Newbie Pump and plumbing questions

[DGroot]

Hey all, I just bought a house in Southern California with a pool and spa. This is my first time owning a pool, so I'm doing a little research and have some questions.

First, the pump makes a loud whining noise when running, so I'm assuming it will need to be replaced soon. The current pump is a Pentair Whisperflo 1HP. I would like to get a variable speed pump so I've been looking at either the Pentair Superflo 1.5HP or the Hayward Maxflo pump. Both suction and outlet on my equipment look like they have 2" pipe, so would I be better off going with the Hayward? I estimate the pool to be about 12,000 gallons. There is a tiny (maybe 400 gal) Spa attached to the pool with 5 jets. The Spa water currently overflows into the pool when the pump is on. The pool equipment is at ground level less than 10 feet away from the pool.

My other question has to do with valves. One of the valves doesn't work (valve selector set screw sheered and handle spins). Would it be better to get replacement parts or just put in a new valve? I see a lot of people use the Jandy 3 way valve. Are they the best bang for the buck?

Thanks in advace
-Dave

 

[duraleigh]

The 2" or 1.5" connectors on the pump actually make very little difference on the overall efficiency of the pump. Don't make your decision on that. A 1.5 HP VS is plenty (almost too much) HP for that size pool.

Repair that valve with parts, if you can. Far less trouble than cutting out the old valve body and fitting in a new one.