Single speed pump vs. Variable speed pump

[JamesW]

VSD Pool Pump ($350)

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www.aepohio.com

DSIRE

programs.dsireusa.org

Public Utility Rebates

Whether you are planning a pool party for friends and family or prefer the serene sensation of a calm pool, Pentair has the pool and spa solutions just for you.

www.pentair.com

Residential Pool Pump Rebate - Duke Energy

Use less energy and lower your monthly bills with a new ENERGY STAR certified variable-speed pool pump and get a rebate from Duke Energy.

www.duke-energy.com

 

[Leebo]

My electric is extremely cheap lol. Who would be issuing these rebates? I know my electric company would laugh at me lol

If you happen to have AEP Ohio they do offer rebates from time to time. I don't think they received approval for many items this year, but you can find info here.................

AEP Ohio

aepohiomarketplace.com

 

[thefloatqueen]

VSD Pool Pump ($350)

Page Not Found

www.aepohio.com

DSIRE

programs.dsireusa.org

Public Utility Rebates

Whether you are planning a pool party for friends and family or prefer the serene sensation of a calm pool, Pentair has the pool and spa solutions just for you.

www.pentair.com

Residential Pool Pump Rebate - Duke Energy

Use less energy and lower your monthly bills with a new ENERGY STAR certified variable-speed pool pump and get a rebate from Duke Energy.

www.duke-energy.com

I don’t have AEP. I have The Energy Cooperative.

 

[thefloatqueen]

I’m kind of out in the country lol. Water and electric are a lot lower here for some reason.

 

[Leebo]

I don’t have AEP. I have The Energy Cooperative.

Rebate Programs

Rebates for Our Electric Members At this time, we only offer rebates to our electric members. If you are a natural gas or propane member, we suggest you contact your electric provider to inquire about rebate opportunities. Electric members (who meet the requirements below) are eligible for a...

myenergycoop.com

Check from time to time as things change frequently. So often it has nothing to do with the price of your services but if the company has applied for the grants and so forth. There's a strong push to incentivize users to upgrade to more energy efficient items, so much depends on your timing when you happen to check.

 

[thefloatqueen]

Rebate Programs

Rebates for Our Electric Members At this time, we only offer rebates to our electric members. If you are a natural gas or propane member, we suggest you contact your electric provider to inquire about rebate opportunities. Electric members (who meet the requirements below) are eligible for a...

myenergycoop.com

Check from time to time as things change frequently. So often it has nothing to do with the price of your services but if the company has applied for the grants and so forth. There's a strong push to incentivize users to upgrade to more energy efficient items, so much depends on your timing when you happen to check.

Thank you for the info!! I appreciate it. Who knows, maybe I’ll find one at the right price (or gently used maybe?) and go with a VS.

 

[AndyTN]

I have done the math and running my single speed 24/7 costs me approx. $50 per month in electricity and we have very cheap utility rates in Memphis. April-Oct is 7 months so $350 per pool season. A VS would take only 2-3 years to pay for itself.

This argument makes perfect sense to people on TFP but my wife hears "$800 for a new pump when ours is still working???" and I get shot down. I guess I will accidentally have to break it some day but these darn single speeds are tough as heck.

Regardless of the cost savings, my number one reason to get a VS would be the reduction in noise. My equipment pad is right next to my back porch and mine is so loud that I can easily hear it from inside the house.

 

[Newdude]

Regardless of the cost savings, my number one reason to get a VS would be the reduction in noise. My equipment pad is right next to my back porch and mine is so loud that I can easily hear it from inside the house

Play that up to the CFO...... ambiance AND a ROI that will pay us back.

 

[magiteck]

I have done the math and running my single speed 24/7 costs me approx. $50 per month in electricity and we have very cheap utility rates in Memphis. April-Oct is 7 months so $350 per pool season. A VS would take only 2-3 years to pay for itself.

This argument makes perfect sense to people on TFP but my wife hears "$800 for a new pump when ours is still working???" and I get shot down. I guess I will accidentally have to break it some day but these darn single speeds are tough as ****.

Regardless of the cost savings, my number one reason to get a VS would be the reduction in noise. My equipment pad is right next to my back porch and mine is so loud that I can easily hear it from inside the house.

Curious - why do you run your pump 24/7?

 

[AndyTN]

Play that up to the CFO...... ambiance AND a ROI that will pay us back.

Whenever I talk about getting a heater, upgrading the pump, or something else fancy, the CFO reminds me of the time 3 years ago when I accidentally dragged a concrete paver into the pool and tore a 4 foot gash in the old liner. We got a beautiful new liner for $3600 but the CFO will never let down that mistake.

 

[AndyTN]

Curious - why do you run your pump 24/7?

Because my pool automation consists of a switch on the outside of the house. I will turn it off sometimes during cold nights in Spring to save some heat but from June-August I am running the fountain at night to cool off the water via evaporation.

I also have 8-10 big trees getting leaves and Crud in my pool constantly so I do a lot of skimming and running the Polaris.

 

[setsailsoon]

I have done the math and running my single speed 24/7 costs me approx. $50 per month in electricity and we have very cheap utility rates in Memphis. April-Oct is 7 months so $350 per pool season. A VS would take only 2-3 years to pay for itself.

This argument makes perfect sense to people on TFP but my wife hears "$800 for a new pump when ours is still working???" and I get shot down. I guess I will accidentally have to break it some day but these darn single speeds are tough as ****.

