Single Speed Vs. IntelliFlo

[bxcrwlly]

Reviewing my whole house power consumption the other day and wondered how much of my bill was consumed by my pool pump. Found an online chart that based on horsepower, speed and run-time displayed that I was using 392kwh per month. I did the math (with the help of Excel) and found that my pool pump for 2.5 years is averaging 27% of my electric usage. I currently have a Pentair WhisperFlo 1.5 HP single speed pump for my 11,600 gallon pool/spa including a spa-spillover running 8 hours per day 365 days per year. So I started digging into the possibility of installing a variable speed pump. I read a few articles on the web and this site but would like more direct feedback. All my equipment is Pentair but should I stick with it or does one of the other reputable brands provide equivalent savings/features? I'm running a solar heater(8 panels), water feature and gas heater (for the spa). I'm also concerned about impact on skimmer & vacuum performance. Will a variable speed handle all of these features as well as my single speed does and still provide the reduced kilowatt consumption. I've read that I'd have to run the variable speed around 12 hours per day but the extended run-time would be a significantly reduced cost. I'm hoping that by amortizing the pump/installation costs that I can justify a 12 month return on my investment and subsequent savings on my electric consumption.

Appreciate any feedback from forum members that I can use as a guide in making my decision.

 

[mas985]

I currently have a Pentair WhisperFlo 1.5 HP single speed pump for my 11,600 gallon pool/spa including a spa-spillover running 8 hours per day 365 days per year.

That is a very long time to run a pump for an 11k pool. Are you sure you need to run the pump that long?

This might be helpful: pool-school/pump_run_time

Most pools can get away with four hours or less run time on full speed so you could just halve your energy use with less run time.

Next, a VS is a good fit for a pool with many different water features and/or requirements. But to make full use of it, you should also have a controller that will automatically switch speeds when changing features. Since you have an EasyTouch system, any Pentair VS pump would be a good choice.

However, another option is to swap your current motor with a two speed so that when you are not using solar or the spa, you can step down to low speed which will save nearly as much as the Intelliflo would on lower speeds and the upfront costs are quite a bit less.

 

[bxcrwlly]

Mark...thanks for the quick response. We had start-up and staining issues with our "new" pool and had been advised to run it at least 8 hours per day, so that number kinda stuck. I recognize, I'm probably turning my pool 2.5 to 3 times per day. As noted we do have a SWG and it maintains FC at 5.0 running around 29% for 8 hours, plus an IntelliPH running at 46% to maintain PH at 7.6. I'd have to compensate by adjusting both the SWG and IPH upward to keep the pool balanced and achieve the reduction in electric usage. Oh, and thanks for the link on the run-times. I'll take your advice and cut back on the run-time hours and may also shop around for a two speed pump. Appreciate your input.

 

[mas985]

Regarding the two speed pump, I just wanted to be clear that I was suggesting replacing just the motor and not the entire pump.

 

[bxcrwlly]

Got it...thanks!

 

[pauster]

I have run the IntelliFlo for five years. Had to replace the controller once, last year. It's not that cheap, but I can run it at 25 GPM at under 200 watts these days - a bit more if I haven't cleaned the filter for a while. It works great even when run from a Jandy controller & remote. It's very quite. I would recommend it! We try to turn over the whole pool volume once per day.

 

[pauster]

I should mention I set the pump to go to 40GPM when solar is on for best efficiency, and 50GPM when the waterfall is running. It's really nice to have the most efficient setting used automatically.