Which HP for Pump?

[Novcruisin]

We have an approx. 12,000 gallon pool (+/- 100 gal). We originally were going to go with a VS pump based on their high rating however, since we have such a small pool design, no spa and no water features we decided a good cost cut was to change to a 2 speed pump which should be equally efficient for us. Now the confusing part...which HP? I tried learning on TFP Pool School but to be honest, I am still confused! Do we need a 1HP, 1.5HP or 2HP and why?

Thanks!!


To add: This would be for a Hayward TriStar Pump

 

[jblizzle]

A smaller 1HP 2-speed should be plenty ... like the Superflo that I have.

If the builder uses Hayward, the TriStar is much larger and more expensive than you need. Look for a Super Pump (not the Super II) 1HP 2-speed.

 

[Novcruisin]

Thanks for the quick response!

Second question - with having a small pool, how long would I need to run my pump? 8 hrs seems high for such a small pool. Is that still recommended or would it be more like 3-4 hours in low and high while we are using it?

 

[jblizzle]

There is an article in Pool School about run time. Basically you likely need to run on low for 4-6 hours a day and only manually switch to high for vacuuming or filter cleaning.

 

[Novcruisin]

Oh ok, thanks!