Looking to replace my wisperflow 2 hp with a variable speed magnetic induction pump. Power bills are killing me... Looking at 3 options currently; Intelliflo vs, intelliflo vf, AO Smith V-green. Does anyone have experience with these? I have a compool lx easy touch controller and am not sure if controls are compatible. Running Slide water and water falls and don't want to make this too complicated to run them. I think the vs is fine with it but not sure about vf. and really don't know about AO Smith motor. With AO Smith need to use wet end from wisperflow but doesn't look like a big deal. This could save up to 500$ but not sure if unit is any good. Any comment appreciated....
PoolDoc
10-17-2011, 07:33 AM
There's nothing wrong, that I know of, with the Intelliflo pumps.
However, if you are merely interested in saving money, you can accomplish that by replacing the motor on your Whisperflo, which is already a very efficient pump, hydraulically, with a two speed motor.
If you replace your existing single speed motor with a 2 speed high efficiency motor, and then operate on low speed for 2x as many hours per day as you currently operate on high speed (assuming you do NOT operate on high 24/7), you'll cut your electrical usage by 50 - 75%, depending on how many occupied hours you have on high speed.
Keep in mind that the Intelliflo's ONLY savings benefit is to functionally be a 10 speed motor, instead of a 2 speed motor - it's not electrically more efficient than a good 2 speed motor, when both are equally loaded. In fact, some data I've seen makes me suspect that the Intelliflo motor is LESS efficient at identical loads.
There is one other benefit, for folks who already have electronic control systems, in that the Intelliflo pump is designed to more or less auto-magically interface with many control systems, and a 2 speed motor is not.
Finally, you need to keep in mind that the Whisperflo is ALREADY a very efficient pump AT ITS STANDARD LOAD. If you *need* the full flow the Whisperflo generates to run all your features and you *want* to run them all the time for visual reasons . . . THEN an Intelliflo will save you little or nothing.
Good luck!