Dual Speed or a Variable Speed for a plain Jane pool.
Hello all, I have read many posts from this forum that has helped me quite a bit. So thanks.
Its that time of year (taxes) and we are trying to make responsible decisions this time. :) We have an old pool, it has an old cast Purex pump and impeller. It's so old that every time I take parts in to the pool store they have no idea what it is and they can't find it in any of the parts catalogs. In the last 2 years I have replaced the motor and had to replace the capacitor from that new motor as well. It now has a small leak behind the motor somewhere so instead of trying to fix it, we have decided to get a new pump.
Our goal this time is to get a pump that will save us $$$ every month/year. We have been reading a lot about the VS pumps but it seems to me that it may be overkill for our pool.
So my question is, what would be ideal for our pool? VS speed or Dual or just get another single speed?
Like I said, we have an old plain Jane pool. It is a 10,000 to 12,000 gallons. It has a 2" suction line from the pool and a 2" from the spa. The return lines are 1 1/2". We have a DE filter as well. Currently we have a 2HP motor.
We would really appreciate any help with this matter. We are lost.
Thanks,
Chris
Re: Dual Speed or a Variable Speed for a plain Jane pool.
I'll ask Mark to take a look.
Most likely, a VFD motor could reduce your operating costs quite a bit. A 2HP pump, running full on, is way more circulation than you need for your pool, and is probably sized so it can also run the jets in your spa. There's a good chance you'll only gain the maximum from your refit if you ALSO optimize the valving and controls on your pool / spa switching.
Mark (and others) will be able to do a MUCH better job if you'll send photos, so they can see how your piping is laid out. If you'll send them to poolforum@gmail.com, I'll post them so all can see.
Re: Dual Speed or a Variable Speed for a plain Jane pool.
The savings you will get from a two speed or VS speed pump and which pump would be better for you depends on several factors so I have a few questions first:
How long do you currently run your pump?
What is your current pump pressure?
How high above/below is the pump relative to the water level ?
How far is it from the pump to the pool?
What do you pay in electrical costs $/kwh
Does your energy company offer any rebates for VS or two speed pumps?
Re: Dual Speed or a Variable Speed for a plain Jane pool.
I'll try to get some tonight, but will probably be tomorrow. Thanks.
Re: Dual Speed or a Variable Speed for a plain Jane pool.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mas985
The savings you will get from a two speed or VS speed pump and which pump would be better for you depends on several factors so I have a few questions first:
How long do you currently run your pump?
What is your current pump pressure?
How high above/below is the pump relative to the water level ?
How far is it from the pump to the pool?
What do you pay in electrical costs $/kwh
Does your energy company offer any rebates for VS or two speed pumps?
I run it for 4 hours every night (per the direction of a friend that is a pool guy).
When the DE is fresh it is at 10-12 psi.
The pump sits on grade level. So i would say just a few inches, 8" tops.
The pump is 20'-22' away from the pool.
We have 3 rates, but since I run it at midnight it is $0.103500/kwh.
They do offer a rebate, $200.
Chris
Re: Dual Speed or a Variable Speed for a plain Jane pool.
Here are my estimates,
Current Setup:
1.8 Turnovers/day
200 kwh/month
$21/month
Two Speed Pump (WFDS-24):
1.8 Turnovers/day - 30 minutes on high & 6.5 hours on low
99 kwh/month
$10.24/month
Intelliflo:
1.8 Turnovers/day - 30 minutes @ 2700 RPM & 9 hours @ 1000 RPM
61 kwh/month
$6.36/month
So either pump would save you energy costs and the Intelliflo a little more. You could also save even more if you reduced the runtime to one turnover per day.
Given there is a rebate for the Intelliflo and you can find one with a timer for less than $900, it probably makes more sense to go with the Intelliflo.
Re: Dual Speed or a Variable Speed for a plain Jane pool.
Wow Mark, thanks. I sent some pictures over to the email provided above. Hopefully the plumbing will work with the Intelliflo.
Is there a website that you folks recommend over others for quality, customer service and price?
again thanks.
Re: Dual Speed or a Variable Speed for a plain Jane pool.
Re: Dual Speed or a Variable Speed for a plain Jane pool.
Thanks Ben. I plan on redoing the plumbing and electrical this spring. Is there anything that anybody sees that I should change or add? I am not to sure what that 1" or 1 1/4" is that is capped of. I assume it is for a threaded outlet on the inside of the pool on the side that does nothing right now, but not sure what is supposed to do.
Re: Dual Speed or a Variable Speed for a plain Jane pool.
Mark's already started; I'm going to let him work with you on the details if that's OK.
