Intelliflo3 1.5hp or 3hp pump?

[znpoolman]

Hi all,

I am moving my pool equipment and wanted advice on the right pump size. Details of the move:

• 20ft further from my pool (no bends, straight shot)
• Equipment is going from at the water line to 18" below the water line (down a slight hill)
• existing lines are 1.5" but I want to couple them to 2" lines for the 20ft extension and have a 2" system for better flow
• Currently have a Hayward 6020 Pro-grid DE filter and an olddd Triton MiniMax Plus 400 Heater and a Pentair 1HP single speed pump (that was never able to maintain solid prime to the longest run to the main drain)
• I will get a replacement Hayward multiport with 2" ports to replace the 1.5" I currently have
• 26,000 gallon pool and spa, 55GPM Flow Rate, 47 Feet of Head estimated to new location

I love the Intelliflo3 with relay because it is a pump plus a mini automation system. Automation systems are more than I want to spend at this time so you get a great pump plus some automation. I looked at the performance curves and if I did my calculations correctly, the 1.5HP model is at 85% speed and the 3HP model is at 70% speed.

All that leads to the questions:

• Is it beneficial enough to go to 2" from 1.5" plumbing?
• Considering it is now a below the water line pump, is 1.5HP the right size or should I go with 3HP?
• Is there another pump I should consider that has built in wifi/automation like this one?

Thank you!

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

3HP; 2" plumbing on the equipment pad; no

 

[Jimrahbe]

zn,

I never, ever, recommend the smaller 1.5 HP VS pump over the larger 3 HP VS pump...

You can always turn the pump speed down, but you can't always turn it up.

The larger the pump, the more water it can move at a lower RPM. The lower the RPM, the quieter the pump will be.

At 1200 RPM, my 10 year old IntelliFlo is so quiet, that I almost have to touch it to make sure it is still running..

Yes, the large pump initially costs more, but over the 15 or 20 year life of the pump, it is not much.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[znpoolman]

Thank you so much for the quick answers. Very helpful. 3HP it is!