Feedback needed on prior owner’s pump schedule

[Skenn81]

Hello all, I am a new pool owner in Florida and right now know the following about my pool:

It's filled with water.

I will be updating my signature as I learn more about it. I have had some folks estimate it's a 15,000 gallon pool, the prior owners, who were not the original, had no idea and didn’t take care of their own pool, they paid someone to come every month and never worried about any of the details besides the $100 check they had to write. It is also enclosed by a screen, as many in Florida here are. It's also chlorine based, I know it's not saltwater. I know I need to learn more and that's why I am here.

This post is about the filter schedule, there will be more to come but I am working it all out. Attached to the pool is a Pentair Intelliflow Variable Speed Ultra Energy Efficient Pump. The prior owners have it running on a schedule and I'd like some feedback on if this schedule is decent or if adjustments are made. To answer the question about pool readings, I am still working on that and ordering a test kit.

The schedule is as follows:

Speed 1: 7:00 -> 18:00 @ 800 RPMs
Speed 2: 10:00 -> 14:00 @ 2500 RPMs
Speeds 3 through 8 are not scheduled to automatically turn on.

And thats it!

 

[Silver_2000]

seems the speeds over lap
Is the water clear ? If it is then running the pump even at low speeds from 7 am to 5 pm every day seems like a lot = 10 hours a day
4 hours of that is at 2500 rpm which will cost you about 6x-10x as much electricity

IS there a water feature that needs the additional RPM ?

Without you listing what equipment you have its tough to guess - but assuming you have clear water and good chemistry I would run the pump less.
I would also try to figure out why it runs at high speed in the middle of the day

 

[Skenn81]

The water was clear when we moved in this Saturday.

What kind of water feature would need an additional RPM?

By equipment, not sure about that either. Do you mean the Polaris (I think) vacuum wheelie thing that drives around the bottom of the pool?

Why it runs in the middle of the day: During the time its running at the higher speed the vacuum guy move around. When it's at 800 it just sits there still not doing anything.

The prior owners had everything boxed up for about a month now and I do not think they were using the pool, my only guess is they had it in maintenance mode just to get them through closing and moved out without it turning funky. When its running at 800 RPMs nothing much was moving anywhere in the pool, it almost looked like it was just sitting there.

The pump itself can run from 450 RPMs up to 3450 RPMs.

 

[DeanP66]

Some pictures of both the pool and the equipment pad would help a lot. The higher speed in the middle of the day could be for some extra skimming action of the water,or it cold be when the Polaris runs as well. Is there a separate booster pump for the Polaris (at the equipment pad), or does it just run off the main pump?

 

[Silver_2000]

if the polaris has a booster pump like many do then the extra RPMs are not required for that

 

[Skenn81]

Here is the filter area as requested. No extra booster that I can see, the Polaris is just running off the returns. Yes I know it has an automatic clorinator and the opinions on that. I am getting a test kit and will learn to not use tablets. Not there yet.









Here is an image of the pool and Polaris itself:

 

[Philo]

If it were me, I'd run the pool at the lowest RPM that consistently moves the Polaris Vacuum around for 4 hours per day.

If you go to the Pool School Section of this web site and read the Chemistry and Table of Contents articles twice, ask questions if you still don't understand, you will be an expert!

Very nice pool

 

[Skenn81]

If it were me, I'd run the pool at the lowest RPM that consistently moves the Polaris Vacuum around for 4 hours per day.

The pump schedule page says this: So our recommendation is to start off with 4 hours of run time if your pump is single speed and 8 hours of run time if your pump is capable of running on lower speeds

With several thousand speeds possible on this pump, which is a pain and having less options would make things much simpler, and now that the page also says 1 turnover per day is no longer needed, it is only just to keep it clean, but since there is a screen thats not needed as much either?

 

[Philo]

To Quote Jim:

"You generally run a pump for three reasons:

1. To keep surface debris moving and being pushed into the skimmers. The more debris the more often you need to run the pump.

2. If you have a Salt Water Chlorine Generator (SWCG) you'll need to run it long enough to generate the amount of chlorine needed.

3. To circulate the water to ensure the chlorine is effectively distributed throughout the pool. Two or three hours per day is all that is needed for this to happen in most pools".

You are basically concerned about #3 above and 4 hours on 1600 RPM will take care you (if your vacuum consistently moves).

 

[Skenn81]

To Quote Jim:


You are basically concerned about #3 above and 4 hours on 1600 RPM will take care you (if your vacuum consistently moves).

Consistently moves during the 1600 cycle or consistently all during the day otherwise? At 1600 it would be sure to move around for the four hours I can have that set at.

 

[OrangeAndBlue]

Consistently moves during the 1600 cycle or consistently all during the day otherwise?

Consistently moves during the 1600 cycle.

Basically, just run the pump for 4 hours a day at an RPM that is high enough to ensure the Polaris moves consistently during those 4 hours. 1600 should be a good RPM for that and that's all you should need to do for now.

 

[Skenn81]

Adjustment will be made.

Any idea why they would have it running for the very long 800 rpm cycle where nothing much was moving and the water was slowly cycling?

 

[DeanP66]

Energy savings!!

 

[Skenn81]

Energy savings on the 800rpms, but then he has it jacked up to to the 2500rpms for 4 hours a day anyway, which is what I am being said is all thats pretty much needed.