A variable speed motor is on its way to me....what are some recommended settings?

[nabril15]

Helloe

i have a VS motor coming my way, and I ask for some guidance on the optimal settings. I realize, that they will be individual for each pool, but I ask for some initial guidance; the motor is the Century V-Green 1.6hp 56J.

My current motor runs for 7 hours moving the Hayward suction cleaner along.
My thought is that I'll program the new motor to run for 4 hours at a higher rpm so as to let the cleaner do its thing, and then have it run for 4 hours on a lower rpm setting. However, at that half way point should I have to manually open the main drain as the intake? Or can/should I just leave it on vacuum cleaner?

Thank you

 

[mknauss]

Since it sounds like your suction cleaner is connected to your skimmer and thus you cannot skim the surface, their is little reason to run the pump without the cleaner functioning. So try just running the pump for the cleaner. Be sure you add your chemicals during that time frame.

 

[nabril15]

Since it sounds like your suction cleaner is connected to your skimmer and thus you cannot skim the surface, their is little reason to run the pump without the cleaner functioning. So try just running the pump for the cleaner. Be sure you add your chemicals during that time frame.

thanks Marty
I have a dedicated suction line or pipe, so it's not in the skimmer. Thus, I have 3 intake valves: cleaner, skimmer, and main.

 

[mknauss]

OK - do you balance the suction between the cleaner and skimmer lines so the skimmer is still functional?

 

[nabril15]

OK - do you balance the suction between the cleaner and skimmer lines so the skimmer is still functional?

Yes sir. The normal setting is for the cleaner valve to be fully open, and the skimmer open 25% or so - enough so that the pump's reservoir is full and bubble-free. I suspect that you'll stay to change those valve openings closer to 50/50, so that when the lower rpm cycle starts, the skimmer gets some more suction dedicated to it.

 

[mknauss]

After mixing your chemicals and running your cleaner, the only reason to run the pump is to skim the surface. So it would be best to set up your base rpm to enable skimming. Then raise the rpm as needed to run the cleaner for as long as necessary.

 

[nabril15]

After mixing your chemicals and running your cleaner, the only reason to run the pump is to skim the surface. So it would be best to set up your base rpm to enable skimming. Then raise the rpm as needed to run the cleaner for as long as necessary.

Ok, I think I got it. I think.
The motor has 3 steps, or cycles, that can be programmed for a total of 24 hours.
So, I'll set step 1 to an rpm speed as low as possible that can skim properly for 3 hours, for example.
Step 2 will raise the rpm so that the cleaner can circulate properly.

Did i say that right?

 

[mknauss]

That sounds good. Give it a try and see if it meets your needs.

 

[JamesW]

Did you get the voltage issue figured out?

 

[nabril15]

Did you get the voltage issue figured out?

thanks James. I will attack that this weekend. For now, I have a pool with a lot of standing water. I run the spa air blower every now and then so as to move some water.
I have carpal tunnel on both hands, so my hand strength is non-existent. I'm not sure that I want to mess with the pump and cables and all that manual stuff. I should get the new motor by Tuesday.
Thanks again for checking.

 

[nabril15]

@JamesW
I saw you suggest the changing of the impeller on another recent VS pump thread.
Should I keep the same one that my Super Pump came with? Or could I change it for some reason? ANd to what model?

 

[JamesW]

What is the model number of the pump and the model number of the new motor?

 

[nabril15]

What is the model number of the pump and the model number of the new motor?

surely
The pump is a hayward super pump
and the motor is this one

Century (A.O. Smith) 1.65 HP Motor, V-Green, Round Flange 56J, Variable Speed, 208-230V - Model ECM16CU - INYOPools.com

V-Green 1.65 HP Round Flange 56J Variable Speed Motor - ECM16CU

www.inyopools.com

I'm sure that my existing impeller works fine, but I'm just curious if I could have a better one/or more efficient/or whatever.

 

[JamesW]

The pump is a hayward super pump

There should be a model number on the pump label.

 

[nabril15]

There should be a model number on the pump label.

Indeed there is, C48L2N134B1

 

[JamesW]

The model number should be something like SP2610X15. It should be on a silver sticker on the body of the pump.

If you have a SP2610X15, that comes with a SPX2610C impeller, which is the correct impeller for the new motor.

 

[nabril15]

The model number should be something like SP2610X15. It should be on a silver sticker on the body of the pump.

If you have a SP2610X15, that comes with a SPX2610C impeller, which is the correct impeller for the new motor.

I see SP1610Z1M on the motor sticker of the OLD pump that has all of the information.

 

[JamesW]

See the sticker on the pump near the discharge port with the model number and serial number?

 

[nabril15]

See the sticker on the pump near the discharge port with the model number and serial number?

600 apologies James. My silver sticker says SP2610x15, which you stated above is the correct one.
Is there a "better one"? Or not really?

 

[BowserB]

General statement about electric motors: They use disproportionately LESS electricity at low speeds compared to high. Pentair, for example, rates its variable speed pumps a 1/8 as many watts at 1/2 speed than at full speed. So even if moving a certain amount of water through your filter is an objective, you can run at half speed for twice as long and still spend only 1/4 as much on electricity. And if you have an electricity plan with lower rates overnight, you can schedule most of the running time then. After two years of charting my electricity usage and bills, I am comfortable saying that I spend less than $20 a month "running" my pool. The main filter pump runs 9 hours from 1am to 10am, then again from 2pm to 4pm to skim daytime debris. The water feature pump which is not variable speed, I run for five minutes each day at 9:30, just to keep it working and no stagnant water in the pump and lines. So running at low speed is where the real value of variable speed motors really show their stuff.