Hayward EcoStar VS Pump has me all confused

[Pellerin03]

Im new to the pool world. Just had my pool replastered, tiled, and new coping. I also replaced the pump with a Hayward EcoStar VS but I have no clue how to determine what rate I should be pumping at. Im looking for someone to give me a pumping schedule. I have a robotic cleaner so I don't need any special pumping rate for that. Pool is 25,000 Gallons (including the spa). The pool skimmer is about 35 ft away from the suction of the pump and my nearest return is about 50 ft from the discharge of the pump.

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

You want the lowest speed that still allows the skimmer(s) to work effectively, but not slower than 900 rpm. If you only have one skimmer then 900 rpm will probably work just fine, but if you have more than one skimmer or your plumbing is especially long/complex it might take a slightly higher speed.

Once you have the speed determined, the next thing to tackle is the run time. Most pools are good around four hours a day, preferably spread out into two to four separate periods spread around the 24 hour period. However some pools will take a little more time than that to keep the water sparkling.

 

[Pellerin03]

So are you saying I should run it at 900rpms for about 4 hours.....and repeat that about 3 or 4 times a day? Also I need to set a max rate in my pool. In order to still be able to use my vacuum when needed, what should that max rpm be? And thanks for the reply!

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And yes I do only have one skimmer. Should I only pull from the skimmer or should I use the main drain also? Ive been pulling them both together for 23 hrs 45 min per day at 1725 rpms.......just cause that's the default program in the pump. Only thing Ive changed in the pump was I turned off autoprime and set it to 3 minute prime. I did this because it was priming for 15 minutes then giving me a drive error code.

 

[JasonLion]

Almost, just four hours total run time. That means two two hour blocks, or four one hour blocks.

For the vacuum you will need to turn up the RPM, but I can't tell you exactly how much. It is likely to be roughly 2000 RPM, but you should experiment to see what the lowest speed that gets you an appropriate amount of suction on the vacuum is. Backwashing will also require this higher speed, again roughly 2000 RPM.

 

[Pellerin03]

Sorry to overwhelm you with my stupidity, lol, but this is what im understanding as far as my pumping pattern. Beginning at midnight with 900 rpms....pump from 12am-4am, 8am-12pm, 4pm-8pm, and start over again at 12am?

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Ok thanks. I completely forgot about backwashing. So pump for an hour only? And repeat that 4 times a day? Is that enough for a complete turnover? If so, that would be amazing!

 

[JasonLion]

Aiming for one turnover is just an old rule of thumb that has no actual relationship with what is important. Recent studies have shown that four hours of filtering per day is more than enough for a typical residential pool. You will want more filtering time if you have algae, or a large pool party, but for ordinary conditions four hours is generally plenty.

 

[Pellerin03]

Geeeez....I feel like im gonna be rich now. Thanks a lot! Now I have to figure out how to program this thing to do that, lol, thanks again

 

[Pellerin03]

Hayward EcoStar Economical Turnover?

Hey Mark, Im new to all of this and Im also wondering what I should be pumping for the best economical turnover. Here is what I have.

Pump Make/Model: Hayward Ecostar
Height of pump relative to the pool water level: 18"
Diameter and number of individual suction pipes from the equipment to the pool: 1-1/2" (one skimmer, main pool drain, vacuum, and spa drain) and they're all separate.
Diameter and number of individual return pipes from the equipment to the pool: 1-1/2" one discharge line, splits into 2 separate lines at the pad. One line goes to pool, one to spa. In the pool I have 3 returns, and spa has 1
Diameter of return eyeballs: 1/2"
Filter type and backwash valve model if known: Hayward 244T Sand Filter
Filter PSI reading at the desired valve settings and pump's highest speed setting: Approx 20PSI at full speed, about 5PSI at 1725rpms (Half speed)
Optional: Pump suction reading (in-hg) - not necessary but improves accuracy: I don't have a vacuum gauge
Heater - yes or no: NO
Pool/Spa valve - yes or no: YES (I usually discharge to both at same time to keep water moving)

 

[mas985]

Re: Hayward Ecostar Variable speed pump, ??What speed??

I don't really need to estimate flow rate for that. Turnover has very little to do with pump run time. If you are just interested in how long to run pump, the simple answer is: run the pump as little as possible to keep the pool clean. The most efficient speed for a VS is typically around 1000 RPM but that may not be fast enough for the skimmers to work. So as a start, set the pump to run for 4 hours @ 1000 RPM and see if that keeps the pool clean. If you find the skimmer is not collecting debris, then up the RPM level. If you find that the bottom cleaner is not keeping up, up the run time some. This is the best way to determine run time.

I can still estimate flow rate if you want but in reality, it just doesn't matter.

 

[Pellerin03]

Re: Hayward Ecostar Variable speed pump, ??What speed??

I don't really need to estimate flow rate for that. Turnover has very little to do with pump run time. If you are just interested in how long to run pump, the simple answer is: run the pump as little as possible to keep the pool clean. The most efficient speed for a VS is typically around 1000 RPM but that may not be fast enough for the skimmers to work. So as a start, set the pump to run for 4 hours @ 1000 RPM and see if that keeps the pool clean. If you find the skimmer is not collecting debris, then up the RPM level. If you find that the bottom cleaner is not keeping up, up the run time some. This is the best way to determine run time.

I can still estimate flow rate if you want but in reality, it just doesn't matter.

Thatd be great if you could give me an estimated flow rate. Right now I am pumping 3 times per day at 4 hours each time at 1725rpms. Im usually pulling suction from main drain and skimmer. I dont know if Im supposed to be pulling from anywhere else. Im lost! Thanks!

 

[JasonLion]

Re: Hayward EcoStar Economical Turnover?

You are doing just fine. Try not to over think things and just watch the water clarity. If the water looks good, you are on the right track.

 

[mas985]

Re: Hayward Ecostar Variable speed pump, ??What speed??

Right now I am pumping 3 times per day at 4 hours each time at 1725rpms. Im usually pulling suction from main drain and skimmer.

That is probably on the high side. I run my pump about 1 hour on high speed and 3 hours on low speed and my pool is not that much smaller than yours. Have you tried a lower RPM? 1725 RPM is a bit high for a VS pump. One trick is to close of the main drain and just draw from the skimmer. That should allow you to drop the RPM some.

As for a flow rate guess, I estimate about 101 GPM at full speed, 51 GPM at half speed and 29 GPM at 1000 RPM. But again, flow rate shouldn't impact run time all that much.