New pump for IFCS

[ennoble]

This week I saw a leak in the pool, which seems to have accelerated faster than i thought and i stupidly didn't turn off my scheduled pump runs so I came home to find that the Volute(?) of the IFCS pump has a crack which I assume that means the pump is done.

Hopefully tomorrow the leak detection company will find the leak and I can get it fixed, but it seems like i'll also need a new pump for the IFCS.

The existing pump is a single-speed 2HP Sta-rite pump and just drives the IFCS the filter pump is separate. I asked Paramount for a cad drawing of my system and they provided it calling for 50GPM and 50 HEAD for the 9 zones and 22 heads although I'm not sure that they understood that the pump is below the pump since i'm on a hill.

So that begs the question, which pump should i get to replace this? I have a pentair intellitouch automation and for the filter pump I have an intelliflow3 VSF, but i don't imagine that it's particularly helpful to have a variable speed pump other than to tune the RPM/GPM to a fixed rate for the cleaners. Anyone have recommendations of what pump to get?

 

[ajw22]

Unfortunately the US DOE does not recognize your use case and has banned high HP single speed pumps.

Pump DOE Regulations - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

I would get an Intelliflo3 or Whisperflo VST pump that works with your IntelliTouch and then you can adjust the RPM for the lowest that operates your IFCS.

@proavia thoughts?

Pump Basics - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[proavia]

Post a few pics of equipment pad from different angles so we can see how it's plumbed.
How many hours per day do you run your IFCS?
Does the IFCS have its own suction ports in the pool (usually additional main floor drains or wall drains)?
Does the IFCS pump send water thru a separate filter before sending the return water thru the water valve and popups?
Is this a Paramount PCC2000 system or another?

A variable speed pump is pretty much your only option anymore since the volute is cracked. The Intelliflow 3 is your best bet - and having matching pumps would allow swapping out pumps when the other pump has an issue. And you can run the Intelliflow IFCS pump at a lower speed (saving electricity) for the same flow as your non-serviceable 2hp pump.

 

[ennoble]

Post a few pics of equipment pad from different angles so we can see how it's plumbed.

I've attached the pictures.

How many hours per day do you run your IFCS?

I don't have a lot of trees over my pool, so i've been running it 1.5h a day and it's been keeping things clean enough for me.

Does the IFCS have its own suction ports in the pool (usually additional main floor drains or wall drains)?

Yea, it seems to pull water from another port in the skimmer which the drawing from Paramount confirms.

Does the IFCS pump send water thru a separate filter before sending the return water thru the water valve and popups?

No the IFCS just goes straight to through the rotary valves to the heads, the main pump filters the water.

Is this a Paramount PCC2000 system or another?

It's a paramount PCC2000 system; i've attached the drawings from Paramount that they nicely sent me.

The Intelliflow 3 is your best bet - and having matching pumps would allow swapping out pumps when the other pump has an issue.

Is the pump able to push enough pressure without tripping overpressure warnings? It seems like most ppl say that the ifs should be running at 20-30 PSI, but the gauges on mine seem closer to 45 for some zones. I'm not sure how much of that is that the water has to be pushed up above the pump by 15' to get to the shallower in floor cleaners.

Thanks so much for your help so far!