Questions for VS pump newb

[Dwiessner]

Hey all, looking for advice for programming my new intelliflo pump.

First, I tried running at 750 rpm (after cleaning filters) and see very little flow. Not enough to activate the SWG, and not enough to skim. I am now running 1500 rpm for 14 hours, which activates the SWG and keeps the top of the pool clean. If the SWG is on, is there an advantage to running more water through it, or will it be the same amount of chlorine, regardless? In other words, do I need to bump it up at any point, or could I run at 1500 rpm and be just fine?

Also, is there an advantage to running the pump 24/7? Seems like maybe running it half the time might prolong the life, use less electricity, and be as effective?

Lastly, with the solar heater, I bump up the rpm when the controller kicks on, but I'll trying to find the sweet spot. Is there an advantage to having the water flow quickly or slowly through the solar? Seems like the slower it goes, the more time it has to warm up?

Any other advice outd things i might be overlooking?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jimrahbe]

D,

As far at the cell goes, more flow does not equal more chlorine.. Best to run the SWCG as slow as you can go and still close the flow switch.. Sounds like you are about right. 750 is too slow and actually costs more to run than 1000 RPM..

I run my pump 24/7, at 1200 RPM, as I personally like to generate a little chlorine all the time. I also like that I am skimming 24/7 and I like the idea that I never have to go through the prime cycle (Unless I turn the pump off)

In my mind, starting and stopping the pump each day is harder on the pump than running 24/7. I have zero evidence that supports my theory so I could well be wrong..

I suspect that in the big picture it most likely does not make much difference either way...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Dwiessner]

D,

As far at the cell goes, more flow does not equal more chlorine.. Best to run the SWCG as slow as you can go and still close the flow switch.. Sounds like you are about right. 750 is too slow and actually costs more to run than 1000 RPM..

I run my pump 24/7, at 1200 RPM, as I personally like to generate a little chlorine all the time. I also like that I am skimming 24/7 and I like the idea that I never have to go through the prime cycle (Unless I turn the pump off)

In my mind, starting and stopping the pump each day is harder on the pump than running 24/7. I have zero evidence that supports my theory so I could well be wrong..

I suspect that in the big picture it most likely does not make much difference either way...

Thanks,

Jim R.

You are probably right. Im probably overthinking.

As far as heat goes though, would you go minimum rpm on that, as well?

 

[Jimrahbe]

D,

I do not have a heater and don't really want to guess at an answer...

Jim R.

 

[chiefwej]

All pools and plumbing systems are different and the beautiful thing abut a VS pump is that you can “dial in” the perfect speed for each situation.

Just as an example my SWG takes about 1300 to trip the flow switch. I set it at 1500 just to insure it will always operate even with a filter that needs cleaning. As far as run time, you can run a SWG for 8 hours at 25%, or 4 hour at 50%, or 2 hours at 100% and it’s all the same.

Solar systems work best by imparting a small heat rise to a large amount of water. So, yes a larger flow is more effective for heating (within reason), but it uses more electrical power. The goal is maximum thermal heat transfer without excessive power consumption. In my system that balance point is around 2500 rpm. . So I have that set as an “external control” speed and the solar controller triggers that speed change when heat is called for.

 

[Divin Dave]

Im like Jim, I run my vsp at 1200 x 24/7. However I have my SWG on a seperate timer because I dont like my SWG output being dependent upon pump run time.

I get a lot of UV where Im at and so I run my SWG during the time of day when I get the most FC loss.That's what works best for me.

 

[chiefwej]

Any pool that a SWG and a VS pump should have a separate timer or a power relay controlling power supply to the SWG. You must insure that the SWG is never powered if the pump is not running.

 

[Neemer]

That’s an interesting comment, Chief. Could you elaborate a bit? Doesn’t the flow sensor handle whatever the concern is?

 

[Jimrahbe]

N,

Salt cells require two safety devices.. The Primary device is removing power from the cell's power supply when the pump is not running or at least not supposed to be running. The Secondary Safety device is the flow switch..

Will it work with just the flow switch? Yes it will, just like you might drive your car thousands of miles with the air bags disconnected... It works right up to the moment it doesn't..

You are free to do as you wish, but our advice is to use both of the safety features..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Melnic]

with a constant pump RPM, flow can change with a dirty filter so don't get too close to the tripping point.
Switches also can change the trip point at different temperatures also. Whether its a salt cell or heat pump, good thing to know where it trips and keep it running enough above that for reliability.

with a clean filter, my heat pump cuts off at 750. My Salt cell still works at 750 and I did not look at how much further below.

 

[Dwiessner]

Lots of great advice. I do have my SWG wired on currently, so it makes sense to run the pump 24/7, at least until I get it wired up on the timer.

After some tinkering, I learned 1250 runs at 150W, is enough to keep the SWG on, and circulates the pool. It's also Whistler quiet, so that's the normal speed I'll run at for now.

With solar, 2000 rpm causes a lot of bubbles, but the SWG stayed on more or less. Bumping it to 2500 rpm seemed to solve both issues. This will be my new "solar on" speed.

So my magic formula for now is 1250 rpm 24/7, and double that when the solar is on. Thanks for the help!