Intelliflo VS (011018) RPM / watts to GPM

Jump to latest Follow Reply
M

micheldb

0
May 31, 2012
19
Hi, I just purchased and installed an Intelliflo VS (011018) but I really have no idea what I should be setting the speed at to get the desired GPM and rollover during the day. Some of the forum posts mention an Excel spreadsheet to approximate it but it's been taken offline. I was hoping someone who still has it can give me an approximate GPM at RPM for my install (or send it to me if that's easier). Note that I have 1 1/2" plumbing which I think is quite restrictive.

Here are the numbers I see:

Solar off:

RPM Watts
750* 100**
1000 140**
1200 160**
1400 200**
1600 290
1800 388
2000 519
2200 660
2400 845
2600 1050
2800 1280

Solar on:

750*
1000 120**
1200 130**
1400 155**
1600 250**
1800 345
2000 460
2200 592
2400 755
2600 930
2800 1180

* under 1000RPM doesn't seem to provide enough flow
** at lower RPMs the wattage really jumps around (probably as much as 20%) so getting an accurate figure is difficult
*** I'm not sure how much pressure my lines can take so I've set the max to 2800RPM

In case it makes any difference, the pool is about 15k gallons.

Let me know. Thanks,
Mike
 
Is this for a commercial or residential pool? For residential, you don't really want to set the pump based on GPM. You want to setup the pump based on getting done what you need to get done. For example the ideal speed is the lowest speed that keeps the skimmer(s) working well, but not below about 900 RPM in any case.
 
Thanks for the info. It's for a residential pool. I was just going to calculate the gpm I want to turn over 30000 gal / day (approx 21 gpm for 24/7 to turn over twice per day). We do have the solar heating system that requires higher speed during the day so I was probably going to set 2 speeds - higher one for 7AM to 7PM and lower for 7PM to 7AM. On the other hand, we do have tiered hydro and it costs more during the day so I might just try to get around 15 gpm during the day and 25-30 when hydro is cheaper.
 
The one turnover per day rule is a simple rule of thumb that only gives you a rough starting point for how much water you need to move each day. For the great majority of pools the ideal pump run time is significantly below one turnover. Also, the pump gets less efficient on the lowest speeds. At around 1000 RPM, where it is most efficient, it will be moving noticeably more than 20 GPM in most pools (though that varies with the pool details). Even with 30,000 gallons, I very much doubt you need anywhere near 24 hours a day of pump run time.

Start by figuring out the lowest speed where the skimmer(s) work well, almost always more than 1000 RPM, but don't go below 900 RPM regardless. Then adjust the pump run time down slowly week by week until you notice the first sign of losing the sparkle, add an hour back to the run time and that is your ideal setup.
 
Thanks for the extra info. I'll try that out then.

I hadn't really considered not running the pump 24/7 since we also have a salt chlorine generator and the solar heater (both of which need the pump to run while they're 'on'). Also we do keep our pool fairly warm (usually 88-90F) and we have a pretty high swimmer load for a residential pool (we let our neighbors use it too) so I'd guess the pool is probably in use a good 4 hrs / day everyday on average.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply