Does running pump 24/7 decrease life span?

[setsailsoon]

Your schedule should be determined by how long it takes to skim, filter, and chlorinate plus any other things you want such as good flow on the spillover. If your FC is staying above your target FC we can say it's providing enough at the current run time. What is the model number (need to find out how much FC it can make)? If it was me, my wife liked the spillover during the day so I ran it from about 11 am to 4 pm. When we got in she liked it to be off because it was too loud to talk or watch TV (we did that a LOT from the pool). Then we'd finish with laps and sometimes a drink in the spa. So what you set depends on how long it takes to do the basic cleaning and chlorination and what else you want to do. With a swg and variable speed pump your choices are endless. What are your personal preferences? Anything other than spa 30 min after dinner?

Chris

 

[Kathleen2252]

I have no idea except that the pool is 35 years old
I dont have any chemistry problems and water is crystal clear
Maybe.because the pipes are a nightmare from multiple hands in the pie over the years and complicated.
PB plumbed to heat from bottom originally
Also equipment is about 30 -40 ft from spa??

 

[mknauss]

Can you post pictures of your equipment pad? I suspect alot of the water flow is going elsewhere than the spa spillover. The bottom returns can be turned off, if possible.

 

[Kathleen2252]

Ecomatic 36 is the model.
Will keep FC good at about 5 when set at 60% for 8 hrs unless its 100 degrees out at which point I usually just dump in 1/2 gal of liquid chlorine.
Just want to use spa after dinner, otherwise it's just status quo

 

[Kathleen2252]

I'll go get a picture.
Please dont laugh

Bottom is drain only now as Mark Urban reverse flow valves were removed several years ago.

 

[Kathleen2252]

Pictures.

 

[mknauss]

That is a very small spillover. So there is no way it should take 2850 rpm of an Intelliflo VS to make a spillover. I cannot tell from the pictures but there must be other places the water is returning to the pool.

 

[Kathleen2252]

Scary huh?
But I have to say I have no problem with algae or balancing.

 

[Kathleen2252]

Oh yes.
Its 50 /50 with 3 pool returns.
Is that the issue?

 

[Kathleen2252]

Am I supposed to have the valve 100% on spillway?
I'm starting to feel really dumb.

 

[Kathleen2252]

You mean I've been an idiot for 35 years?
Ha ha.

 

[Kathleen2252]

Dont be too hard on me!

 

[Kathleen2252]

I have it on 50/50 for the skimming.

 

[Kathleen2252]

Ok.
Should I close the valve somewhat to the pool returns?
And decrease the speed at 2850?

 

[mknauss]

That is the issue with a pool with an integrated spa and no automation. Fine when electric prices where cheap and a huge single speed pump was used. But not now. Not with Cali electric prices.

How much skimming do you need? Some how you need to get the rpm on your VS pump down to under 1700 rpm or so and still operate the spa spillover and skim the pool. That way your electric consumption should be 25% or less than now.

 

[Kathleen2252]

Anyway, perhaps I'm over thinking it.

 

[Kathleen2252]

Ok.
Could it be too much head pressure from all the convoluted plumbing?
Or distance from the equipment?

 

[mknauss]

Neither of those items. At the flow rates you are using, they are not a big deal.

What does the flow out of the pool returns feel like? It does not need to be very forceful to provide sufficient skimming.

 

[Kathleen2252]

I'll try adjusting the pool returns downwards and see what happens.
I like the idea of running 24/7.
I could turn down the chlorinator and get more skimming in maybe.
Dont have a lot of debris anyway.
Stays pretty clean now that I bribed the neighbor to chop down his honeysuckle vines.

 

[Kathleen2252]

Not sure how to judge flow out of returns but is fairly strong.