acevolt
07-05-2013, 04:25 PM
I am an owner/builder who is starting the construction of a 27' x 16' gunite pool. In looking at Pool pumps, I want to get a Variable speed and am considering the Pentair Intelliflow VS-3050 which I have seen for $848 on Ebay. My question is, where is a good place for equipment reviews. There are so many options. Consumer Reports does not seem to have anything on pool equipment. The VS-3050 seems like it has most of the features of the $1200 VS pumps.
PoolDoc
07-06-2013, 09:38 AM
Consumers Report type reviews are very expensive -- I've never seen anyone do that sort of reviews on pool equipment. Some years ago, one of the pool magazines did a review of pool test kits, but the results were so unfavorable to their advertisers that they choose to not publish any details.
VS pumps would not come off nearly as well as the manufacturers would like, if they were reviewed. The savings they provide, over 'old-school' 2 speed pumps are marginal, and they are far less reliable. Worse, when the electronics fail, it's usually necessary to replace everything except the pump wet end. And, the cost is 80% or more of a complete new pump!
The primary REAL advantage of the VS pumps, is that they allow builders to purchase a one-size-fits-all pump. Since 90% of pool builders are unable to actually calculate head loss in a pool piping system, and thus cannot properly fit a pump to a pool, this is a huge attraction for them. And, since it sucks for the pool owner to have a pump that's mismatched to the system, there is some benefit for them, as well. It's just not a benefit anyone's likely to talk about.
The pumps ARE fairly reliable in areas with few thunderstorms and lightning strikes . . . like S. California . . . so you are in the best place for one.
But, if you were to move to Florida, I'd recommend forgetting about VS pumps!
mas985
07-06-2013, 11:17 AM
Ditto to what Ben said.
Also, the VS-3050 is about the same price as the 011018 (New VS) but the newer version has built in timers and 8 speed settings so it is much more versatile than the VS-3050.
http://www.amazon.com/Pentair-Intelliflo-Variable-230-Volt-16-Ampere/dp/B007E4VWNO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373123809&sr=8-1&keywords=Intelliflo