VSP sizing

[MA5177]

My no frills pool ( just 17k no heater no spa etc) has a 1HP single speed pump.

I have a 3 HP pentair intelliflo VSP sitting in my garage I got off a job but it’s 8 years old.

Is this pump way too big? Should I risk installing it knowing it may go out soon?

 

[ajw22]

No VS pump is too big. A variable speed pump is a variable HP pump. Select the RPM for the HP that works best in your pool.

 

[Jimrahbe]

MA,

When using a VS pump there is almost no such thing as too big... A single speed 3 HP pump would be too big.. A VS pump is actually a variable Horsepower pump, so you just adjust it to the HP you need.

The larger the VS pump, the slower you can run it and still move a lot of water.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[MA5177]

Ok awesome, I guess I will hook it up and make sure it works. Now I need to find a manual for it. Here is the tag I found

 

[ajw22]

Ok awesome, I guess I will hook it up and make sure it works. Now I need to find a manual for it. Here is the tag I foundView attachment 175845

https://www.fwpb2b.com/content/customer/docs/Pentair/011018IntelliFloManual.pdf

 

[MA5177]

https://www.fwpb2b.com/content/customer/docs/Pentair/011018IntelliFloManual.pdf

Thanks, I got home today and pulled apart my filter and all my plumbing, wanted to move stuff around anyways.

I hooked up the pump and it works! Panel all works and I ran some water through it and it seemed to pump fine although it was just a hose.

So I’m going to plumb this thing in, it’s a $1700 pump and hopefully it lasts a few years being 8 years old already

 

[Jimrahbe]

MA,

Eight to ten years ago an IntelliFlo 011018 was about $900 bucks... but still is the gold standard for VS Pumps.. I have them on two rent house pools.. Both run 24/7 and one is over 10 years old and the other is over 8 years old. Neither is showing any signs of wear.

My initial goal was to get 10 years out of them.. Now I am just curious how long they will last. If they went bad tomorrow, I'd have a new one on my porch then next day..

I suggest that you use IntelliFlo pump unions to connect them.. Like this.. Amazon.com: 2 PACK -CMP Hi-Temp Union 2" inch 2MIP x 2" inch PVC Whisperflo & Intelliflo - 2 PACK: Garden & Outdoor

Enjoy your new-to-you pump..

Jim R.

 

[MA5177]

MA,

Eight to ten years ago an IntelliFlo 011018 was about $900 bucks... but still is the gold standard for VS Pumps.. I have them on two rent house pools.. Both run 24/7 and one is over 10 years old and the other is over 8 years old. Neither is showing any signs of wear.

My initial goal was to get 10 years out of them.. Now I am just curious how long they will last. If they went bad tomorrow, I'd have a new one on my porch then next day..

I suggest that you use IntelliFlo pump unions to connect them.. Like this.. Amazon.com: 2 PACK -CMP Hi-Temp Union 2" inch 2MIP x 2" inch PVC Whisperflo & Intelliflo - 2 PACK: Garden & Outdoor

Enjoy your new-to-you pump..

Jim R.

Good to know Jim, thanks for the info. I ordered those unions, I was actually thinking about using that I’m getting sick of cuting and glueing PVC when I need to change a pump.

 

[MA5177]

MA,

Eight to ten years ago an IntelliFlo 011018 was about $900 bucks... but still is the gold standard for VS Pumps.. I have them on two rent house pools.. Both run 24/7 and one is over 10 years old and the other is over 8 years old. Neither is showing any signs of wear.

My initial goal was to get 10 years out of them.. Now I am just curious how long they will last. If they went bad tomorrow, I'd have a new one on my porch then next day..

I suggest that you use IntelliFlo pump unions to connect them.. Like this.. Amazon.com: 2 PACK -CMP Hi-Temp Union 2" inch 2MIP x 2" inch PVC Whisperflo & Intelliflo - 2 PACK: Garden & Outdoor

Enjoy your new-to-you pump..

Jim R.

Jim, my pool has 1.5” plumbing and a 60 cu foot DE filter. I estimate it to be about 17k gallons ( will be finding out when I fill it).

I know you run yours 24/7, I don’t really want to do that or think I need to. I won’t be using a SWG for now, but may add one soon.

What flow settings do you recommend for the VSP?

 

[Jimrahbe]

MA,

There is no reason that anyone has to run their pump 24/7, it is just something that works well for me.. You should run your pump so that it works well for you and your pool.

The size of your pool does not matter much in the decision.. The idea that you have to turnover X amount of water each day is just Bull Feathers and not true.

Pump run time is based upon three things...

1. You need to run the pump long enough to chlorinate your pool. This can take many hours if you have a SWCG or use tablets. If you use liquid chlorine, it will only take a couple of hours. Speed matters only to the point that it has to be fast enough for a SWCG to work, or for enough water flows through the tab feeder to erode the tablets.

