VSP - What speed to use when?

[njswimguy]

Hello. I have a new system with a VSP and Omnilogic. This is my first VSP... so I'm perplexed on what speed to run when. I did see other posts about this specifying exact RPMs at certain times, but how do I know what RPM is appropriate for my situation?

The pool installer programmed the "low" speed button on the omnilogic to be 51% (1759 RPM), and the "high" button to be 100%. The "Med" button isnt programmed.
He said to run at high speed with the chlorinator (SWG) and the Heater, and if using the polaris or manually vacuuming. None of that made sense to me, especially since I think I would want the SWG to always be on.
Later he said that I'd have to play with the speed to find the most appropriate speed for each task being performed (seeming to reverse what he said previously about running at high speed).

My concern also is that the system goes to 32 psi when the pump is on high.... which seems really high (my old single speed system ran at 9 psi with the same filter size/type so that is what I was used to. (although I'm sure the flow rate of my old single speed superpump was probably 1/2 of what the new pump delivers on high... so I get that part. but is 32 psi too much?)

I also saw posts about the "lowest speed where your SWG (or heater or polaris) will run" - how do I know for sure what that is? It seems at the low setting both are working (obviously the heater runs and the SWG has amperage and produces some small hydrogen bubbles, so I guess it is on?). I could do the wheel rpm test on the polaris but havent done that yet.
I did discover that 75% worked best when manually vacuuming.

So, in short - any advice on how I would calculate the speed I should use throughout the day and the runtime?
Is running 24 hours recommended or should/can I have it turn off at night? I'm in NJ so the temps are rather moderate right now. Not very concerned about cost so from that perspective I'm ok with 24x7 operation.

Thanks in advance! I'm looking to get the omnilogic programmed so I can 'set it and forget it' -- well, not really, but you know...

 

[Jimrahbe]

guy,

Your installer was just lazy and did not want to spend the time to set up your system correctly.. He was right, however, that you will need to experiment to see what works best for you.

Running a VS pump at full speed is almost never required.. Here is what I suggest.

1. Find the minimum speed where your SWCG will work and add 100 RPM.. You would do this by turning the speed down until you get a "no flow" warning from your salt system.. Then slowly increase your speed about 100 RPM at a time, until the no flow warning goes off. Then add 100 RPM. This would be the lowest speed you ever want to run, because if you are running the pump you should be making chlorine.

2. I would do the same thing for the heater.. Find out where the heater comes on and add 100 RPM. This would be the speed you want the pump to run when you want the heater to run.

3. Do the same for your Polaris.. This would be your cleaner speed.

4. Make sure the skimmers work well, when running at your SWCG speed.. If they do great.. If not, add 200 RPM to your SWCG's speed and call that your Skim low speed (or whatever you want).

5. If you have other tasks you want the pool to do, make a speed for that task..

Then schedule your automation to run for however long you wish to run, and set that to your SWCG speed. Set up your automation so that when you want to heat your pool the pump will run at your heater speed. If you want, you could schedule your Polaris to come on each day at the time you want, and have the pump run at your cleaner speed.. You should be able to make a speed for every task you want the pump to run.

It is your pool and only you will be able to tell what speed you want the pump to run, based on what you want the pool to be doing.

Time wise, we have people that only run a couple of hours a day, all the way up to people that run 24/7.. Just make sure you run long enough to make the chlorine you need and keep your pool skimmed like you want.

Here is a screenshot of my "tasks".. This is from an EasyTouch and does not look like your system, but it will give you an idea of how each Circuit or Task has a speed that it tells the pump to run.. I am sure your system can do the same thing.

Heater Speed.PNG

• Jimrahbe
• Jan 3, 2019

Edit.. You can ignore the heater line as I don't even have a heater.. I was doing a test for someone and never removed it..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[cfherrman]

Turn on your pump at a low speed like 1000 or 1200 and see if your heater or swg will turn on. The lowest speed that it will turn on + 200 rpm is the speed you want to run. Then the next couple of weeks make sure the skimmer is working like it should. It only takes 1/2 hp roughly to skim a pool.

Your builder can build, not run, then he'd be called a pool runner. Think of a construction worker building a office building, can he run a office as well?

He's got it backwards, most of the time the pump needs to be on a slow speed, faster to do work like vaccuming

 

[njswimguy]

Thanks guys. That all makes a lot of sense. I started down this path then started questioning myself.