Single speed to 2 speed pump motor

West Coast

Member
May 20, 2020
19
Baldwin County, AL
Folks, there is nothing wrong with my motor, but for $$ savings I am thinking of moving to a 2 speed pump, from this single speed:

Century Motor No. 196249
1 HP, 1.25 SF HP, 208-230/115 V, 60 Hz. single phase
3450 RPM, Max Amps 6.6/13.2, Continuous

to this 2 speed:

AO Smith 1hp #BN37V1 1hp 1.0 sf

I recall seeing a thread some time ago with a link to a comparable AO Smith 1hp motor with a higher service factor, I looked for some time but could not locate it.

With my components I figure this should be a pretty straight forward conversion.

Any comments or suggestions?

Dnnie
 
Folks, there is nothing wrong with my motor, but for $$ savings I am thinking of moving to a 2 speed pump, from this single speed:

Century Motor No. 196249
1 HP, 1.25 SF HP, 208-230/115 V, 60 Hz. single phase
3450 RPM, Max Amps 6.6/13.2, Continuous

to this 2 speed:

AO Smith 1hp #BN37V1 1hp 1.0 sf

I recall seeing a thread some time ago with a link to a comparable AO Smith 1hp motor with a higher service factor, I looked for some time but could not locate it.

With my components I figure this should be a pretty straight forward conversion.

Any comments or suggestions?

Dnnie
A 1hp, 1.0sf motor cannot be used in place of a 1hp, 1.25 sf motor. Also, that 2-speed motor is a completely different motor than the one you now have and won't install on your wet end (take a look at the pictures of the motors). There's also a reason they are so inexpensive.
You would also need to purchase a 2-speed control that would cost around $400.00. Then there is the re-wiring needed.
The actual replacement that would work, if you don't have automation, would be a cost of about $850.00 for everything if you do the labor.
If you are serious about saving money, in the long run, you need to get a larger impeller, and any other internal parts to match (you don't list your actual pump) and a variable-speed motor. Just replacing the motor with a variable-speed one, seal, and any other needed O rings, would still be less expensive than going the 2-speed route, likely around $600.00.
Pools are expensive.
 
If you're replacing the motor, might as well switch to a variable speed one. You'll make the cost difference back in energy savings. I recently replaced mine with a VGreen EVO.
 
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A 1hp, 1.0sf motor cannot be used in place of a 1hp, 1.25 sf motor. Also, that 2-speed motor is a completely different motor than the one you now have and won't install on your wet end (take a look at the pictures of the motors). There's also a reason they are so inexpensive.
You would also need to purchase a 2-speed control that would cost around $400.00. Then there is the re-wiring needed.
The actual replacement that would work, if you don't have automation, would be a cost of about $850.00 for everything if you do the labor.
If you are serious about saving money, in the long run, you need to get a larger impeller, and any other internal parts to match (you don't list your actual pump) and a variable-speed motor. Just replacing the motor with a variable-speed one, seal, and any other needed O rings, would still be less expensive than going the 2-speed route, likely around $600.00.
Pools are expensive.
Thank you for your reply. I was not aware of the SF compatibility, thank you for letting me know. My Hayward Aqua Plus ProLogic can accommodate 2 speed motor control. My pump is shown in my signature file it is a StaRite Supermax, it can also accommodate a 2 speed motor. Thus my interest in a 2 speed motor.
 
Thank you for your reply. I was not aware of the SF compatibility, thank you for letting me know. My Hayward Aqua Plus ProLogic can accommodate 2 speed motor control. My pump is shown in my signature file it is a StaRite Supermax, it can also accommodate a 2 speed motor. Thus my interest in a 2 speed motor.
How many relays are in use in your ProLogic? Hayward automation needs to use two separate relays wired according to the diagram in the manual for two-speed motor control.
 
If you have an SWG then you want to go with a variable speed motor. A 2-speed motor might not produce enough flow on low speed to trigger the SWG in which case you’ll be running the pump at full speed anyway to make chlorine. With a variable speed pump you adjust the speed down to the lowest possible setting that triggers the SWG and then add an additional 100 RPMs or so for filter loading effects. In a lot of cases that means running the pump down near its lowest possible speed which typically consumes about as much power as a standard 100W light bulb. You can then use the higher speeds for skimming or vacuuming.

Variable speed pumps and motors have gotten cheaper nowadays ever since the DOE regulations banned single speed motors on pool pumps. The market is flooded with a lot of products and so it’s a lot easier to switch. You should also check with you local electric utility as they may offer a rebate if you switch out the pump to a VSP. That could make the swap very cost effective.
 
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