New pump?

[me10lee83]

I think the pump on my pool is overheating. After running for several hours it will shut itself off for about 10 - 20 minutes, run for another 30 or so, and repeat. Is this a valid assumption? If so, guessing it's time to replace it (the filter, salt cell, and pump basket have all been cleaned, PSI is normal). The pump is about 11-12 years old (assuming it's the original, I just moved in 6 mos ago).

Attached is a photo of the current pump. I'm not sure where to begin with shopping for a new pump. I have heard that variable speed pumps are more energy efficient, but don't know much other than that. I see it's 1.5 HP, should I get another 1.5 HP, or is there a reason to consider going up/down in HP? Anything else important to be considered?

 

[JamesW]

It looks like you probably have a WhisperFlo pump with a replacement motor. The motor looks to be about 7 years old.

I would suggest a variable speed pump.

 

[InyoRob]

A variable speed pump would be the most energy-efficient option. Most pool applications do not need a pump running at full speed. A variable speed pump gives you the option to circulate the pool at lower speeds. This is where you generate the greatest savings.

I would stay with an HP close to what you have unless you need additional flow for water features (waterfalls, deck jets, etc.). Something like the Pureline Prime VS PL2605 would be a good choice. This is a 1.65 total HP pump.

 

[kchinger]

Don't forget to check for any rebate from your power company. Many of them have rebates for VSP.

And yes, your symptoms sound like overheating. If you wanted an excuse to save money and get a new toy then go ahead.

If you'd rather fix the pump it's possible you could fix it, but it might not be worth it. The easiest check is to make sure you clear any debris away from it and clean out the vents. Anything more involved I wouldn't bother unless you just like troubleshooting motors and have electrical experience.

 

[me10lee83]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I'll check for any vents to clear but I have already verified it's free of debris. What is the standard/average life span of a pool pump (bearing in mind I live in FL so it's run year-round not seasonally)? I would have guessed the pump is the original, which would be 12 years old, but James says it looks to be about 7. Not sure how to decipher the date code on the label. We'd been saying we'd rather get a new one rather than replace the motor since we figured it was at the end of it's expected life. But if it's 7, maybe that's not the case?

The local pool store is having a sale this weekend so I stopped in to see about their prices (since I'll require professional installation), they said I should stick with the same brand pump and filter. Is this true? They said this is a Pentair pump but I only see Bluffton MotorWorks on the label. I have a Pentair filter right now.

Additionally, the pool store sales guy said with a variable speed pump we'd need a new controller. The Pentair variable speed they sell comes with its own controller included in the price, however we have two actuator controlled valves (pool/spa switch, and solar on/off) that he said the new one probably wouldn't integrate with so we'd need to use both the old and new controllers. This sounds like a complicated setup that could cause more problems down the road. We do have a waterfall, also a solar hot water system on the roof. He also said when the solar is in use, the pump would run at full speed anyway. Also the variable speed they sell is a 2 HP one so we may need a new filter.

Based on all this I think we're leaning towards a single speed pump, but the variable speed is an attractive idea for the electric bill savings. We're willing to spend the difference in cost for the pump, but in order to keep everyone operating well if it's going to require a new filter or complicate the controller situation, and not really run any less due to the solar (which we use a lot) then maybe it's not worth it.

Here's a photo of our pool's waterfall for reference in case the size of it matters at all

 

[JamesW]

The motor is a replacement. It’s not the original motor. From the date code, I thought that the motor was made on the 150th day of 2010. However, that would be May 30, 2010 (Sun) and I don’t think that they would manufacture on Sunday, so I’m not sure.
Do you have a picture of the whole pump?

 

[me10lee83]

I can take one tomorrow

 

[me10lee83]

Here's a couple of pictures of the whole pump, you are right about WhisperSync. Unfortunately half the label is missing but looks like the model number is wf 28. Googling this, I see it's a 2 HP pump. So I guess there's a 2 HP pump but a 1.5 HP motor? Which would be best to get as a replacement?

 

[JamesW]

It's a WhisperFlo with a replacement motor. It looks like the seal plate was replaced at the same time.

Hopefully, the impeller was replaced or the motor is being overloaded, which would explain why it's overheating.

I would probably go with a new pump.

A lot depends on what you need the pump to do.

