New Pump and Filter

[mas985]

With a combination of a VS pump, SWG and solar, you might want to think about an all in one automation system. Both Hayward and Pentair make them and can change the pump speed for when solar is on vs off and also for other situations. As for which manufacture is better, there are some trade-offs. I like the Hayward SWG and the EcoStar is a slightly more efficient pump than the Intelliflo. But on the other hand, Pentair seems to have a better reputation and the Intelliflo has a lot more time in the field than the EcoStar. But I think either one would be a good choice. If you get all the equipment from one manufacture, you can usually get a 3-year warranty which is a plus.

As for filter sizing, bigger is usually better and especially for a VS pump where backwashing isn't an issue. But if you are really after efficiency, then consider a cartridge filter. They have the lowest head loss of all filters as shown by the following table:



But if you prefer sand, then get a large one.