New owner with a Hayward vs700 pump

[monoptn]

Greetings everyone! I am a new owner with a 17,000 gal inground fiberglass pool with a SWG. The pool was just completed a week or two ago, and since I have been cleaning and balancing water, and have it in great shape thanks to TFP! I do have a few questions about the pump, however. I've found answers to everything I need here on the forum except how to calculate and program pump cycles. It appears that my max flow is about 42 GPM at full RPM of the motor. If I am at 1/2 RPM, is the GPM flow about 1/2 of that? If I program to turn the pool over once at full RPMs, that would take about 8 hours of run time. Would 16 hours at 50% RPMs be the same thing? Would it filter as well, produce the same chlorine, and skim as well at lower RPM? I am thinking that it would filter just fine, but might not skim as effectively. I'm just looking for some general guidance here on how to come up with a pump cycle and timer plan.

Regarding freezing....I live in middle Tennessee. We often have temperatures that dip below freezing. Occasionally we get better cold, although the coldest forecast on the horizon is about 20 degrees. I activated the "low temp operation" in the configuration menu. As I understand it, that will turn the pump on high for 8 hours if the ambient temp is below 39. I assume that would override the regular cycle? At the end of 8 hours, if the ambient temp were, say, 20 degrees, would the pump start up again and run for 8 more hours? The manual says this mode is not for freeze protection, but I assume that in fact it really is for freeze protection. Any suggestions on this freeze protection or other cold-weather programming safety measures?

I look forward to hearing what the experts say - thanks everyone!

 

[mknauss]

The reasons you run your pump are first to create chlorine (as you have a SWCG), then distribute chemicals, then skim the surface. Chemistry keeps the water clear, the filter simply removes things that fall into the pool. So the Turnover thing is a myth.

As you have an undersized SWCG, you will be running the pump a lot during the summer. At this time of year, you need to run it very little, depending on skim needs and your freeze protection. You should be adding liquid chlorine, as needed, to maintain your FC based on the FC/CYA Levels

 

[monoptn]

The reasons you run your pump are first to create chlorine (as you have a SWCG), then distribute chemicals, then skim the surface. Chemistry keeps the water clear, the filter simply removes things that fall into the pool. So the Turnover thing is a myth.

As you have an undersized SWCG, you will be running the pump a lot during the summer. At this time of year, you need to run it very little, depending on skim needs and your freeze protection. You should be adding liquid chlorine, as needed, to maintain your FC based on the FC/CYA Levels

So when my t-9 gives up the ghost, should I upgrade to a t-15 I take it? I am adding chlorine now to maintain FC in the cooler temps, and will do so as needed this summer to supplement the SWG if it can't keep up. Does the SWG generate more chlorine for a given flow rate? ie, will at make more with pump speed of 3000 vs pump speed of 1500?

 

[ajw22]

I activated the "low temp operation" in the configuration menu. As I understand it, that will turn the pump on high for 8 hours if the ambient temp is below 39. I assume that would override the regular cycle? At the end of 8 hours, if the ambient temp were, say, 20 degrees, would the pump start up again and run for 8 more hours? The manual says this mode is not for freeze protection, but I assume that in fact it really is for freeze protection. Any suggestions on this freeze protection or other cold-weather programming safety measures?

Freeze protection on the pump is to protect the drive from freezing. It does not guarantee that all areas of your pool plumbing will be protected. I think it is based on the temperature of the pump drive which may not represent other areas of the pool.

Read...

Preparing Pool for Cooler Months - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[ajw22]

So when my t-9 gives up the ghost, should I upgrade to a t-15 I take it? I am adding chlorine now to maintain FC in the cooler temps, and will do so as needed this summer to supplement the SWG if it can't keep up. Does the SWG generate more chlorine for a given flow rate? ie, will at make more with pump speed of 3000 vs pump speed of 1500?

Pump speed does not change SWG output.

As long as flow is sufficient for the SWG flow switch to be satisfied then the SWG generates a fixed amount of CL for the % set.

See how the T-9 does for your pool. A T-15 will be a better choice for your next cell.

 

[monoptn]

Thanks for the answers and for directing me to further reading everyone. I think I am comfortable managing the pool in winter temps, as long as we don't get a polar vortex, in which case I may winterize if the forecast dictates. I had no idea that this pool was going to cause me to become a chemist and an expert in thermal heat transfer! It has been interesting and this forum has been invaluable. Thanks folks!