2. You need to run the pump long enough to keep your pool skimmed, the way you want. One reason that I run 24/7 is that I am anal about skimming. My wife will often tell me "There is a leaf in the pool".. Some people don't care.. Skimming speed depends on your specific pool and equipment. I have a simple pool with no heater, so my SWCG speed of 1200 RPM also works well for me in skimming. Pools with heater will need about 1600 or so.

3. You want the pump running when you add any chemicals. This is normally taken care of by 1 and 2 above.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[MA5177]

MA,

There is no reason that anyone has to run their pump 24/7, it is just something that works well for me.. You should run your pump so that it works well for you and your pool.

The size of your pool does not matter much in the decision.. The idea that you have to turnover X amount of water each day is just Bull Feathers and not true.

Pump run time is based upon three things...

1. You need to run the pump long enough to chlorinate your pool. This can take many hours if you have a SWCG or use tablets. If you use liquid chlorine, it will only take a couple of hours. Speed matters only to the point that it has to be fast enough for a SWCG to work, or for enough waterflow through the tab feeder to erode the tablets.

2. You need to run the pump long enough to keep your pool skimmed, the way you want. One reason that I run 24/7 is that I am anal about skimming. My wife will often tell me "There is a leaf in the pool".. Some people don't care.. Skimming speed depends on your specific pool and equipment. I have a simple pool with no heater, so my SWCG speed of 1200 RPM also works well for me in skimming. Pools with heater will need about 1600 or so.

3. You want the pump running when you add any chemicals. This is normally taken care of by 1 and 2 above.

Thanks,

Jim R.

So you run 1200 24/7? How many HP does 1200 equal?

 

[JamesW]

How many HP does 1200 equal?

Probably about 1/5th hp.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

I have the same pump. My minimum run speed is about 1600 rpm to keep the SWG flow switch open. The pic shows RPM and running watts. It's a good example of how much more energy is required to run at higher speeds.

 

[JamesW]

1 hp is roughly 1,000 watts. So, 200 watts is roughly equivalent to 0.2 hp.

500 watts is 1/2 hp etc.

 

[MA5177]

1 hp is roughly 1,000 watts. So, 200 watts is roughly equivalent to 0.2 hp.

500 watts is 1/2 hp etc.

I wonder what my 1HP single speed pump was pulling, you think it was just 1000 watts ? It seemed to cost a lot to run

 

[JamesW]

I wonder what my 1HP single speed pump was pulling, you think it was just 1000 watts ? It seemed to cost a lot to run

The problem with the rated hp of a pump is that it doesn't mean much unless you know the service factor.

A 1 hp pump with a S.F of 1.25 will use about 1,250 watts. A 1 hp pump with a S.F of 1.65 will use about 1,650 watts.

The motor label will specify the voltage(s) and the amperage(s) of the motor.

For example, the motor might say 115/230 volts and 10/5 amps.

At 115 volts, the maximum amperage should not exceed 10 amps, which is 1,150 watts.

At 230 volts, the amperage should not exceed 5 amps, which is also 1,150 watts (volt-amps).

Typically the actual amperage will be less than the full rated amps.

A 230 volt motor rated at 5 amps will use about 4.5 to 5 amps, which means that the power will be about 1,035 to 1,150 watts or volt-amps.

To calculate the cost, you have to multiply the kilowatt hours by the cost per kilowatt-hour, which can vary by time of use.

For example, a 1,000 watt pump will use 1 kilowatt-hour per hour.

If the cost per kilowatt hour is 10 cents, then the pump costs 10 cents per hour to run.

If the cost per kilowatt hour is 25 cents, then the pump would cost $0.25 x 24 x 30 = $180 per month to run continuously 24/7.

 

[Newdude]

There is no reason that anyone has to run their pump 24/7, it is just something that works well for me

+1 and here was the unintended bonus. I was perfectly skimmed at all times. If it was a particularly windy day and I lost 5 hours of effectiveness, I still skimmed/filtered 19 hours that day.

While it is completely ok to only run 5 hours (or however many) I never had to catch up and filter whatever fell in the pool the last XX hours while the pump was off. Leaves and random twigs rarely got the chance to saturate and sink because as soon as they fell they just bobbed along right to the skimmer. Even at 2AM or lunchtime the next day.

The added added bonus was perennial cycles of SWG production always keeping me topped off, but even without the SWG I would still now run low and slow for the filtering/skimming that wasn’t part of my original reasons.

This all hinges on the power sipping pump, which you have. The best part is you can experiment and change your mind as time goes on. Start one way, then try the other, go back, stay the same..... you’ll find what gives you the best results with the least amount of tinkering.