Programming Speeds for Pentair Intelliflo VSF pump

[trafficdoc]

We are 6 weeks into using our new pool and we are interested to see how other pool owners program their Pentair Intelliflo VSF pump speeds and time durations. We live in Florida and our pool is 10,000 gallons, so I don't know if that makes a difference or not.
Trying to be the most energy efficient while making sure we are running it long enough at the right speeds to keep it clean. We would appreciate any guidance you all can offer. Thanks!

 

[cowboycasey]

how clean is a "you" thing.. if you run it 24/7 at 800 rpm and it keeps it clean enough for you then yo are good.. If you run it at 800 rpm for 12 hours and your are good that is better..

I run mine about 14 hours now, 10 hours making chlorine.. With my 2 robot cleaners in the pool it is spotless..

I run at 1200 rpm except for the 10 hours for the SWG runs at 1500 rpm.. at 1500 it is using 120 watts for my motor

 

[texasAUtiger]

We are 6 weeks into using our new pool and we are interested to see how other pool owners program their Pentair Intelliflo VSF pump speeds and time durations. We live in Florida and our pool is 10,000 gallons, so I don't know if that makes a difference or not.
Trying to be the most energy efficient while making sure we are running it long enough at the right speeds to keep it clean. We would appreciate any guidance you all can offer. Thanks!

In these conversations, it is really important to distinguish between those who run their pump for a long time because they are generating chlorine via a SWCG or those who chlorinate via LC (you and me) who are running the pump only to distribute chemicals and keep things clean (via skimming and filtration). Also, water should be balanced before any comparisons ensue.

My friend who has had a similarly sized pool runs his 10am-3pm everyday (plus when they are swimming) at 1500 RPM.

I'm only in week two of my 15,600 gallon pool and I have been playing with 8-11 am every day (plus when we are swimming) at 1600 RPM. I run the robot cleaner once per day. So far, the leaves and bugs are nicely skimmed and the pool is crystal clear.

 

[mknauss]

@texasAUtiger
I am curious where the 'run pump while swimming' theory comes from? Why not just set the pump on its schedule and swim when you want? The pump does nothing special while you are swimming.

 

[cowboycasey]

My pump is usually running when we are swimming but if it is not and my wife is swimming the pump better be on... Heaven forbid a bug gets in the pool and it does not go away fast

 

[mknauss]

My wife complains she gets pulled to the skimmer when on her float thing if the pump is running. But I casually ignore it and the pump runs when it is scheduled

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

I am curious where the 'run pump while swimming' theory comes from? Why not just set the pump on its schedule and swim when you want? The pump does nothing special while you are swimming.

Yes it does. It allows us to use our hands to coax floating debris into the skimmers. We spend way too much swim time doing that.

I always hand skim prior to swimming but invariably miss a few floaters. Those must walk the plank, er, weir to their watery demise. Gotta have the pump on for that.

 

[texasAUtiger]

@texasAUtiger
I am curious where the 'run pump while swimming' theory comes from? Why not just set the pump on its schedule and swim when you want? The pump does nothing special while you are swimming.

Just our preference. We like the bubblers to be active and the motion in the pool.

Our friends mentioned share the same preference.

 

[Sunnydaze]

As mentioned, I'm sure run time and speeds vary widely on the setup and size of the pool but I run my intelliflo VSF 3 hours at 2500rpm to skim and run the suction vacuum then another 6 hours at 1500rpm. This is enough to keep my pool crystal clear.

I've become ocd about my pool clarity. I use the pool light at night to highlight any floating particles and if I see more than the usual very minimal amount, the pump goes on overnight at 1200rpm for an extra filtering boost. That's usually only after a very windy day though. Even though I can't see the particles under normal daylight, I know they're there and must be removed!

 

[Orion7319]

I run my pump 24/7. To me that’s the main advantage of having a VSP. During the day I run it at 1750RPM and at 2250RPM for about two hours. At night I run it at 1400RPM. I also run my salt cell 24/7.

 

[trafficdoc]

My pool builder programmed the pump to run for 8 hours per day. 4 hours at 1700 and 4 hours at 2350.

My question is...is 8 hours per day minimun required if you don't have a SWG? Are those speeds adequate or are they too high/too low?

In addition...we have a screen enclosure, so we almost never have floating debris....maybe a stray bug from time to time.

 

[ajw22]

My pool builder programmed the pump to run for 8 hours per day. 4 hours at 1700 and 4 hours at 2350.

My question is...is 8 hours per day minimun required if you don't have a SWG? Are those speeds adequate or are they too high/too low?

In addition...we have a screen enclosure, so we almost never have floating debris....maybe a stray bug from time to time.

Determine Pump Run Time

To figure out how many hours you need to run your pump, you need to know how fast your pump works. You can find this here.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

My pool builder programmed the pump to run for 8 hours per day. 4 hours at 1700 and 4 hours at 2350.

My question is...is 8 hours per day minimun required if you don't have a SWG? Are those speeds adequate or are they too high/too low?

In addition...we have a screen enclosure, so we almost never have floating debris....maybe a stray bug from time to time.

How does the pool skim at the lower RPM of 1700? If it's adequate, there's no reason to run the pump at the higher speed. 1700 and 2350 RPM seem high for 10K gallon pool, but all pools are different in the way they circulate water.

Play with speeds a bit. You have the gold standard of pumps that moves a good amount of water. Start at 1000 RPM and move up from there 100 RPM at a time until you find sufficient flow from the returns to move the water. Check the skimmer and see if debris are getting pulled in. Set whatever speed you settle on as your primary pump speed. You really only need higher speeds for more aggressive skimming or when using a suction cleaner or vacuum. No reason to run 8 hours if your pool doesn't need it.

Running at lower speeds will cut your energy bill. Doubling pump speed requires 7 to 8 times more energy (see photo). When you're playing with different pump speeds, take note of how the wattage increases disproportionately.

 

[trafficdoc]

How does the pool skim at the lower RPM of 1700? If it's adequate, there's no reason to run the pump at the higher speed. 1700 and 2350 RPM seem high for 10K gallon pool, but all pools are different in the way they circulate water.

Play with speeds a bit. You have the gold standard of pumps that moves a good amount of water. Start at 1000 RPM and move up from there 100 RPM at a time until you find sufficient flow from the returns to move the water. Check the skimmer and see if debris are getting pulled in. Set whatever speed you settle on as your primary pump speed. You really only need higher speeds for more aggressive skimming or when using a suction cleaner or vacuum. No reason to run 8 hours if your pool doesn't need it.

Running at lower speeds will cut your energy bill. Doubling pump speed requires 7 to 8 times more energy (see photo). When you're playing with different pump speeds, take note of how the wattage increases disproportionately.

View attachment 361456

Thank you for your information! This is extremely helpful. Your screen shots of the RPM and the subsequent wattage blew me away. I will definitely be experimenting to see what works best for us.

 

[Orion7319]

These are some of the speeds and watts of my superflow VST. At its lowest speeds it uses as much wattage as two or three incandescent light bulbs.

1400 RPM= 190 Watts

1750 RPM = 290 watts

2250 RPM = 532 Watts

3400 RPM = 1750 Watts