Help with replacing motor for ~500gal. in ground spa

[shayknbake]

Hi All,

I recently bought a place that has an in-ground fiberglass spa that at the present is inoperable. The pump is an old-school Aqua-Flo bronze pump (from what I gather A-series). The attached motor is 1.5hp that I think was replaced at some point. It is not working. What kind of motor should I replace it with? Variable speed (is that worth it for a small spa)? It is connected to a pentair cartridge filter that I need to clean up as well as a mechanical timer that I hope to also upgrade to a wifi controlled timer. The gas heater is a Laars Lite 2 that I hope still works (and also get hooked up to wifi at some point).

But of course, the first order of business is to get the pump working to then assess everything else. My goal is to get this this thing up and running and to try to do as much of the repair work myself. I don't mind educating myself with any resources you may suggest; it seems like a fun project to get done in my spare time.

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

California regulations limit your choice of pool pumps to a VS pump.

The Pentair IntelliFlo3 has wireless app control built-in.

IntelliFlo3® Variable Speed & Flow Pool Pump

The award-winning, energy-efficient IntelliFlo3 VSF Pool Pump has a quiet design with sensorless flow control, app connectivity, and automation capability.

www.pentair.com

Or you can consider a Black+Decker VS pump....

Amazon.com

@1poolman1 is in CA. Let's see what he suggests.

Pentair IntelliFlo Pumps - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Calimar/Circupool/BD/Blue Torrent Pump - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[1poolman1]

If control by WiFi is on the table, first consider what automation is wanted, then find a compatible pump, or at least a pump that has an automation adapter available. For a spa that size, while I can only go by the experiences of ones on this forum, a Black & Decker 2hp VSP seems like a good choice, especially if the spa is to be kept hot rather than only heated each time it is used. Run it slow enough to keep the spa hot and then higher to get the jets to work. A single speed pump of the size needed to run the jets on a spa like that is illegal in California.

This thread would probably be helpful in hooking up and using simple automation for that spa system. You wouldn't need to have it control the heater (other than maybe turning power off to it if going on vacation) as that would be set to a constant temperature. Since the Sonoff has four relays, one could power the heater on and off as needed.

Sonoff Pool Automation Help Needed

www.troublefreepool.com

That old AquaFlo is likely completely worn out. The impeller and volute get large scratches in them that makes for very poor performance. You can still get the motor online (if they will ship to CA) but it would really be a short- and long-term waste of money if the pump could even be taken apart. At the very least the shaft extension would probably be very difficult to remove from that motor.

 

[shayknbake]

Thank you all for the replies. If I wanted to buy a pump and motor second hand from craigslist etc, what would be a good option? Is variable speed still the way to go for a spa this size? In this scenario, a single speed motor would be possible to attain. I'm just weighing my options because frankly I'd like to save where I can after dealing with massive remodel costs.

 

[ajw22]

Is your current motor run on 120V or 240V?

Buying a pump/motor used from an unknown seller is a Crud shoot. No telling how long what you buy will last or if it will even work properly.

How many jets does the spa have? The pump sizing is not determined by the size of the spa but by the water pressure you want from the jets for the spa experience you expect. See Spa Jet Design in Equipment Pad Best Practices - Further Reading

 

[shayknbake]

Also, in terms of wifi capability, all I would be looking for is the ability to turn on/off the pump and heater respectively (and set to them to a schedule). I'm not looking for anything beyond that for this current set up.

 

[shayknbake]

Is your current motor run on 120V or 240V?

Buying a pump/motor used from an unknown seller is a Crud shoot. No telling how long what you buy will last or if it will even work properly.

How many jets does the spa have? The pump sizing is not determined by the size of the spa but by the water pressure you want from the jets for the spa experience you expect. See Spa Jet Design in Equipment Pad Best Practices - Further Reading

I need to check the voltage. I would imagine 240V.

Understood regarding the pump sizing and jets. I need to confirm the number but its between 6-8. Makes sense to get 2hp.