Replacing pump with VS - Jandy or Pentair

[jejm2143]

Hi everyone,

We just purchased a home in Austin, TX that has a pool. We never have maintained one before so I have been learning quite a bit and up until last week - everything was going very well.

And then the pool pump shorted out. Our home warranty will be giving us a payout for the pump. We had plans to swap the pump out for a variable speed pump in the winter time and will just do it now. We also have been strongly considering swapping our sand filter for a quad DE filter at the same time. We like the idea of having cleaner water and also we do not like wasting the water with backwashing.

For the pump - we are between the Jandy and a Pentair. I am leaning toward a Pentair Intelliflo, but would love to hear your recommendations. We also want to future proof ourselves with a large pump in case we want to add a water feature.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Jimrahbe]

je,

I have had three IntelliFlo pumps running 24/7 for several years... One over 6 years, one over 5 years and one for over 4 years... If one of them were to go bad today, I would have another one on my porch tomorrow afternoon...

I like to say that all other brands of pumps are "almost" as good. It is considered by most to be the Gold Standard of pool pumps.

Keep in mind that if you have an automation system, you will need to make sure it can control the IntelliFlo before investing any money. If you do NOT have automation it will work just fine with its built-in controller..

I have a saltwater pool and run the pump at 1200 rpm 90% of the time.. at that speed, the pump costs less than $20 per month to run 24/7...

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[nutria]

Another vote for the pentair pumps. I substituted all my 80ies single speed pumps (3 of them) and could not be happier. They run over 12 hours a day on low flow settings and we have not had a single problem in 2 years. Also, check with Austin energy about the rebate (the information should be on their website). Two years ago they still had a rebate for replacing an old single speed with a new VS pump.

Antia (also in ATX!)

Hi everyone,

We just purchased a home in Austin, TX that has a pool. We never have maintained one before so I have been learning quite a bit and up until last week - everything was going very well.

And then the pool pump shorted out. Our home warranty will be giving us a payout for the pump. We had plans to swap the pump out for a variable speed pump in the winter time and will just do it now. We also have been strongly considering swapping our sand filter for a quad DE filter at the same time. We like the idea of having cleaner water and also we do not like wasting the water with backwashing.

For the pump - we are between the Jandy and a Pentair. I am leaning toward a Pentair Intelliflo, but would love to hear your recommendations. We also want to future proof ourselves with a large pump in case we want to add a water feature.

Thanks everyone.

 

[jejm2143]

Thanks everyone. I am leaning toward the Pentair Intelliflo pump after reading more about how happy people have been with them.

I also just received a quote for an install and I almost dropped my phone. I did plumbing for 3 summers and our setup is not complex at all. So I am deciding on if I want to install it myself (unfortunately lose the rebate from Austin Energy and the warranty), but for nearly the $1400 in labor cost savings it may be worth it.

 

[Jimrahbe]

je,

What type of place gave you the quote? Was it a pool builder???

Does Austin Energy have a list of providers you must use???

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Mr. Haney]

Just for a data point, my pool has a Jandy VS that I have no reason not to believe is as old as the pool, 15+.

 

[jejm2143]

Thanks Mr. Haney. Since I am looking to replace the filter with a Pentair DE Quad, I would like to keep everything under the same brand name.

@Jimrahbe: It is a company here who handles maintenance and replacing pool equipment. They are one of the contractors listed on the Austin Energy rebate list and had great reviews.


After giving it some more thought last night here is what my next steps are:
- I am going to get 2 more quotes to see where the numbers fall on a replacing my pool pump, filter, and electrical (old wiring with metal conduit).
- From there I am going to decide if the $400 rebate ($300 Austin Energy + $100 Pentair) and losing the 2 year warranty on the Pentair pump is worth it installing myself or going forward with a pro install.

