SWG/Pool Pump Sizing and Recommendations

[Matt82es]

We’re the new owners of a house/pool as of a year ago and I’ve been having trouble maintaining a free chlorine level. I believe the Autopilot SWG we have is original to the pool when it was built in 2006 so it’s not exactly new, though the cell was replaced last year. I’ve troubleshooted the SWG enough to figure out the issue lies somewhere in the power module. I tried replacing the bulging capacitors I had on the power module and the cord to the salt cell but neither helped and I still have amp/volts issues and I don’t think it’s worth replacing the power module. So I was going to replace the SWG and if I’m doing that I figure I may as well replace the single speed pool pump I have with a VSP. I’d prefer not to replace the filter since I replaced that earlier this year with the same filter as I didn’t feel like replumbing anything at the time but I wouldn’t be opposed to doing it if it made sense.

I’m thinking about going with the CircuPool RJ60+. I plan on doing the work myself so their warranty and price appeals to me. If anyone has any other suggestions I welcome them.

For the pump I’m a little more confused as to what to go with. I’ll try and upload some pictures but where my current pump is located isn’t really accessible enough that I could access the control panel if I put it in the same place. I figure I have 2 options - 1. Put a new pump somewhere else in the shed and replumb things, or 2. Get a VSP that can have a wall mounted control panel. I think I’ve seen some Pentairs and Haywards that have an optional kit to allow wall mounting. I’m leaning more towards option 2.

I have 1.5” PVC piping and I (probably over)guesstimated my TDH to be 80. I was hoping people could give me some recommendations for a pump with respect to sizing for my needs and ideally it would have a wall mount option for the control unit but that’s not a dealbreaker.

I was also thinking I would add a flow meter to my setup so I can dial in the settings on the VSP better, not sure if this is necessary though? My filter has max GPM of 60 so I was concerned about stress on it. I’ve read on the forums that ozone generators and UV are bogus so I’m not looking at those but if you have any other suggestions or improvements on my setup I would appreciate any help I could get. Thank you in advance!

 

[Newdude]

Hey Matt and Welcome !!!

The pentair pumps definitely have and extension kit. It's a dummy plate for the pump where the controls are, and an extension cord/plug so that the controls can be moved 25(?) feet. I've been eyeing one up myself but they are pricey for what they actually contain. Because 'pool'

I imagine Hayward has something similar.

Look in the 1.5 - 2 HP range for pumps that would be a good fit for their price. A 2.7 or 3 HP can always be dialed down as low as you need, but it's not always cost effective to go so large.

Head loss and flow meters are irrelevant for 95% of pools. If you want a flow meter to get your geek on with a new toy, by all means please do, but otherwise you don't need it.

If you are replumbing any part of the pad, upgrade the cheapo unions and ball valves. It would suck to have to revist the project next season. You may have to expose some pipe below ground to have enough to splice onto when starting fresh.

 

[generessler]

Something to consider is making sure the pump can be wired so the SWG is never on when the pump is. Same for the heater I suppose. Both devices have safety flow switches, but it's not recommended to rely on them. VSPs normally want the power always on. When there's automation in the picture it manages everything. Since it sounds like that's not the case here, you'll need a pump with control relays to turn the flow-dependent stuff on and off for you with the pump. I recall reading some of the Hayward pumps have this advertised as "smart pool control."

 

[Newdude]

*chose to run 24/7 because it solves the need for a timer. (Among several other things) I have 2 times. Summertime and Wintertime.

I cannot reccomend the 24/7, VSP, SWG combo enough. It is fabulous.

 

[ajw22]

Consider getting a VSP with a simple compatiable automation system like the Pentair IntelliConnect or Hayward OmniHub. The automation app will be your remote controls for the pump and more if you want.

 

[trivetman]

I cannot reccomend the 24/7, VSP, SWG combo enough. It is fabulous.

Agreed. I switched from bleach/single speed to swg and vsp this year and its been super easy since then.

Heres hoping it lasts a long time but so far the Hayward swg I ended up with has been well worth the astronomical amount I paid. I had a bad experience with a circupool unit (it got returned) but lots of others love them.

I will caution against basing a purchase on the lb/day chlorine specs circupool publishes (which is what I did!) Those numbers seem too good to be true and there’s a number of us who have tried to measure output of the circupool units and it can be pretty far off.

 

[Matt82es]

Thank you all for the suggestions. You’ve given me allot to think about and research. I’m not planning on doing anything until Spring next year so I have time to make my decisions. Thank you again!

 

[Matt82es]

Hi all, I had another post about updating my SWG and single speed pool pump with a VSP but figured I should start a new thread since I have new questions after some of the feedback I got.

I have an AquaCal T115 heater that was installed a couple months ago and I’m looking to get a VSP to replace my single speed pump and also a new SWG. I’m trying to figure out how to wire everything and if I need a timer for the SWG and heater which seems to be a common problem.

Since I have an AquaCal heater I was wondering if an AutoPilot ChlorSync SWG would be a good option? I could get the PoolSync controller add on and control both heater and SWG and set up schedules. And the VSP could just have its own schedule and they would just need to be synced up. I don’t think I would need to worry about the VSP and SWG/heater getting out of sync during a power outage if they were both controlled via the PoolSync controller but I’m not sure.

Does anyone have any shortened with the Chlorsync SWG and/or the PoolSync controller? I don’t want to spend a ton of money and this seems like a relatively budget friendly option given the heater that I currently have. Appreciate any input. Thank you!

 

[ajw22]

What VSP pump are you thinking of getting?

Keeping all your questions in one thread helps not get questions like that.

 

[Matt82es]

Haven’t decided on a VSP yet, I am open to suggestions.

Haven’t been able to find much information on the ChlorSync SWG and I realized the replacement cells are basically almost the cost of the whole system so I’m reconsidering that.

If any has specific suggestions on SWG/VSP or any timers or other relatively affordable options for keeping things in sync I would be open to that. I don’t think I can spring for a full automation system now but could spend a few hundred if there was some add on or something that would allow me to control things and ensure that SWG/heat pump are off if pump is not running without worry that the clocks might get out of sync during a power outage as we sometimes travel. Any suggestions are welcome. Thank you.

 

[ajw22]

Pentair IntelliConnect, which costs about $600, will do all you want and control an IntelliFlo VSP, IntelliChlor SWG, your Aquacal HP, and pool light.

Similarly a Hayward OmniHub will control a TriStar VSP, Aquarite SWG, your Aquacal HP, and pool light. Or price out the Aquarite S3 Omni that can control Hayward VSPs, Aquarite SWG, and your HP.

 

[Matt82es]

Thank you for the suggestions, I will look into them. Appreciate you taking the time to respond!

 

[DavidArmenB]

If you go with a Pentair Intelliflo Variable Pump, you can get the relocation kit and mount it somewhere more accessible.