Regardless of the cost savings, my number one reason to get a VS would be the reduction in noise. My equipment pad is right next to my back porch and mine is so loud that I can easily hear it from inside the house.

I had the same problem. So I went for the much cheaper new V-Green VS motor instead. I also told her all the experts on TFP had one so I didn't see why I couldn't have one. After a month of groveling she finally gave me the OK for the less expensive motor route.

 

[mknauss]

In less than 5 months, if the motor fails, you get a VS motor regardless ................

 

[XBow]

So, pls do tell....after ALL that good discussion. What is the verdict?
Is the savings in electricity worth the $1100 cost to change a Regular pump to a Variable speed pump?

 

[Newdude]

Is the savings in electricity worth the $1100 cost to change a Regular pump to a Variable speed pump?

This friendly debate will rage on until the end of time. Long term it’s worth it. Short term..... well, that gets complicated by what funds are available today and we all have 27 other projects to invest in that might be more important.

 

[setsailsoon]

So, pls do tell....after ALL that good discussion. What is the verdict?
Is the savings in electricity worth the $1100 cost to change a Regular pump to a Variable speed pump?

Short answer is almost always yes. But you don't need to be a scientist to figure this out. The actual calculation is somewhat complex. Pentair has a good calculator that makes some simplifying assumptions that may overstate actual run time needed but the difference between both cases should be close to your situation.

To illustrate why I say "almost always yes" look at the case below which would be applicable to most people in S Florida with a 3 hp pump, year-round season, running pump 12 hrs per day. Less than 1 year payback! But consider further up the coast with similar power cost and pool operation with a 4 month season. Payback is now a little less than 3 years. Maybe that person has many high priorities for cash. Answer for them is not so compelling.

If you're considering a VS pump, run the calculator above. It will even estimate your power cost based on zip code for you and it's a great way to take the guess work out.

I hope this helps.

Chris

 

[AndyTN]

So, pls do tell....after ALL that good discussion. What is the verdict?
Is the savings in electricity worth the $1100 cost to change a Regular pump to a Variable speed pump?

If you are in the market for a new pump because the old single speed is broken or you are doing a new build, a little extra $$ for a VS makes perfect sense. If your single speed is working fine like mine, it will be harder to justify "fixing what isn't broken" when you could spend nothing extra now.

 

[PoolGate]

There are various reasons to swap to variable speed pump (VSP) from a single speed pump. There is more than just cost savings to consider. But, how important each of those is will help determine if it is "worth" it.

1. Decreased noise
2. Finer control over equipment such as SWG, water features, etc.
3. Money savings
4. Electrical savings

For most people, the electrical cost savings alone will justify the purchase. I put together the below chart to show what it costs to run a VSP at various speeds. For a single speed pump, use the 3450 RPM speed. In my case, I run mine VSP 24x7 in season at 1200rpms. 1200 allows my SWG to produce chlorine. In addition, I bump the speed to 3000rpms every morning for 2 hours for effective skimming. When the heater runs it runs at 3000 rpms. My heater is gas so "on-demand" and only active while we are in the pool and maybe a couple hours before.

With my usage, I estimate I am saving probably 75% over just having a single speed pump. @ $150/month savings in electrical charges. In my case, it is easy to justify a VSP.

 

[Liz315]

So I’m getting a new pool, 15x30, about 15,000 gallons, swg, heater, NJ so only 4 months of swim season. Nothing fancy, no spa or water features. I was on the fence because I have read about the requirements for vs pumps soon, but my pool builder talked me into staying with a single speed pump.
From what I’m told, vs pumps are complicated and with a heater and swg you aren’t able to maximize the efficiency of the vs pump. Plus not having extra features like the spa and water features it’s really not necessary. Add on top of that not using the pool all year long. As a first time pool owner I agreed that there was no reason to complicate things with the vs as I don’t know what I’m doing. I suppose I’ll find out soon, lol.
they explained they will continue to have service parts available and in my eyes if I have it 5 years etc before it dies and I’m forced to get a variable speed pump I’ll have more knowledge of how to work it and also be ok spending more money then to add automation at the same time. From my understanding that’s also necessary to get the pump, swg and heater talking to one another.
Did I make a big mistake?

 

[PoolGate]

So I’m getting a new pool, 15x30, about 15,000 gallons, swg, heater, NJ so only 4 months of swim season. Nothing fancy, no spa or water features. I was on the fence because I have read about the requirements for vs pumps soon, but my pool builder talked me into staying with a single speed pump.
From what I’m told, vs pumps are complicated and with a heater and swg you aren’t able to maximize the efficiency of the vs pump. Plus not having extra features like the spa and water features it’s really not necessary. Add on top of that not using the pool all year long. As a first time pool owner I agreed that there was no reason to complicate things with the vs as I don’t know what I’m doing. I suppose I’ll find out soon, lol.
they explained they will continue to have service parts available and in my eyes if I have it 5 years etc before it dies and I’m forced to get a variable speed pump I’ll have more knowledge of how to work it and also be ok spending more money then to add automation at the same time. From my understanding that’s also necessary to get the pump, swg and heater talking to one another.
Did I make a big mistake?

Yes, IMO, you made a mistake. The SWG alone justifies it. Keeping a SWG on 24x7 producing a little chlorine is a great way to get it dialed in. Check out the chart at how much you will spend running a single speed to produce chlorine. You can run it less often at a higher percent output for sure, but I have mine dialed in at 53% running 24 hours a day.

Also I suspect your builder undersized your SWG meaning you may have to run it 24x7 to get enough chlorine produced. What model did you get?