My system is very straightforward (see photos below) and would not be a challenge to replace myself (I have 3 years as a plumber). The other items I want to swap out is the ball valves for Jandy valves. I already have a concrete pad laid so I would just need to make sure my mockup and layout would fit everything (and still can be serviced without an issue) or I will pour a new pad.

Our goals:
- Pentair VS Pump
- Pentair DE Quadfilter or sand filter with glass media
- Hook up our existing booster pump
- Keep inline chlorinator feeder (Model 320)
- Future proof ourselves for a SWCG installation at a later date

Would love to hear your thoughts/opinions/experiences around this.

 

[Dirk]

Definitely ditch those ball valves for a three-way. Right now those two could both be closed to choke the pump. No bueno.

Maybe an illusion, but it looks like you have a mix of 2" and 1.5" PVC (to accommodate the pump, I presume, and maybe the filter, too). As long as you're going at it... if it were my setup, and I was tearing apart the PVC anyway, I'd get rid of as much of the 1.5" as was practical, especially if the return line is 2" as well. Maybe you already are planning on that.

Is that a check valve before the chlorinator? Not a particularly state-of-the-art one, if that's what it is. You might consider upgrading that, too, because there's no way to see if it's working or not. The Jandy checks have a clear cover, so you can keep an eye on them.

Jim, can you weigh in on this? As I posed the following in another thread here, too. Is it standard/OK to pull the booster pump water after the chlorinator? Does the extra chlorine impact the pump in anyway? I thought the chlorinator should always be last, and isolated from backwashing into anything (or a heater, anyway) with a check valve.

And if he's going to keep his feeder, would you put that before or after the SWG? Shouldn't the SWG be first? So: pump -> filter -> booster -> check -> SWG -> feeder -> pool?

Of course, the use of that puck chlorinator is questionable anyway, but that's another matter.

Oh, and if I was re-doing everything, I'd use sweep 90s everywhere. But I think I'm alone in that camp, here at TFP, where others think they make little or no difference.


Anywho, the actual reason I posted was to offer a somewhat obscure idea. I've read other posts complaining about exorbitant installation costs when rebates and "preferred" or local installers were involved. The gist was that these guys know they have the market cornered, so can charge whatever they want to.

Was the list a mandatory thing, or just a curtesy suggestion thing? If the latter, maybe a few calls to vendors outside of your area might get you somewhere. Maybe find a certified guy (to protect your warranty) that is willing to travel, or finds himself in your area for other projects, who could offer a competitive price against the local extortionists. Ten minutes of calls might save you enough to rethink ditching the warranty.

 

[sktn77a]

In the unlikely event your pump fails, you can buy another with what you save by installing it yourself (even after the rebates)! And do you have a direct return to your pool, instead of what looks like running the chlorinator through the Polaris booster pump?

 

[Dirk]

Keith, I think there is a return. The pipe extends down below the T that feeds the booster. It's kinda hidden in the pic behind the pipe that runs to his vac, coming off the booster.

 

[jejm2143]

Definitely ditch those ball valves for a three-way. Right now those two could both be closed to choke the pump. No bueno.

Maybe an illusion, but it looks like you have a mix of 2" and 1.5" PVC (to accommodate the pump, I presume, and maybe the filter, too). As long as you're going at it... if it were my setup, and I was tearing apart the PVC anyway, I'd get rid of as much of the 1.5" as was practical, especially if the return line is 2" as well. Maybe you already are planning on that.

Is that a check valve before the chlorinator? Not a particularly state-of-the-art one, if that's what it is. You might consider upgrading that, too, because there's no way to see if it's working or not. The Jandy checks have a clear cover, so you can keep an eye on them.

Jim, can you weigh in on this? As I posed the following in another thread here, too. Is it standard/OK to pull the booster pump water after the chlorinator? Does the extra chlorine impact the pump in anyway? I thought the chlorinator should always be last, and isolated from backwashing into anything (or a heater, anyway) with a check valve.

And if he's going to keep his feeder, would you put that before or after the SWG? Shouldn't the SWG be first? So: pump -> filter -> booster -> check -> SWG -> feeder -> pool?

