Full rated and Up rated hp differences

Pump ratings are something of an illusion, which is to say they are often manipulated in order to fulfill marketing hype requirements. Various attempts have been made to standardize things, but the big obvious advertised HP number remains controlled more by marketing than by reality.

First there is the rated HP, the number they advertise. This number gives you a vague idea of how large the motor is, but doesn't really mean much of anything. Then there is the SF, or service factor, which you should be able to find but which is not always listed very prominently. HP * SF, sometimes called SFHP or brake HP, gives you the true HP number that can be compared between vendors.

Full rated, max rated, and up rated are terms that have been invented to hint at what the SF number is. Full rated pumps tend to have SF between 1.5 and 2, while up and max rated pumps tend to have SF between 0.9 and 1.2. However, there is no definite relationship between the terms and the SF numbers, just a hint. Different manufacturers use the terms in different ways.

The number you really want is SFHP.

Of course there is one more bit of complexity beyond that. The SFHP tells you how powerful the motor is, but it doesn't tell you how good the pump is at turning that power into water movement. Some pumps are better at that then others. But that is a project for another day.
 
Jason,
Here are the specs on Pentair WhisperFlo 2 speed pumps. 1st pump is Full Rated, and the second pump is Up Rated.
Which is better?
I think the Full Rated would be the best choice?

Product----Model----Voltage----Full Load Amps----HP-------SF------SFHP------Primary Listings------Port Size (NPT)------Carton Wt(Lbs)-------Curve Key

011522----WFDS-6----230--------10.0/3.5------1-1/2------1.47-----2.20---------UL1, NSF2------------2" X 2"--------------55------------------C, H

012518----WFDS-26---230---------7.8/3.0------1-1/2------1.10-----1.65---------UL1, NSF2-------------2" x 2"--------------47------------------B, G
 
"Better" for what? The WFDS-4 and WFDS-26 are exactly the same, and the WFDS-6 and WFDS-28 are exactly the same pump. The only difference within the pairs is the label. So you are really comparing the WFDS-4 to the WFDS-6. The WFDS-4 is a smaller pump, which moves less water, but is more energy efficient, compared to the WFDS-6.
 
I went back to the pentair site and looked at all the pumps. I see where I missed the comparison. I was looking at the HP when I picked the two pumps.
What I'm looking for is to move the most water and be the most efficient as possible. I also don't want the pump to be too big for the filter.

This is the combo I'm looking at getting.
Filter: Triton II TR-100 600lbs sand filter with multiport valve
Pump: WhisperFlo WFDS-6

These are the water features I will have.
No less than 6 returns (each on there own line)
A water slide (on its own line)
and 2 deck fountains (each on there own line)

I would like to be able to run all the features at the same time.

Would it be better to get 1 pump to run all or 2 pumps and split the features up?
 
Deck jets are fairly low flow rate, and most slides are low flow rate, so putting them all on the main pump should be just fine. If you get one of the high flow rate slides you would want either a separate pump or a variable speed pump.
 
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