IntelliFlo i1

[JasonLion]

Pentair has announced the IntelliFlo i1, which is like a regular IntelliFlo but "hydraulically limited" to a max flow rate around that of a 1 HP WhisperFlo. Initial pricing seems to be about the same to a little higher than the IntelliFlo VS, though there hasn't been time for that to settle down just yet.

It isn't at all clear to me what, if any, advantages this pump has over a regular IntelliFlo, aside from the meeting regulations requiring pumps below some max flow rate issue that Pentair brings up in their literature.

Does anyone have any guesses about what is actually different and how the energy efficiency compares to a regular IntelliFlo?

 

[Bama Rambler]

As fate would have it, I was just reading about this very pump. According to this pdf it's the exact same pump as the 018 except the impeller and the diffuser. The drive, motor, etc are the same.

 

[mas985]

It uses the WFE-4 wet end and as Bama suggested, the same drive although they probably had to make some software adjustments on the drive because of the load change. Also, I suspect that the price is not much different than the VS because Pentair's costs are not much different. They were probably trying to fill a niche where some may not want to use a 3 HP pump on small plumbing.

As for efficiency, the CEC database includes this pump and shows an efficiency that is not all that different than the standard VS at higher flow rates but seems to be a little better at lower flow rates (~20%).

 

[Bama Rambler]

I thought it was going to be one for us guys that don't want or need a big honking monster of a pump but would like the versatility of a VS, but looks like this ain't it. YET!

 

[jblizzle]

It would be nice if there were more options in a smaller VS at a lower price point. There was this post about the Hayward SuperPump VS which is a nice addition to the VS options,

This Pentair seems odd to me if the costs are the same as the big ones but just has limited HP.

 

[JasonLion]

The i1 appears to be designed to met some specific state guideline that prohibits pumps based on their max flow rate, anything over the limit is automatically disallowed, and thus the regular IntelliFlo is not allowed. Apparently this was a quick work around so they could continue to sell in that state. However, I haven't figured out which state it was.