I am looking at replacing an old 1HP pump

[Vandergraff]

I have enjoyed my Hayward TriStar energy efficient version. I only regret I didn't buy the 2 speed instead of the single speed. I also have a WhisperFlo that is OK but uses more electricity and is noisier and the prefilter basket lid is much easier to unscrew on the TriStar.

I am interested in the comments that the Hayward Tristar energy efficient version uses less electricity and is quieter - do you have data on how much less electricity?

I am looking at replacing an old 1HP (at least 10 years old pump) - not sure what the pump is but the pump motor information for the plate is MOD 1103016419 (seems to be a Franklin Motor) rated at 1HP SFR 1.65 MLA 19/9.5. I have an ~16 -20k gallon pool (30' x 15' kidney pool and 8' deep at the deep end) old 1 1/2" piping and seven glazed Sunearth Empire solar panels. The pool equipment is close to the (~10') pool and the solar panels are also very close mounted on a single story garage. Currently the pump is pushing around 15 GPM thru the panels with the balance (unknown GPM) of the water going directly thru return lines into the pool. In fact there is so much water returning to the pool that the Polaris runs happily cleaning the pool even when the booster pump is not running.

Living in Northern CA and paying PG&E rates I am looking to save money - my top rate electricity is now $0.38 per kWh (just reduced this month by PGE&E from $0.48). So I was thinking about getting a variable flow pump (taking advantage of the PG&E rebate) - however two experienced techs have both said with 1 1/2 piping the variable flow pumps will not work as well. One is suggesting downgrading to 3/4 HP the other feels a modern 1/2 HP will be more than sufficient and suggests the 1/2 HP WFE-2 Whisperflo - which brings me to my original question - do you have data showing the Hayward TriStar energy efficient version uses less electricity? Looking at the Whisperflo spec its MLA is 4.5 Amps vs the Hayward at 5.5 Amps. Maybe naively I am hoping that a 1/2 HP Whisperflo with MLA of 4.5 Amp will save me half the cost of my old 1 HP pump with MLA of 9 Amps. I would try to use the spreadsheet reference further up the page but I am not sure what pump to use as an equivalent to my old pump.

Also any thoughts on whether the 1/2 HP Whisperflo will be sufficient for my set up?

My booster pump is also screeching and I may replace it at the same time - however I can't find can't find any efficiency information on the PB5-60 Polaris booster pumps or alternatives. I know it runs for a shorter period - but at nearly 40c a kwh I would rather get an efficient replacement if I can.

 

[JasonLion]

Both Pentair, Hayward, and a few others, have energy efficient motors available for some of their pumps. These motors use about 92% as much electricity as a conventional motor. The WFE-2 has one of these more efficient motors.

The WhisperFlo and the TriStar are both excellent pumps that move more water per watt than most other pumps. The WhisperFlo series has a small advantage over the TriStar, but either one is significantly better than your typical older pump.

I don't know the pump curve for your existing pump, but guessing a little I suspect it moves a little more water than a WFE-2, but less than a WFE-3. Either one should work with your setup, though you may well need to run the WFE-2 longer than you run your current pump.

A variable speed pump can be used with 1 1/2" pipes, though it some people don't recommend it.

Instead of replacing the booster pump, you might be better off replacing the pool cleaner with a cleaner that does not require a booster pump. The electrical savings should make up the price difference fairly quickly.

 

[Vandergraff]

Thanks for the feedback.

So here is my dilemma - it sounds like a 1/2 HP Whisperflo will probably be fine to run my filter and solar panels. Would a variable speed pump be able to run at low speed and drive the filter and panels and consume much less energy - this is not clear and requires a much larger investment.

I think I am leaning to the 1/2 HP Whisperflo - but would be interested in any counter arguments.

With regards to a new pool cleaner that doesn't require a booster pump - what would anyone suggest? The pool has curved sides and bottom so there are no edges - just a curves from the bottem up each side.

 

[JasonLion]

The maximum electrical savings will come from a variable speed pump. But it may take some clever programming to get everything working ideally. The WFE-2, on the other hand, will save money with no effort on your part (once it is installed), just not as much as you could save with a variable.

You need to turn a variable speed pump up to a medium speed to properly prime the solar panels, somewhere around what the WFE-2 runs at. If you have a suitably clever controller, you can then lower the speed and continue most of the time with the solar on at a lower speed. If you are not using the solar panels you can run at a very low speed and bump up to a higher speed only for short periods two or three times a day. Both of those approaches will save electricity vs. a WFE-2. However, the variable speed pump costs more, and a timer clever enough to setup the various speeds also costs extra (or you have to get a VF, which has a fancy timer built-in).

If you are paying $0.40 per kwh, the variable speed is going to be worth it in the long run.

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