally either have a salt water chlorine generator, or add bleach or liquid chlorine to keep the pool sanitized. While solid chlorine products can be used occasionally, as when you're out of town, using solid, stabilized chlorine constantly will rapidly put your pool into a position where you need a very high FC (free chlorine) level to keep it sanitized and clean.

 

[pabeader]

One of the first things you learn here, is that very few pool companies/ services/ professionals / $tores have any idea what they are talking about. They are in the business to separate you from your money.
TFPC is dedicated to keeping as much of your money in your pockets as possible.

To that end there are a number of thing you really need to understand. A good place to start is the Pool School button at the top of every page. There you will learn what we are all about and a good place to start your education.

Just a quick note: Please do not use pucks to chlorinate your pool. They add CYA and in a very short time you will be unable to maintain a proper FC level to keep algae and other nasties away.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Keith,

It is your pool and you can obviously use whatever you want. Out job is to just make sure you understand the positives and negatives in using a particular product.

If you want to use pucks, then you need to test your CYA levels regularly and when the level gets into the 80 to 100 ppm range, you will need to drain 3/4 of the water in you pool and then refill.

We always suggest that you monitor and test your own pool water. This is because we are not in the business of selling you anything. Pool $tores are in the business of selling you everything they can.

I have not been in a pool store in 3 years.. I never add "shock" on a weekly basis and have never had an algae attack of any kind in that time.

Please feel free to read our Pool School Link at the top of this page..

Thanks again for posting,

Jim R.

 

[atttech-2]

If I replace the main pump with a variable speed pump, would it have to switch to full power during the time that the booster pump is running for the pool cleaner?

on the question of the booster pump in conjunction with a VS pump I was told by a Jandy tech that anything above 1500 RPM should be fine. I started around there and ended up at 2000 RPM as it seemed to help the Polaris stick to the floor of the pool a bit better.