You can go single speed, two speed or variable speed.

What do you need the pump to do?

 

[me10lee83]

It's a SWG pool, with a waterfall, and solar hot water system on the roof. It's in a screened enclosure so it doesn't require a ton of run time to keep it clean though there are two palm trees inside the screen.
The current control system has two valve actuators that it controls (one to switch the water flow between pool & spa, another to turn solar on/off).

The pool store sales guy said with a variable speed pump we'd need a new controller. The Pentair variable speed they sell comes with its own controller included in the price, however with those two actuators we'd also need to continue using the existing controller system. This sounds like a complicated setup that could cause more problems down the road. He also said when the solar is in use, the pump would run at full speed anyway.

Based on all this I think we're leaning towards a single speed pump, but the variable speed is an attractive idea for the electric bill savings. We're willing to spend the difference in cost for the pump, but want to keep the system fairly simple, and if the pump won't really run any less due to the solar (which we use a lot) then maybe it's not worth it.

 

[JamesW]

It might just be a motor that's too small for the impeller. You could try replacing the impeller.

You could get a two speed pump with the switch on the motor. That way, you could use low speed as much as possible.

A variable speed pump wouldn't require a new control. Just use the on pump controller.

The only issue with a variable speed pump is that you have to coordinate the swg to only run when the pump is on.

You can run the pump continuously at low speed most of the time because it uses very little power.

You could put a timer on the swg to make sure that it runs during the pump run time.

 

[me10lee83]

Finally getting back to this... unfortunately I waited too long to make a decision and the pump officially died. I've been reading more about variable speeds to determine if it's worth the extra up front cost for energy bill savings, and my husband found a website that calculated an 80% savings with a variable speed pump, which seemed very high.

I also read a few other posts on here that said unless you have a really high KWH costs (ours is ~10.5 cents, so not high), you really wouldn't get back the extra investment, at least not for a while, and a 2 speed pump makes much more sense. Can run at low speed for filtering and high speeds only when you need to vacuum. How does a SWG play into a two-speed pump?

I'm not sure if my pool store has two speeds or how much they are (I'll be calling tomorrow to find out), but it's $500 more for the variable speed vs single speed. That's about 47 kwh to break even

 

[hoosierrun]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I'll check for any vents to clear but I have already verified it's free of debris. What is the standard/average life span of a pool pump (bearing in mind I live in FL so it's run year-round not seasonally)? I would have guessed the pump is the original, which would be 12 years old, but James says it looks to be about 7. Not sure how to decipher the date code on the label. We'd been saying we'd rather get a new one rather than replace the motor since we figured it was at the end of it's expected life. But if it's 7, maybe that's not the case?

The local pool store is having a sale this weekend so I stopped in to see about their prices (since I'll require professional installation), they said I should stick with the same brand pump and filter. Is this true? They said this is a Pentair pump but I only see Bluffton MotorWorks on the label. I have a Pentair filter right now.

Additionally, the pool store sales guy said with a variable speed pump we'd need a new controller. The Pentair variable speed they sell comes with its own controller included in the price, however we have two actuator controlled valves (pool/spa switch, and solar on/off) that he said the new one probably wouldn't integrate with so we'd need to use both the old and new controllers. This sounds like a complicated setup that could cause more problems down the road. We do have a waterfall, also a solar hot water system on the roof. He also said when the solar is in use, the pump would run at full speed anyway. Also the variable speed they sell is a 2 HP one so we may need a new filter.

Based on all this I think we're leaning towards a single speed pump, but the variable speed is an attractive idea for the electric bill savings. We're willing to spend the difference in cost for the pump, but in order to keep everyone operating well if it's going to require a new filter or complicate the controller situation, and not really run any less due to the solar (which we use a lot) then maybe it's not worth it.

Here's a photo of our pool's waterfall for reference in case the size of it matters at all
View attachment 70791

I live in FL and pump year around. 7 years for a motor is about normal. 10 years is pretty exceptional in my opinion. Of course that assumes a proper size motor for the pump rating. a 1-1/2 HP motor on a 2 HP rated impeller will definitely cause the motor to run hot. I believe your piping size should be 2 inch (ideally) also, depending on the the length and number of bends.

 

[kadavis]

As JamesW said above make sure you no the Impeller HP before you choose your motor