What is the difference between a 3/4 hp pool pump and a 3/4 hp booster pump?

[CountyBumkin]

I have a Pentair Kreepy Krauly Legend pressure side pool cleaner. The manual does not give pressure or flow requirements for the cleaner - just says to use a 3/4hp booster pump.

I have a 3/4 hp Pentair Whisperflo pool pump available.

Is there anything different (pressure or flow) between a pool pump and a booster pump? Any reason the Whisperflo should not be used?

 

[JamesW]

https://www.polarispool.com/~/media/Zodiac/Global/Downloads/SL/SL30.ash

https://www.pentair.com/content/dam/extranet/pentair-pool/residential/brochures/pool-pumps/BoostRite_Booster_Pump_English.pdf

See the booster pump performance curve in the above references and compare them to the Whisperflo pump performance curve.

For a pump to function correctly, the operating point should fall on the center third of the pump performance curve.

 

[CountyBumkin]

Thanks for the links.
It looks to me like the booster pump and the pool pump performance specs differ mainly in the head pressure - at the same gpm.

The booster pump has a lower gpm "range" (about 9-13 gpm is the range for a cleaner), and the pool pump will easily supply the gpm requirement, but the head pressure (in the same gpm range) is a lot lower for the Whisperflo. The pool pump puts out about 80-85 feet-of-water, where the Booster pump is 110-140 at the same gpm range of 9-13.

I already have a spare Whisperflo 3/4 which I am using for the Polaris pressure side cleaner (solely for the pressure cleaner - not going through pool filter) which means I have 30 to 80 "feet-of water" less than if I used a booster pump.

The real question I guess is, do I need the additional head pressure?
I am reading 25psi on the pressure cleaner "piping/circuit" now. Is there a correlation to psi and head pressure?

 

[JamesW]

PSI x 2.31 = feet of head.

25 psi = 58 feet of head.

 

[JamesW]

If you restrict the Whisperflo to about 12 gpm, it should work. You can use a restrictor disc in the wall adapter to limit the flow going to the cleaner.

The pump might fail prematurely due to the fact that it's not in the optimum performance range.

It's probably worth a try if you're willing to risk damaging the pump and/or cleaner.

You can check the current going to the pump while it's on.

As long as the current is less than the label and the flow does not exceed the cleaner rating, I suspect that it's going to be ok.