Replacing Hayward Super Pump with WhisperFlow VST

[Mayorb]

I do not know of any 2 speed systems that meet the current DOE or California EPA pool pump motor requirements. There may be some, but very difficult to find. They must have on board timer and controls.

Thanks for the reply, I obviously need to look further into this.
It had been my understanding that pumps over 1HP only needed low speed capability.
The 2-speed motors run at 3450/1725 rpms which I would have liked to believe was close enough to what most VS pumps are running. Evidently not.
Thanks again!

 

[Mayorb]

Mayorb,

Most of us here that run 24/7 have saltwater pools... We like the idea of making a little chlorine all the time and skimming all the time. I personally find that I like the look of my pool when there is a little motion in the water.

No one here is saying this is a requirement.. It is just something we like to do..

It cost less than $20 bucks a month to do that... It also means that I never have to worry about freeze control since the pump never shuts off..

At 1200 RPM my filter pressure is about 1 or 2 lbs.

I currently have three pools and three IntelliFlo pumps. They have been running 24/7 for over 10 years and still work like they were brand new. My personal theory is that running 24/7 is less stressful on the pump, than shutting the pump off and turning it back on each day. I readily admit I have no hard proof that is true, just my personal experience..

Many new pools have spas, waterfalls, bubblers, heaters, solar, etc. etc... Each of those might require different pump speed to make them operate the way the pool owner wants.. This is pretty easy to do with a large VS pump.

Different strokes for different folks...

Just buy the pump that works for you.

EDIT.. I left out how quiet a VS pump is.. My pump is right next to my bedroom.. I can not hear it at all.. When it was brand new, I actually touched it a couple of times just to make sure it was still running...

Thanks,

Jim R.

Mayorb,

Most of us here that run 24/7 have saltwater pools... We like the idea of making a little chlorine all the time and skimming all the time. I personally find that I like the look of my pool when there is a little motion in the water.

No one here is saying this is a requirement.. It is just something we like to do..

It cost less than $20 bucks a month to do that... It also means that I never have to worry about freeze control since the pump never shuts off..

At 1200 RPM my filter pressure is about 1 or 2 lbs.

I currently have three pools and three IntelliFlo pumps. They have been running 24/7 for over 10 years and still work like they were brand new. My personal theory is that running 24/7 is less stressful on the pump, than shutting the pump off and turning it back on each day. I readily admit I have no hard proof that is true, just my personal experience..

Many new pools have spas, waterfalls, bubblers, heaters, solar, etc. etc... Each of those might require different pump speed to make them operate the way the pool owner wants.. This is pretty easy to do with a large VS pump.

Different strokes for different folks...

Just buy the pump that works for you.

EDIT.. I left out how quiet a VS pump is.. My pump is right next to my bedroom.. I can not hear it at all.. When it was brand new, I actually touched it a couple of times just to make sure it was still running...

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thank you for your reply and insight.
Just a question about running salt system 24/7...
Would that shorten the life of the cell? As I understand it, they are rated for about 10,000 hours.

 

[JamesW]

There are single speed and two speed pumps that are DOE compliant.

A two-speed pump does not need to have an onboard controller.

If the pump does not have an onboard controller, it is required to have a notice on it that it must be connected to an external controller to be DOE compliant.

Service people are required to connect a two speed pump without onboard controls to an external controller.

https://www.energystar.gov/sites/default/files/specs/ENERGY_STAR_Pool_Pump_Spec_V1_Draft1.pdf

https://cdn.fluidrausa.com/-/media/zodiac/global/downloads/jandy/pumps/7352_sl_flopropump.pdf

 

[JamesW]

Just a question about running salt system 24/7...
Would that shorten the life of the cell? As I understand it, they are rated for about 10,000 hours.

10,000 is operational hours, so the continuous operation of the pump will not reduce the life of the cell.

In my opinion, they should make a single speed pump line that operates at 1,725 rpm only and a two speed pump line that operates at 1,725 or 863 rpm.

This would allow for a relatively inexpensive pump that would be simple and easy as long as the installer knows how to choose a pump.

 

[mknauss]

California has more stringent requirements on the motors. I know that a two speed must have on board control.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Just a question about running salt system 24/7...
Would that shorten the life of the cell? As I understand it, they are rated for about 10,000 hours.

Mayor,

Running a cell at 10% for 10 hours is the same as running the cell at 100% for 1 hour..

Each day the cell must run long enough, and hard enough to make the chlorine your pool uses..

If you need say 4 ppm of FC, the cell does not care if you make it very quickly, or very slowly, it is still 4 ppm of FC.

The cell uses "amount of production hours" not clock hours.

Cells are either on or off... So, at 100% they are constantly on, but at 50% they are only one 50% of the time, and at 10% they are only on 10% of the time the pump is running.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JamesW]

The rule might require a controller, but I do not think that the controller has to be integral to the pump.

Also, the OP is not in CA.

https://www.energy.ca.gov/filebrowser/download/2184

 

[JamesW]

https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=212254&DocumentContentId=11682

 

[Newdude]

I'm a bit troubled why 2-speed motors are never brought up as an option on this site

My SWG works at 700 Rpms.
My skimmers work at 1200 Rpms.
My manually vac does best at 2100 RPMs
(Suction side vacs probably also)
Heaters may also require more flow than the set low.

Some with complicated systems have found that the low speed doesn't perform for their needs, and they end up using high all the time.

Yes it's an option. But it's not always a great option.

More often than not, we are discussing which pumps to use on a $100k+ install and the upgrade cost to the superior VS pump is a rounding error, and a small one at that.

 

[JamesW]

A person might have automation that they want to use to control a two speed pump, so it would not make sense to require that the pump come with an integrated onboard controller.