Pump Replacement - Planning ahead for Solar

[jeffblue]

Hi all. I am planning to do solar for next season, using the h2otsun roof strips. My 2hp Hayward Superpump is on its way out, so i wanted to replace it with a VS pump (or 2 speed if someone can recommend one that makes sense). I'm in new york so the pool only gets used 4-5 months a year at most.

I have heard that the pentair VS pumps are better than the Hayward tristar/ecostars, so i am trying to decide between the Pentair intelliflow 011018 3hp and the superflo 342001.

I have a polaris pressure side pool cleaner with a booster pump and other than that i have no other fixtures/fountains etc, nor do i have plans to add any. I don't plan to go crazy with automation or anything either, aside from having my pump timed and a solar heater controller. my roof is about 30 feet at the highest point.

does anyone have an input between these two pumps or any others to consider?

Thanks!

 

[chiefwej]

I have the Intelliflo 011018 pump and a solar system using the Pentair SolarTouch controller. The two work seamlessly together. The controller is a bargain. For about $250 you get the control box, solar valve, valve actuator, and two temperature sensors, (one for panel, one for water). The communication cable that comes with the pump gets connected to the controller. An external speed is selected to support the solar and programmed into the pump.

The more variables you have, the more you need a variable speed pump. I don't know if I'll ever recover the near $1000 it cost to add the Intelliflo VS pump, but I would have bought it anyway. I have a 19k pool/spa with infloor cleaning, solar and NG heating, and a salt water chlorine generator. I have my pump programmed to come on each morning at a speed optimized for the infloor cleaning for 1 hour to clean up the pool. It then drops down to the minimum speed needed to operate my SWCG. If heat is called for and available at the solar panels, the solar control ramps up the pump to a pre set speed that is optimized for the solar system, and opens the solar control valve. When finished it closes the valve and returns control to the pump controller. After the SWCG is through chlorinating the pool for the day, the pump drops to a very slow 1000 rpm (using the power of a 100w light bulb), which provides extra filtration that makes the water extra sparkling clean. At 10pm it shuts down and waits for the next morning. That's all done within the pump programming, and is done without any automation system (other than my very basic SolarTouch solar controller). Since I am running the lowest effective speed for each task and the pump never ever exceeds 2/3 of the power consumed by the old pump (a Hayward 2hp Super Pump), even at its fastest setting, I assume, some day it will have paid for itself. But, as far as I'm concerned the pump has already proved it value, and I didn't even mention that it's so quiet you often have to touch it to be sure it running

 

[jeffblue]

I have the Intelliflo 011018 pump and a solar system using the Pentair SolarTouch controller. The two work seamlessly together. The controller is a bargain. For about $250 you get the control box, solar valve, valve actuator, and two temperature sensors, (one for panel, one for water). The communication cable that comes with the pump gets connected to the controller. An external speed is selected to support the solar and programmed into the pump.

The more variables you have, the more you need a variable speed pump. I don't know if I'll ever recover the near $1000 it cost to add the Intelliflo VS pump, but I would have bought it anyway. I have a 19k pool/spa with infloor cleaning, solar and NG heating, and a salt water chlorine generator. I have my pump programmed to come on each morning at a speed optimized for the infloor cleaning for 1 hour to clean up the pool. It then drops down to the minimum speed needed to operate my SWCG. If heat is called for and available at the solar panels, the solar control ramps up the pump to a pre set speed that is optimized for the solar system, and opens the solar control valve. When finished it closes the valve and returns control to the pump controller. After the SWCG is through chlorinating the pool for the day, the pump drops to a very slow 1000 rpm (using the power of a 100w light bulb), which provides extra filtration that makes the water extra sparkling clean. At 10pm it shuts down and waits for the next morning. That's all done within the pump programming, and is done without any automation system (other than my very basic SolarTouch solar controller). Since I am running the lowest effective speed for each task and the pump never ever exceeds 2/3 of the power consumed by the old pump (a Hayward 2hp Super Pump), even at its fastest setting, I assume, some day it will have paid for itself. But, as far as I'm concerned the pump has already proved it value, and I didn't even mention that it's so quiet you often have to touch it to be sure it running

Wow that is awesome, i'd love to have something like that. My power company offers a 350 rebate on VS pumps so that combined with your glowing review of the pump has certainly helped me lean towards this model. do you you have any specifics on what you needed to swap out plumping wise in order to swap the superpump out for the intelliflow?

 

[chiefwej]

The plumbing doesn't directly line up, so there is a bit of pvc cutting and fitting. I highly recommend you buy a set of unions. They make the job easier and seal much better. The pump seal has an O-ring that seals against the pump body. Also it's much easier to remove and replace the pump in the future. The set Pentair sells is about $40, but Amazon has some for half that price, that work fine.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AKMV4K8/ref=asc_df_B00AKMV4K85135785/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395033&creativeASIN=B00AKMV4K8&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198092864586&hvpos=1o7&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11414851044650914795&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030230&hvtargid=pla-349906384064
When wiring the pump I just moved the supply from the switched side of my timer to the unswitched (hot) side. That way the pump is always powered and uses the internal pump timer/control, and the SWG remains controled by the timer. You then program the timer to run the SWG within a time the pump is programmed to run. EXAMPLE: pump on 9 am, off 4:30 pm. SWG on 9:30am, off 4 pm. The half hour extra on the pump is just to insure the SWG never get power when the pump isn't running, since a mechanical timer isn't very precise.

 

[jeffblue]

The plumbing doesn't directly line up, so there is a bit of pvc cutting and fitting. I highly recommend you buy a set of unions. They make the job easier and seal much better. The pump seal has an O-ring that seals against the pump body. Also it's much easier to remove and replace the pump in the future. The set Pentair sells is about $40, but Amazon has some for half that price, that work fine.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AKMV4K...t=&hvlocphy=9030230&hvtargid=pla-349906384064
When wiring the pump I just moved the supply from the switched side of my timer to the unswitched (hot) side. That way the pump is always powered and uses the internal pump timer/control, and the SWG remains controled by the timer. You then program the timer to run the SWG within a time the pump is programmed to run. EXAMPLE: pump on 9 am, off 4:30 pm. SWG on 9:30am, off 4 pm. The half hour extra on the pump is just to insure the SWG never get power when the pump isn't running, since a mechanical timer isn't very precise.

Thanks so much for the link, those are exactly what i was looking for