Pentair Whisperflo WFDS-6 vs. WFDS-4 - power consumption

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pirateradio

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Apr 6, 2011
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Complete newbie question, also no working knowledge of electricity - apologize in advance :(

Incredulously, my pool installer installed a Pentair Whisperflo 1.5 HP Dual Speed WFDS-6 INSTEAD OF WHAT I ORDERED, - the Whisperflo 1 HP Dual Speed WFDS-4.

My question is generally if I should care re power consumption costs (no extra cost for the different pump)... if running most of the time on "low speed".

Pentair says that the WFDS-6 1.5 uses 3.5 Amps on low speed, while the WFDS-4 1 HP uses 3.0 Amps on low speed.
I live in San Diego (SDG&E) ... is there a significant cost to using 3.5 Amps vs. 3.0 Amps?
I don't know if I am looking at a difference of pennies per day, or many dollars per day....
I typically want to run the pump on low for approx 8 hours per day.

Does someone generally know the cost differentials in this scenario?

Thanks in advance.
 
The larger pump will use approximately 0.120 KW/Hr more per hour or @ 8 hours, about 0.96 KW. If you are paying $0.34 per KW/H, its an added $0.33 per day.

If they aren't charging you more for the larger pump, I wouldn't beef about it.

The big question is what size is your pool. At low speed, you may not have enough of a turnover rate in 8 hours.

Scott
 
Scott, thank you for such a quick reply.
SDG&E rates are hard to figure out (multiple tiers) but your answer makes a lot of sense.
Sounds like it might not be worth it to beef about it....

I believe my pool is about 17,000 gallons, it's not a large pool.
Since I just installed the pump, I am in the investigation process of how long I need to run the pump to get the full turnover per day.
 
Let's say 33c per day is correct (assuming 8 hrs/day;likely a low estimate for 17K on low speed). That's 2.33 per week = $121 per year; I presume you'll keep it open all year in SD. 33 cents doesn't seem like a lot, but I can think of a lot of stuff I'd rather do with $121 than throw it down the proverbial toilet. And that's just for one year; over the life of the pump you're probably talking >$1000.

Unless I'm grossly miscalculating somewhere, I'd beef about it. Big time!
 
Modsquad, yes the more I thought about it, the more irritated I am.
I specifically downgraded from a really old single speed 1.5 HP to save $.. and am a bit upset about this, especially since you are correct I will be running this 365 / year (SD). Issue is that the pump is installed now and I have only caught this today.. so I would have to have it un-installed, etc etc.
While I know that I probably will be saving a bundle, I'm not maximizing my savings, and every year the electricity rates go up and up.
I was always intrigued by running a dc direct pump purely on solar, but don't have the funds now to do that.
I have a general install question as well, which I will post as a separate topic - thanks for taking the time to reply.
 
Pentair Whisperflo 2 Speed with Speed Toggle Switch

I had a new Pentair WFDS-6 1.5 HP 2 speed pump installed this week.
I was told by the pump dealer (and confirmed by Pentair today on the phone) that I would not need a separate controller to switch from hi to low speed and vice versa, because the pump has an integrated toggle switch for that. I presently use a basic Intermatic timer box to switch the pump on and off.

My issue:
The installer (who says he is a Pentair certified installer in the area), says that the pump can not be wired to manually switch from low to hi and vice versa without a controller. Claims that wiring it directly will burn out the motor.

Meanwhile though, I confirmed today on the phone with Pentair that this pump can be wired to be able to switch speeds manually with just the toggle switch - no controller required.

This is the setup that I want - to be able to switch from low to hi manually via the toggle switch, without the need to buy a controller.
Meanwhile the installer wired it so that right now it only runs on low :( and the toggle switch does nothing..

Can someone confirm that indeed this pump can be wired properly so that I would not need a controller?
What would be the point of the toggle switch if I need a controller?

He will come and re-wire for free, but I was looking for confirmation from someone who might have this pump or similar..
Pentair says the wiring diag is on the pump and that this is a simple setup..
Appreciate any comments on this.

merged to keep the story all in one place. MITS
 
Re: Pentair Whisperflo 2 Speed with Speed Toggle Switch

I have a Pentair dynamo 2 speed pump and it switches hi to low with a toggle switch. Mine came from Poolcenter.com with the toggle switch already installed. I just had to add a power cord.

Here is the Pentair site with the manual and technical info for Whisperflo.
 
Re: Pentair Whisperflo 2 Speed with Speed Toggle Switch

pirateradio said:
The installer (who says he is a Pentair certified installer in the area), says that the pump can not be wired to manually switch from low to hi and vice versa without a controller. Claims that wiring it directly will burn out the motor.
Click to expand...
The installer has no idea what he is talking about. Of course you can manually switch the speed. Besides, you have already confirmed that with Pentair, and they are the authority.
 
JasonLion, that is what I think as well - the installer just doesn't know - perhaps he has not seen the 2 speed pumps with toggle switches built in before.
Good to hear that my suspicions are confirmed not only by Pentair but by real life users as well.
 
pirateradio said:
JasonLion, that is what I think as well - the installer just doesn't know - perhaps he has not seen the 2 speed pumps with toggle switches built in before.
Good to hear that my suspicions are confirmed not only by Pentair but by real life users as well.
Click to expand...


I doubt it, he just doesn't quite grasp how the motor works.

On a 220V single phase 2 speed motor. You have 4 wires. A ground, a common (one of the 220V legs), high, and low.

The high and low cannot be energized at the same time, so you will need a double throw switch, so send power down either the high, or low.
 

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One other point that seems to have gotten missed:
The 1.5 hp is not doing the same amount of work for $.33 more a day. It is doing quite a bit more.
Some where around 8 to 10 gallons more per minute on low. Thats 4 to 5k gallons more in an 8 hour day.
Thus getting your turnovers in a shorter time.

I wouldn't throw it out yet!
 
Interesting point Just-a-PB......
One of the things that I was worried about running on low with a pump was if the flow of the pump on low would create a sufficiently robust stream from my jacuzzi outlet into the pool.

How I like the run system is to have the flow go into the jacuzzi (built inside the pool sort of), flow out of the jacuzzi into the pool in a small "waterfall" then get sucked from the waterfall area (shallow end) along the length of the pool to the outlet/skimmer in the deep end then to the filter. I find this arrangement creates the most circulation for my pool because whoever built it never put outlets in the far shallow end and if my filter discharge was not into the jacuzzi I ended up with a dead zone in the shallow end (which the waterfall eliminates somewhat).

Anyway, what I was worried about was that a low flow would not create enough volume to create the waterfall - the 1.5 on low does - it's a nice stream out of the jacuzzi - not as robust as when I was running my single speed 1.5, but definitely sufficient. If I swapped out to the originally ordered 1 HP - perhaps the flow would be reduced so that the nice waterfall might be more of a dribble. I never would know unless i plumbed the 1 HP, so it might be worth the extra cost for the 1.5 on low - as its working nicely now - good point.
 
Raket, I recall the installer talking about how he could wire it with either the high or low line powered, and how he could only do one. So by default it's the low that is engergized. But isn't the point of the toggle switch built onto the pump to internally energize either the low or high, with one power feed coming into the pump from the 230 outlet? Or are you saying that in addition to the toggle switch i need a separate double throw switch??
 
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