Hayward NorthStar converted to 2 Speed - Very Low Filter PSI

[twodogs02]

My mother lives in Texas and I am in NY. She called today and her pump motor won't run. The breaker is on and I had her test for current at the timer box and then also test the pump side of the timer with the timer in the on position.

I would like to replace her motor with a 2 speed.
This is the information she gave me off the phone:
Hayward Northstar
AO Smith Centurion 1081
SP1610-Z-1-MNSC
1.5 HP/ Service factor=1.25
60Hz
208-230/115
Amps SF8.5-7.8/15.6

Her pool:
32,000 gallon in ground, fiber glassed recently. She had the only drain closed off last year since it was leaking. One skimmer and one fountain (was a spa but she had the bottom 4 feet filled in and now it's a fountain). She has a DE filter and a booster pump for the Polaris. 2 inch plumbing.

She is wired for 230 at the timer box. I'm hoping my brother (OK mechanically inclined) can change the motor and pump seal to save her some money. Can someone please tell me if I can get a 2 speed motor to replace the old single speed, if not, recommendations on a new pump would be appreciated.

 

[mas985]

Re: Hayward NorthStar/AO Smith-Centurion covert to 2 Speed

Yes, you can replace the motor with a 2 speed. The STS1152R should work for you.

 

[twodogs02]

Re: Hayward NorthStar/AO Smith-Centurion covert to 2 Speed

The supplier I talked to said she will need to replace the timer as well in order for the two speed pump to move between low and high speed, is this correct? Does any pump come with a switch on the motor to move from low to high speed?

 

[Durk]

Re: Hayward NorthStar/AO Smith-Centurion covert to 2 Speed

I recently did the 2-speed conversion on my Pentair WhisperFlo. I did not see any motors with the switch built-in, although A.O. Smith does have a series of 2-speed motors with the timer built-in. I figured it was too expensive to go that route compared to the stand-alone. I added a $5 switch from Grainger with a rubber boot and installed it on the side of my timer case. Then I just ran one additional conductor through the conduit to the motor. The back of my pump is in an inconvenient place so this made the most sense for me and was the cheapest way to go.

 

[twodogs02]

Re: Hayward NorthStar/2 Speed Conversion - Low Filter PSI

My brother called yesterday he has the new pump installed using a 3 way switch for high/low. My mother called me this morning concerned that her filter pressure is sitting at zero when the pump is on low speed. To recap:

Installed new motor STS1152R in the Hayward Northstar pump
Filter is a Pentair Nautilus Plus NSP60
Plumbing is 1 1/2 inch
pool capacity = 30,280 a gunite pool that was coated with fiber glass two years ago. Single bottom drain was closed off when the pool was fiber glassed due to a leak. One skimmer basket in the deep end of the pool, farthest from the filter.

I read this thread: http://www.troublefreepool.com/help...8.html?hilit=low filter pressure 2 speed pump so I feel a little better but just want to be sure Mom's filter/pump setup is right for her pool.

When the pump is on high, psi=9, 1 psi less than her old 1 speed pump. If such a low pressure in the filter is normal, will filtering be degraded due to the low pressure? I have a sand filter so don't know much about DE.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: Hayward NorthStar converted to 2 Speed - Very Low Filter

Actually the opposite. The pressure being lower means that the water is moving slower through the filter media and therefore it filters better. And that's true for all types of filters.