All New Equipment - VSF Run Time Suggestions - Pics

[Triumph65]

Just finished overhauling this pool after the freeze. New plaster in July.
Running (2) Intelliflo VSF with (2) Pentair 100C Commercial Sand Filters (glass media). This pool had a built in hot tub at one time. Not sure what happened there but it appears they knocked the wall out and now it’s a sitting area.
Because of the way this pool was originally plumbed we have the two skimmers & main drain running on one pump & filter and the other pump & filter is on the (3) waterfall supplies. The two pumps split the 14 returns.
Once the Easy Touches are off backorder we will install with an actuator controlling fountains/returns on the second pump.

It’s time to get these pumps on a schedule.

The installer set them both on 2100 RPM to run 24/7 during startup. They are both running 50GPM at 2100. The programs & speeds may need to be different as one pump is running the two skimmers.

Just looking for suggestions & starting point on programs for the 2 VSF’s

Thank you!
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Wimberley Texas. In ground 48,000 gallons. New plaster July 2021, Finest Finish Micro Fusion French Gray. (2) Pentair Intelliflo 011056, (2) Triton TR 100-C Commercial Sand Filters (glass media), (2) Waterco Multi Cyclone 50 Pre-Filters, 15 Gallon Rola-Chem liquid chlorine feeder, Polaris 280, Pentair Warrior SE

 

[reggiehammond]

Your pump(s) job is simply to filter the water for clarity, and disperse chemicals. That typically takes much less time and much less GPM than the pool industry, or builders, would lead you to believe. Given that you have a VS pump, turn it down until it no longer skims the pool satisfactorily -that may be as low as 1000 rpm. You can then work on run time; you can use as little run time as necessary to maintain filtration goals and proper water chemistry.

Since I have a SWCG, I run my pool 24/7 at 1200 rpm (196 watts electrical usage) as it costs so little and it's nice to be constantly making small amounts of chlorine. I've closed off the main drain 95%, pulling all 25-30gpm from just the skimmers. My pool has never been cleaner since making that change and most of the gurus here will note that the main drain actually performs very little function in terms of keeping the pool clean and clear.

I'd keep the water feature on it's own pump (though its debatable you need filtration) - simply so you can only run it when you want to, given the impact on your pH it causes.

 

[Triumph65]

@reggiehammond - Thank you.
When you say turn down until no longer sufficiently skimming do you just mean to find the speed at which it starts to skim? I’d assume you’d want a certain number of hours per day skimming.
Understand on the main drain and the fact that the second pump & filter are probably doing little to clean, since that is the waterfall input on sides of pool. The second pump is mainly for circulation as there were way too many returns for one pump. I could find a lower speed for the second pump to help circulate and just turn it up when I want to run the water features. The rest of the time it could be on returns only to circulate.
Ideally I’d live to get one of this skimmers on the second pump/filter. It’s just challenging the way the plumbing comes out of the slab.

 

[cowboycasey]

Start with your skimmer pump at 800 rpm and let it run for about 10 minutes, does it skim how you want? add 100 or 200 rpm, does it skim like you want? when you find where you like to keep the pool stop there.. It is not a science, it really comes down to where you like the pool skimmed and how long you want to run..

I am only running 10 to 12 hours a day at about 1300 and 1500 rpms. 1500 for my SWG...

I love those TR100's, they are some mango filters...

As far as the waterfalls, run those only when you want them on, no need to run that setup 24/7... maybe 30 minutes every 12 hours at 1500 rpm...

 

[Newdude]

skimming do you just mean to find the speed at which it starts to skim? I’d assume you’d want a certain number of hours per day skimming

Exactly. Start real low and increase the RPMs until the weir doors are flapping away. Maybe a minute apart but if they work, they work. That is your minimum RPMs for skimming. The amount of time skimming is far less important that the times selected to skim. If the pumps are off all night and it’s breezy with all kinds of crud dropping, it will all be waterlogged and sunk to the floor by the time the pumps kick back on. Having a VS pump allowed me to skim 24/7 for roughly $20 a month. It didn’t matter what fell when. Chances are it was picked up if it was floating. Acorns and whatnot of course just sunk right away, but whattayagonnado?

I found I needed around 12 hours of filtering to keep the water clear (which is the primary job needed) and we splurged the extra $10 a month for the ambiance of running water all the time.