Which Motor - VGreen 1.65HP or Ecotech EZ 3HP

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B

bzbee

Active member
Aug 30, 2019
26
North TX
The motor on my pool pump died last week (old thread here), and I've decided to upgrade to a variable speed motor without disturbing the plumbing.

I've narrowed my choices to:
a) Century VGreen 1.65HP VS Motor (Model: ECM16CU)
- Seems well reviewed/tested and considered a reliable motor
- Costs $427 from Inyo Pools, and will need a smaller impeller & seal kit. Total cost abot $475.
- About $60 cheaper on eBay, contacted Inyo for a price match, but said they don't match eBay or Amazon.

b) US Motors Ecotech EZ 3HP VS Motor (Model: AVSJ3)
- Seems like a new model, couldn't find any reviews. Previous version had a recall in 2017 for improper grounding.
- Costs $500 on eBay (from 'perryspoolpump'). No need to change impeller, just need the seal kit. Total about $515.
- 3HP motor gives more head room, so motor would be running at much lower capacity compared to 1.65 HP. Does that mean more efficient work => lower power consumption?

So, with both options being around the $500 price point, which would be a better buy?

I've been reading the forum all night and got information overload..... couldn't decide either way. But have to decide and put in an order today. Its already been a week and the pool condition is deteriorating with every passing day.

Hoping for some clarity :)
 
The bigger motor and impeller are nice because you can reduce the rpm compared to the smaller motor and impeller for the same flow rate.

The power usage is roughly equal for equal flow rates, but there's less noise.
 
JamesW said:
The bigger motor and impeller are nice because you can reduce the rpm compared to the smaller motor and impeller for the same flow rate.

The power usage is roughly equal for equal flow rates, but there's less noise.
Click to expand...
Any idea on the reliability of the 3HP motor?
I couldn't any detailed specs for it. Know any pump that comes with that motor?
 
Well, I ordered the Ecotech EZ 3HP Variable Speed Motor.

I called their store (Perrys Pool Pump | and Electric Motor Repair) before ordering, and they were quite helpful and answered all my questions. When asked about the reliability of the motor, he was honest about it and said that the electronics in the VS motors make them more prone to problems. They've had motors running without a hitch for over 6 years now, and they've got motors that just died in a few months for no reason. The motor has a 18 month warranty on it and said they'd swap it out if something failed in the warranty period, but after that I am out of luck as he said there are no user seviceable parts in these motors.

So anyway, I thought I'd take a chance on this motor. I figured even if I get 2-3 years out of it, it'd have paid for itself in the power savings. He said they'd ship it out tomorrow and I should get it in 3 business days. Will post my experience once I recieve the motor.

Thanks for all the help.
 
bzbee said:
Well, I ordered the Ecotech EZ 3HP Variable Speed Motor.

I called their store (Perrys Pool Pump | and Electric Motor Repair) before ordering, and they were quite helpful and answered all my questions. When asked about the reliability of the motor, he was honest about it and said that the electronics in the VS motors make them more prone to problems. They've had motors running without a hitch for over 6 years now, and they've got motors that just died in a few months for no reason. The motor has a 18 month warranty on it and said they'd swap it out if something failed in the warranty period, but after that I am out of luck as he said there are no user seviceable parts in these motors.

So anyway, I thought I'd take a chance on this motor. I figured even if I get 2-3 years out of it, it'd have paid for itself in the power savings. He said they'd ship it out tomorrow and I should get it in 3 business days. Will post my experience once I recieve the motor.

Thanks for all the help.
Click to expand...


Im curious how your experience has been with this motor so far?
 
atlas71 said:
Im curious how your experience has been with this motor so far?
Click to expand...
The motor has been great. I installed it myself, had to upgrade a couple of the pump parts (impeller etc) to handle the higher max HP of the motor. It was a straight swap, took me about 2 hours for the whole thing.

In the winter, I ran it only the nights for 12 hrs @50% (1725 RPM) and it was barely audible unless you were closer than 8 ft. I now run it from 8AM to 8PM, 6 hrs @60% (2000 RPM) and 6 hrs @ 50%. I am thinking of reducing the run time down to 8 hrs (4+4) and increase the rpm a bit. And I think the power savings have been considerable, I will have real numbers by comparing this summer's bills with last summer's, but I am guessing it to be about $20 per month.

Long term reliability is yet to be seen, but so far I am very happy with the motor and have no hesitation in recommending it.
 

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bz,

Very interesting. Does it have digital inputs for control? If so what is the voltage range for them?

Chris
 
bzbee said:
The motor has been great. I installed it myself, had to upgrade a couple of the pump parts (impeller etc) to handle the higher max HP of the motor. It was a straight swap, took me about 2 hours for the whole thing.

In the winter, I ran it only the nights for 12 hrs @50% (1725 RPM) and it was barely audible unless you were closer than 8 ft. I now run it from 8AM to 8PM, 6 hrs @60% (2000 RPM) and 6 hrs @ 50%. I am thinking of reducing the run time down to 8 hrs (4+4) and increase the rpm a bit. And I think the power savings have been considerable, I will have real numbers by comparing this summer's bills with last summer's, but I am guessing it to be about $20 per month.

Long term reliability is yet to be seen, but so far I am very happy with the motor and have no hesitation in recommending it.
Click to expand...

The sound difference (or should I say lack of sound) on this pump compared to my old single speed is incredible.

Edit: Quick question for you, I replaced an older motor total HP of 1.5 (model# K48L2N104) but I didn't change my impeller and so far the VGreen 165 seems to be running fine w/ no noticeable issues. Do you think I should look into upgrading my impeller? I'm not sure what my older impeller max HP was.
 
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I increased my impeller to the next size up so I could better use the 1.65 hp. Made a very big difference. Instead of running close to 3300 rpm I was able to reduce to 2600 rpm. I may have had it too high to start but I don't think I could have gotten this low and I might be able to go further.
 
setsailsoon said:
I increased my impeller to the next size up so I could better use the 1.65 hp. Made a very big difference. Instead of running close to 3300 rpm I was able to reduce to 2600 rpm. I may have had it too high to start but I don't think I could have gotten this low and I might be able to go further.
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The total HP of my prior motor was 1.5 (HP x SF). I'm assuming my prior impeller was rated for 1.5 but do you think that it would be a necessary to increase the impeller since the VGreen is 1.65HP?
 
I think that would be pretty close. That's actually where I am right now for the pump at the high speed with the larger impeller. My original was .75 hp with 1.67 SF. If you want to try it make sure you check with an ammeter as you ramp it through the speed range to be sure you don't overload the motor. What is your pump end brand and model number? The real expert on this stuff is @JamesW . Maybe he can comment.

Chris
 
setsailsoon said:
I think that would be pretty close. That's actually where I am right now for the pump at the high speed with the larger impeller. My original was .75 hp with 1.67 SF. If you want to try it make sure you check with an ammeter as you ramp it through the speed range to be sure you don't overload the motor. What is your pump end brand and model number? The real expert on this stuff is @JamesW . Maybe he can comment.

Chris
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, I definitely don't want to overload the motor. My pump end is the Hayward Super II Strainer w/ Model #: SPX3020AA
 
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