plumbing advice and install tips for new VS pump - worth upgrading pump from 1.5hp to 2.7hp?

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thefisch

thefisch

Well-known member
Mar 11, 2021
50
Tampa Bay
Pool Size
15000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Solaxx (Saltron) Resilience / Aquacomfort A5
Headed out today to pickup a new Pentair SuperFlo VSP or Sta-Rite SuperMax VSP (depending on what's in stock) to replace my old Pentair Pinnacle and Vgreen 165 motor that died. The advice I got here on the age of the pump and the available $350 rebate from my power company helped me decide to replace the whole pump rather than a motor swap for another Vgreen 165.

If anyone has tips on the setup of the SuperFlo or SuperMax VSPs beyond the basics in the manual, please share if you have a moment.

For the pluming side of the work, I thought I would post some pictures ahead of time of my current plumbing setup in case anyone spotted any issues I should address while installing the pump. I also have a bad check valve on the spa overflow return that I plan to address while in plumbing mode. There are no leaks or issues other than the check valve that I know of.

Here is a wide angle of the current setup. The signboard is there for some sun and rain protection. The sprinklers are pointed away from the equipment so they are not directly spaying on anything (other than what the wind blows).
20210313_173915_HDR.jpg

Here is a close up of the plumbing with labels:
suction side.png

Here is a close up of the return side and the bad check valve:
return side.png

20210710_154638_HDR.jpg

The bad valve is a Praher 1.5 inch spring check valve. I looked into buying another since it has unions, but it is not available locally and online I could only find one website with a likely match in stock for $65. Rather than gamble on an exact match, I am going to replace the whole thing with whatever is commonly available at the local pool store so that a future replacement is easier. I think they have these basic white spring check valves with unions readily available for $40.

Here are some other angles of the plumbing with signboard removed in case they help with spotting any issues to address:
20190520_150121_HDR.jpg

20190520_150111_HDR.jpg

If you all see anything that should be addressed while plumbing in the new pump and replacing the check valve, I am all ears. Thanks in advance.
 
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From page 3 in https://www.pentair.com/content/dam...-pumps/superflovs/supervs-install-english.pdf

However, we also recommend that a valve, elbow or tee installed in the suction line should be no closer to the front of the pump than five (5) times the suction line diameter. See Figure 2.
Example: A 2.5" pipe requires a 12.5" (31.8 cm) straight run in front of the suction port. This will help
the pump prime faster and last longer.
Note: DO NOT install 90° elbows directly into the suction or discharge ports.

Is your pump bonded?
 
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ajw22 said:
From page 3 in https://www.pentair.com/content/dam...-pumps/superflovs/supervs-install-english.pdf

However, we also recommend that a valve, elbow or tee installed in the suction line should be no closer to the front of the pump than five (5) times the suction line diameter. See Figure 2.
Example: A 2.5" pipe requires a 12.5" (31.8 cm) straight run in front of the suction port. This will help
the pump prime faster and last longer.
Note: DO NOT install 90° elbows directly into the suction or discharge ports.

Is your pump bonded?
Click to expand...
Thanks for pointing out the suction line recommendation. I just measured and it is exactly 10 inches from the tip of the suction port to the tip of the 90 degree elbow which meets the recommendation for the 2 inch suction pipe. Do you think the two 45 degree fittings are an issue? Those are used to raise the height of the plumbing.

Yes, the motor is bonded to the same ground wire for the heater. Will connect the same to the new one.
 
thefisch said:
Do you think the two 45 degree fittings are an issue? Those are used to raise the height of the plumbing.
Click to expand...

The 45's do not meet their recommendation. They do not differentiate between a 45 or a 90. They would like a straight pipe for the recommended length into the pump. Many folks don't have it but that is Pentair's recommendation for maximum pump life.

You can adjust the height of the inlet pipe further downstream between the 90 and the valve or shim the height of the pump using some pieces of whatever thin stone you have available. The way it is done is the lazy plumber technique.
 
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Thanks for the advice. Not familiar with shimming the height, but I think the pump sits higher than the plumbing so I guess I need to move the 45's further downstream.
 
Oh, I thought the pump came with unions based on the photo. Good to know they may not.

Any advice on the check valve for the spa overflow?
 
The pump does not come with unions.

I would order a replacement Praher CV online and just screw it in for the bit additional cost over changing it and cutting and gluing a new CV in. Just check that the unions int he CV unscrew cleanly before you order a replacement.
 
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Thanks for all feedback. The local pool store actually offered me an upgraded Jandy 2.7hp PlusHP (model vsphp270aut) for a little more than the SuperFlo/SuperMax. It is around $200 more out the door for me and includes the iQPUMP01 controller. The model appears to be from a couple of years ago so I guess they are clearing out stock. It will qualify for the rebate.

