Variable Speed Pool Pump Questions

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M

MOConnell

0
Mar 8, 2017
14
Petaluma, CA
Our existing single speed 1 HP Pentair pump burned out and we are looking to replace it with a variable speed.

Here are the specs:

Location: Northern California (year round operation)
28,000 gal
1.5" piping
~50' of head
Hayward DE filter (60sf)
Kreepy Krawley suction cleaner, retrofitted on 2" line
-No Spas, water features, etc.
230v Electrical

I have been looking at Pentair and Hayward. I assume that I don't need a pump over 1.5 HP as I am limited by the 1.5" pipe's flow rate? Others have suggested the Pentair Inteliflo, but that is a 3HP unit. Also looked at the Pentair Superflo 1.5HP and the Hayward Tristar, Maxflo VS, and Super Pump VS.

The other question is control on/off. Right now our existing pump is on a third party Insteon 230v wifi controller that controls on/off. Any of these pumps compatible with that or will everything now be controlled at the pump unit keypad. I don't want to get into an expensive pool wifi control unit, or pool automation system.

Any help much appreciated!

-Mike
 
I been runing a Hayward SP2303VSP MaxFlo pump for a week not and I love it. It is super quiet and very powerful. It is 1.65hp but you won't need to run it at 100% ever. I have 2 inch drain and return manifold but it will work fine on 1.5 inch. In fact it could be piped either at 1.5 or 2 inch with the supplied universal connectors that they package with it. BTW I had a 3/4 hp pump before. And this pump runs without any need for automation. In fact you don't even need a timer because it has an integrated timer with 8 schedule points that let you control run time and speed for 24/7 operation. I can't speak for other pumps as this is my first vs pump.

Ps. If you want I can look at the literature when I get home and I will tell you if it could be controlled with a third party controller. I am pretty sure that it could be with a normal open dry contact.
 
Welcome to TFP!

The Pentair Superflo VS pump or the Hayward Maxflo VS would be fine for your pool. You can run the pump at 1100 or 1200 rpm for most skimming, filtering and making chlorine with an SWG and it will only use 150 to 200 watts. Then you can run it higher when needed for vacuuming, cleaner, etc. They have built in timers and can be programmed to run at different speeds at different times.

I would think about punting that suction cleaner and replacing it with a robot at some point. The Doheny's Discovery same as Maytronics S200 same as Dolphin Triton is what I have and it is great! Lots of love for the S-series robots from folks on TFP.
 
Mike,

Most variable speed pumps have their own internal timers. They are designed to be continually connected to AC power, you don't normally turn the power on/off.

Pick the pump you want, but I would not base the decision on the HP rating. It is somewhat irrelevant as unless you run them at the top speed it will never be a problem.

I have two Intelliflo 3 HP units at a couple of rent houses and both pool only have 1.5" plumbing. Since they run at about 1,200 RPM most of the time, the MAX HP is not an issue.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.
 
Oddly enough when sizing a VS pump the higher over all HP makes it more efficient to run at lower speeds. So for all the pumps you mentioned the inteliflo will in theory be the most efficient for any given flow rate. The superflo VS, Tristar VS, and maxflo VS are all less expensive up front and will handle your pool no problem.

All that said tho have you looked into a 2-speed pump option it will be cheaper still and save almost as much as a VS pump would on your electric bill.
 
Thanks all! Decided on the Pentair Inteliflo. Amazon had a good deal for $900. We may repipe and reconfigure our equipment eventually so the pump can be the backbone of the new system.
We've had some Dolphins before, but this is a vacation home with a caretaker who comes a couple times a week, so we just leave the Kreepy Krawley in the water, so far no problems with this setup.
 
MOConnell said:
Thanks all! Decided on the Pentair Inteliflo. Amazon had a good deal for $900. We may repipe and reconfigure our equipment eventually so the pump can be the backbone of the new system.
We've had some Dolphins before, but this is a vacation home with a caretaker who comes a couple times a week, so we just leave the Kreepy Krawley in the water, so far no problems with this setup.
Click to expand...

MO,

I run my Intelliflo at 1,200 RPM most of the time, 24/7, and it costs me less than $20 per month. I think you will be very happy with your new pump..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Miles,

The lowest speed setting for me is determined by my SWCG. The lowest I can run my pump and still turn on the flow switch in the SWCG is about 1,100. At that speed then most of the time the flow switch works, but intermittently it will turn off. So I run my pump at 1,200 which ensures the flow switch is always closed.

Each pool would be slightly different depending on the plumbing.

In my case, it does not matter much, because my home pool has the Intelliflo +SVRS, so the lowest I can set the thing to run is 1,100 RPM anyway.

At 1,200 I get just a slight ripple of movement from the returns. At that speed, my main goal is to produce chlorine and circulate the water.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 

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My superflo VS is very similar in rpm to Jims inteliflo I run at 1400 rpm to ensure my heat pump will run. Like jim above if I run at 1300 rpm my heat pump can cut out at times so 1400 it is for me. Just for reference my heat pump requires at least 20 gpm to operate. That speed is enough to make any pool float left in the pool do laps around the oval endlessly. All that for right around 200 watts of power usage.
 
Ok, got the Intelliflow in this weekend. And you all were right, it is time for the suction side Kreepy Krawley to go to maximize the low rpm benefits of the new pump. We are going to convert our suction line to a pressure line and switch to a pressure side cleaner. We plan on coupling this with a valve actuator to dedicate flow accordingly and run the pump at the lowest RPM possible for cleaning. Doing some calcs our 12 year old 1HP Pentair single speed was pulling 1800 watts, and the new pump is pulling 260w at 1500rpm and about 800 watts at 2350rpm so we should really reduce our California energy bills.

Any recommendations for good pressure side cleaners? Do any have brushes or other cleaning mechanism besides the vacuum to help with the walls and tile? I have seen good things about the Polaris and The Pool Cleaner in my preliminary searchings.

And being that our set-up is 12 years old it's time for the Hayward Pro-grid 60sf DE filter to be replaced. Planning on going with a straight replacement on this unit as we have had good luck with it on our 18x36 28,000 gal pool.

Thoughts and opinions welcome... Mike
 
We had a couple of Dolphin cleaners in the past, they worked well until they died.
Trouble is this is a vacation home way out in the country and the guy who takes care of the place is no pool guy and never will be, so trying to keep it as simple as possible.
 

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