Of course, the use of that puck chlorinator is questionable anyway, but that's another matter.

Oh, and if I was re-doing everything, I'd use sweep 90s everywhere. But I think I'm alone in that camp, here at TFP, where others think they make little or no difference.


Anywho, the actual reason I posted was to offer a somewhat obscure idea. I've read other posts complaining about exorbitant installation costs when rebates and "preferred" or local installers were involved. The gist was that these guys know they have the market cornered, so can charge whatever they want to.

Was the list a mandatory thing, or just a curtesy suggestion thing? If the latter, maybe a few calls to vendors outside of your area might get you somewhere. Maybe find a certified guy (to protect your warranty) that is willing to travel, or finds himself in your area for other projects, who could offer a competitive price against the local extortionists. Ten minutes of calls might save you enough to rethink ditching the warranty.

Thanks for the response.

The ball valves will go. Would you recommend a one Jandy valve right at the T where the skimmer and main drain lines come in together? Also I have heard good things about sand filters with glass vs. DE quads, does anyone have any experience on that?

As for the plumping, I would like to dig a a foot down in the ground around the 1.5" pipes that come up for the main, skimmer, and return line to put a sch 40 coupling on and run 2" pipe to the system above. My question is how will that impact my flow rates - I would imagine that would put some strain on the PVC piping under ground or no?

The reason we are running that puck chlorinator is we like to have nothing in the pool and this was an alternative to a floater.

There is a list out there of vendors we have to use to get the discounted.

- - - Updated - - -

In the unlikely event your pump fails, you can buy another with what you save by installing it yourself (even after the rebates)! And do you have a direct return to your pool, instead of what looks like running the chlorinator through the Polaris booster pump?

Dirk is right - the direct return to my pool is below that T that feeds the booster.

 

[Dirk]

Would you recommend a one Jandy valve right at the T where the skimmer and main drain lines come in together?

Yes, a three-way Jandy that can balance the two suction lines without ever being able to close both at the same time. It would replace the T.

As for the plumping, I would like to dig a a foot down in the ground around the 1.5" pipes that come up for the main, skimmer, and return line to put a sch 40 coupling on and run 2" pipe to the system above. My question is how will that impact my flow rates - I would imagine that would put some strain on the PVC piping under ground or no?

Sorry, that's a bit beyond my knowledge of hydraulics. In the pic it looks like you have 2" coming out of the dirt. Is that not the case? That's why I suggested getting rid of the 1.5". But if your whole system is 1.5", I'm not sure how converting that to 2" for the pad, then back to 1.5" for the returns, would help much. Again, I don't know.

The reason we are running that puck chlorinator is we like to have nothing in the pool and this was an alternative to a floater.

Do yourself a favor and study up her on the FC/CYA relationship, which will lead you to the same conclusion that everyone else that has embraced the methods they teach here has figured out: the use of pucks is not sustainable and will lead you down a path of unnecessary pool drains, algae blooms and other problems. They can be used on very rare occasions, very conservatively, but they are actually inappropriate for full time sanitation. (I know, that's contrary to everything you think you know about pucks, but it's hard science, not anecdotal.) So keeping the feeder isn't a bad idea, but the sooner you switch to SWG, the happier you're going to be. Read through Pool School. You'll be glad you did.

There is a list out there of vendors we have to use to get the discounted.

Bummer. I once considered Keith's math for my own install (saving enough money by DIY that would cover the cost of a second pump), but my pool guy gave me just enough of a deal to abandon that idea. And I had purchased enough items at the same time that Pentair gave me a three-year warranty on everything, so that pushed me to the dark side. I understand Pentair's logic, they want to force you to get their stuff installed correctly. Cuts down on support and user problems. But unfortunately that has morphed into where PBs can charge a premium because the average consumer doesn't have any other choice but to use a Pentair certified guy. (Edit by Jim R.)