I may start another thread about this decision as I hadn't considered an upgrade before.

ajw22 said:
I would order a replacement Praher CV online and just screw it in for the bit additional cost over changing it and cutting and gluing a new CV in. Just check that the unions int he CV unscrew cleanly before you order a replacement.
Click to expand...
The unions are binding when I try to turn them - I think this is original from the install over 15 years ago (2 owners ago). They appear to have stopped making the Praher which means there is just internet stock leftover. And I can't find reliable measurements to be sure what I found is an exact replacement.
 

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thefisch said:
I may start another thread about this decision as I hadn't considered an upgrade before.
Click to expand...
Keep in this thread. Edit the Title if you wish.
Consider getting a Jandy CV. They are repairable and the most robust CV out there.
 
mknauss said:
Keep in this thread. Edit the Title if you wish.
Consider getting a Jandy CV. They are repairable and the most robust CV out there.
Click to expand...
Will do. They were out of the Jandy CV - they had one Waterway with a twist off lid. They were suggesting the basic white one with unions for $40. They said it's been the same style for years and will always be available and easy to change with the unions.
 
Rather than start a new thread, I will post more about the upgrade offer here for advice.

When I got to the local pool store to pickup a new SuperFlo/SuperMax VSP, they mentioned they had a great price going on new prior model Jandy Pro Series 2.7hp PlusHP VSP. Model number is VSPHP270AUT. It appears to be the version prior to the VSPHP270DV2A. It is around $200 more compared to the SuperFlo/SuperMax and includes the iQPUMP01 controller. The motor drive has no buttons or controls on it - so I would have control it from the iAquaLink app or the service buttons on the iQPUMP01 controller. The app control does interest me but I don't have any experience with Jandy to know if this is a good product or not. It does come with a 3 year warranty.

Not having considered a more powerful motor before, I was a little concerned about my plumbing, but they suggested my system could handle it since I mostly have 2 inch pipe (except for 1.5 inch pipe used for vac suction line and return lines for pool/spa overflow combo) and a larger Hayward 4820 filter. For safety purposes, they said I could set a maximum rpm in the programming. Also, they suggested I would be able to run the 2.7hp motor at an even lower rpm to achieve the equivalent output of the 1.5hp SuperFlo/SuperMax which would use less energy and save even more on my electric bill. They also mentioned this Jandy pump has a larger pump area which will circulate more water with each rotation. They also suggested that the pump construction is more robust given it is rated for a higher hp and could last longer when running it at a lower rpm. They did suggest the pump be installed at an angle since it is about 7 inches longer than my current one and may not leave enough clearance from the wall. I think there is enough room on the pad for that.

Any advice on the Jandy brand for pumps?
Are there any pitfalls of this upgrade that I should consider?
Or is this a no brainer considering the lower energy costs and app control for roughly $200 more?
 
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I do not like a pump that does not have its own control panel that you can fall back on when the app craps out on you. You can read here about the various threads on IQPUMP01 problems...

Search results for query: iQPUMP01

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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Thanks for the advice on the app control.

Any comments on the Jandy brand and quality of the pump?
What about the potential energy savings with the larger 2.7hp motor over the 1.5hp?
 
Trying to find info comparing Jandy and Pentair for quality, I came across Dave Van Brunt's blog at the link below and copied the quote below (emphasis added by me).
Who Makes the Best Variable Speed Pump?

Let me touch on the Jandy VS Pumps. These are very good pumps and feature Century motors that have a great track record in the industry. The only thing you need to note is that the Jandy VS pumps need a separate controller to work. If the pump is a stand-alone without an automated system you would need a JEP-R Controller or the iQPump01 to actually program and control the pump. These can be mounted separately from the pump on the wall for instance and the iQPump01 works over the internet so you can control the pump from anywhere. The flow rate is comparable to the Pentair VS pump and they also feature a 3 HP version. The Jandy VS pump is about as good as the Pentair IntelliFlo, it is like comparing BMW with Mercedes.
Click to expand...
He has videos about the Jandy pump and the iQPUMP01 control and seems to think it is a great interface. He also comments on his podcast that the Jandy is very quiet compared to the competition.
 
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The biggest issue with Jandy is limited pool owner communication. All must go through a Jandy dealer, so no DIY at all. And as Allen said above, if the IQ thing dies or connectivity fails, you cannot control the pump. It is a boat anchor.

Pentair has a far better reliability as reported on this forum. The Intelliflo VS is the gold standard.
 
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