Pentair Whisperflo vs. Hayward Superpump

[TripleB4me]

It appears that I will be replacing my 5 season old, currently in my 6th season, 1.5 HP Whisperflow pool pump, starting to make a lot of noise. I also have a 2 speed Whisperflo pump, same age, for my spa that is working just fine. My local pool store ower tells me the Hayward superpumps are superior to the Whisperflos but Carl, at PoolPlaza, says just the opposite.

Any opinions/advice on these two pumps? Thanks!

 

[thadius65]

Re: Pentair Whisperflow vs. Hayward Superpump

Coke v Pepsi? Ford v Chevy? Dems v Republican? Seems to be one of those deals many times.

 

[mas985]

Re: Pentair Whisperflow vs. Hayward Superpump

The Pentair Superflo is a replacement for the Hayward SuperPump and I would consider them as equals in performance, efficiency and reliability. The Whisperflo is a much more powerful pump and a little higher efficiency so it is a little unfair to compare this pump to a SuperPump. The Whisperflo is better suited to larger pools and larger plumbing while the opposite is true of the SuperPump/SuperFlo series. Plus the Whisperflo is more expensive and voltage setup may be different as well.

 

[TripleB4me]

Re: Pentair Whisperflow vs. Hayward Superpump

Thanks, all. It looks as if a replacement of another Whisperflow pump for my 25k gallon pool is the way to go, small difference in price between the Hayward and it. Agree?

 

[mas985]

It depends. Which Whisperflo are you considering and describe your setup:

Number of suctions runs and pipe diameter
Number of skimmers/main drains
Number return runs and pipe diameter
What is your current pump voltage setup?

BTW, when I talk about big pools, I am referring to pools much larger than yours and mine. Your pool requires only 35 GPM for a 12 hour turnover and any pump can do that, even on low speed.

 

[TripleB4me]

It depends. Which Whisperflo are you considering and describe your setup:currently have WF-26 1.5 HP Whisperflo

Number of suctions runs and pipe diameter 4 suction runs, 1.5" ID
Number of skimmers/main drains 3 skimmers, 2 main drains coupled together
Number return runs and pipe diameter3 returns + return thru booster pump when not in use + shear decent, 1.5" ID
What is your current pump voltage setup?115V
All above ground pipe is 2" ID
BTW, when I talk about big pools, I am referring to pools much larger than yours and mine. Your pool requires only 35 GPM for a 12 hour turnover and any pump can do that, even on low speed.

 

[mas985]

With 3 skimmers, you probably don't want to reduce flow rate too much so I would stick with the Whisperflo line. Do you usually keep them all running and is the skimming action strong or just marginal?

The Whisperflo WFDS-3 or 24 would probably work fine but each skimmer would have some reduced flow rate (~20%) due to the smaller pump. If the skimmers have more than enough skimming action now, this should not be a problem but if you find they are marginal, you might want to stick with what you have. Also, given the age of the pump, if you want to save a bit of cash and installation time, you could just replace the impeller and motor of your old pump.

 

[TripleB4me]

I do keep all skimmers and main drain running all the time and the flow seems to be good, not super strong but not weak either. Sounds like the 1.5 HP Whisperflo is about right. Thanks.

 

[Melt In The Sun]

If you wanted to look at other brands, the Hayward Tristar and Jandy Stealth lines are more comparable in performance (and price) to the Whisperflo. Given that you already had one of those, it's probably just easiest to replace it with one from the same line.

 

[TripleB4me]

Thanks, Melt. That's probably what I'm going to do, get another Whisperflo unless someone gives me a good reason to try something else.

 

[Melt In The Sun]

When you do look, make sure to shop around for both the WFDS-4/WFDS-26. They're the same pump, but with a significant difference in price when I was looking.