I have several projects this year we need to do to our pool, new pumps and re-plaster time. This post is about the pump Over the last 5-years at TFP I have had great success following the quality advice given here so please allow me to tap this knowledge once again. First my pool estimated to be 15-16000 gallons in-ground with two skimmers and a center floor drain. The pump is no more than 1-foot above the water level and is located 26' from the center of the pool. There are 4 return jets back to the pool. There is no spa or fountains, it's just a pool. Currently there is a 3/4hp booster pump for the side pressure robot and there is a 2hp Purex Triton WhisperFlo filter pump (looks like a Pentair maybe an older model) and all visual piping is 2".
I am going to replace everything as the booster has died and all of the equipment is old and rusty, plus it is all plumbed in without unions. My biggest question has to do with pump sizing as I really do not understand pump mechanics. I read that a pool this size 2hp is way overkill. For giggles and because I really don't have the time to do this myself I checked with the company who built the pool and they still standby the 2hp recommendation and had some very comical answers when I said I wanted to go smaller. They were very expensive with the pumps costing $200 more than I see online. I have done a lot of plumbing and electrical so it looks like I am doing it. So pump sizing can I drop this down to a 1hp single speed WhisperFlo? As I mentioned I don't understand the physics of head pressure and relationships to pipe size. Is there a better reputable online vendor people are very happy with?
I have another question on the wiring. Currently it is 230v and I believe 3-phase. I have wired machines with 3-phase and it is easy to see the rotation of the motor to see if you need to switch wires, not so with a pump, any tricks? I am concerned because of the priming necessary. Speaking of priming when doing a complete switch out like this should I prime this all with a garden hose through the pump basket?
I am going to replace everything as the booster has died and all of the equipment is old and rusty, plus it is all plumbed in without unions. My biggest question has to do with pump sizing as I really do not understand pump mechanics. I read that a pool this size 2hp is way overkill. For giggles and because I really don't have the time to do this myself I checked with the company who built the pool and they still standby the 2hp recommendation and had some very comical answers when I said I wanted to go smaller. They were very expensive with the pumps costing $200 more than I see online. I have done a lot of plumbing and electrical so it looks like I am doing it. So pump sizing can I drop this down to a 1hp single speed WhisperFlo? As I mentioned I don't understand the physics of head pressure and relationships to pipe size. Is there a better reputable online vendor people are very happy with?
I have another question on the wiring. Currently it is 230v and I believe 3-phase. I have wired machines with 3-phase and it is easy to see the rotation of the motor to see if you need to switch wires, not so with a pump, any tricks? I am concerned because of the priming necessary. Speaking of priming when doing a complete switch out like this should I prime this all with a garden hose through the pump basket?
