Whisperflo WFE-8 Replacement: 1 Speed, 2 Speed or Variable

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tju22003

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Mar 18, 2017
7
Anaheim, CA
The bearings are bad in my 10 year old Whisperflo WFE-8 2hp 1.30 service factor. Rather than replacing the bearings, I was thinking of replacing the pump. I am paying .20c per KW. I have a 18,000 gallon salt water pool with built in spa. My water features are run by a separate WFE-8 that doesn't have any issues. The system is automated by a Jandy AquaLink RS 4 and Jandy SUB-Panel Power Center. Here is my problem, from what I read, I would need to replace the AquaLink RS 4 circuit board (firmware K) as it won't work with the variable speed pump.

Can I continue to use the Aqualink RS 4 current circuit board with a 2 speed motor?
What motors are recommended as replacements for the WFE-8 without replacing the pump?
Would it be best to replace the pump with a variable speed and replace the circuit board in the AquaLink? What else would I have to replace if I go this route?


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I had the exact same quandary. I will receive today a new SuperFlo pump. It is variable speed and can be controlled via 4 relays. Controlling it this way provides 4-speeds, but they can be preset to what you need given the circumstances and demand. I have a Vera Plus Z-wave Home automation controller so instead of updating the Jandy control board, I will control speeds with my Vera and Z-Wave Low Voltage Relays. For me this is better as it costs less and gives me more control than the old Jandy Controller. I already control my Jandy Controller with Android, iPhone and PC's using an Autelis Pool Control. If interested, you can take a look at this thread here. It took a lot of posts because I ask a lot of questions, but I finally got it nailed down to the solution that works best for me. Also, the SuperFlo has a "stand alone" controller built into the motor so even if you cannot incorporate it into your Jandy you can still program it to run at different speeds at different times.
 
The inteliflo is more or less the direct replacement in terms of footprint for your existing pump. The superflo will work for you but if you upgrade the board in your automation panel to play nice nice with the inteliflo you will have a more capable system. In the end the inteliflo is slightly more efficient to run as well. Remember to check for rebates from the utility company for switching to a VS pump.
 
The Whisperflo is considered a high head pump, which basically puts out more flow at higher pressures. The Superflo Vs is considered more of a medium head pump and may not give you all the flow your system needs. Depending on all what you are running I would recommend the Intelliflo VS.
 
CJadamec said:
The inteliflo is more or less the direct replacement in terms of footprint for your existing pump. The superflo will work for you but if you upgrade the board in your automation panel to play nice nice with the inteliflo you will have a more capable system. In the end the inteliflo is slightly more efficient to run as well. Remember to check for rebates from the utility company for switching to a VS pump.
Click to expand...

If I had the RS-4, I'd consider replacing the board as well. My difference it that I have the RS-8 which is a more capable board and when looking to incorporate my pool into my Home Automation I found that I'd have to spend the $280 on the Autelis not mater which board I had so I just did that. With the Autelis and the Plugin for my Vera Plus Home automation system I am able to do everything a more recent pool control board can do, like opening the Vera page on my phone, scrolling down to Pool Controls on the first page of the app then clicking Pool Day Party, Pool Night Party or Spa Mode, each doing different things. Day Party and Spa Mode does basically what the Day Party and Spa Mode on the Jandy One Touch pad does with the addition of Day Party turning on the fans in the patio area. Night Party does everything that Night Party on the Jandy One Touch does but in addition to the pool lights, it turns on the patio lights, gazebo lights and fans.

Back to pump replacement. I ended up going with the SuperFlo even though it pumps about 10% less gallons per minute because it could be easily incorporated into my system by adding a couple of dual z-wave relays to the Vera Plus giving me control over the 4 speed presets on the SuperFlow. If I went to the IntelliFlo, I would have had to not only replace the pool control board but get a new Autelis control board or have the f/w flashed on my current one, which the developer of the Autelis would charge a fee to do. The Autelis controls are programmed specifically for the control board you are trying to control and require different f/w to control the board.

In your case, you are not faced with this issue and have an older Jandy Board that cannot control as many relays which means it cannot control as much equipment. If I had this board I would have had to upgrade to incorporate into my Vera anyhow as it is so old that Autelis doesn't even make a control unit for it. For your condition I'd say go with the IntelliFlo and a new control board but that will be quite the capital outlay for sure.

If you look at the thread I linked above you will see that the pros on here share a whole lot of information on pump sizing and no matter where you go with this it is worth the read.

Good luck and report back tju22003 because inquiring minds want to know!
 
Thanks Sammy2, I am watching your thread also. I think our pools are similar both in size and with the spa spill over into the pool. Hopefully, the variable speed pump will not have to be run at a high rpm to achieve good water flow from the spill over. I will be interested to see what RPM you end up running.
 
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