Replacing pump motor

[CarlD]

Poconos is best with motors. Sounds like a bearing has worn out.

[PoolDoc]

I'm going to have to get back to this.

Briefly: the imPower is a variable frequency pump -- driven by electronics -- that has only 3 speeds, and some rather odd behavior. This means, it will NOT do the sorts of things a full VFD pump will, but on the other hand, it doesn't cost a lot more than a electromechanical 2-speed motor.

One important point to consider: electronics and lightning don't mix well, as a rule. Florida has lots of lightning, and VFD pumps (including the imPower motor) have lots of electronics. Depending on your actual pump make, and your plumbing layout, a better option (more reliable and just as efficient) might be a electro-mechanical hi-E 2-speed motor, with a electro-mechanical timer. The imPower motor may be marginal in your situation, and the description of energy savings appears to make assumptions unlikely to apply to your situation.

(Generally, the electronic pumps seem to make energy savings claims that are based on a-typical circumstances, or else apples to oranges comparisons.)

[bbsmith]

I agree CarlD that it is most likely a bearing.

Thanks PoolDoc for your feedback. The guys at a few of the local pool stores say the ImPower is the way to go, but when I ask a few simple questions about the motor none of them can give me a good answer.
I was considering 2 speed motors before the Impower and the cost different was not that great. But I could not find any review on the Impower (reliability, energy saving etc).

My pump is a Sta-Rite Dura-Glas with A.O. smith motor with single timer, and my pumping layout is pretty clean 2" PVC the intake side has the drain, vacuum, and skimmer all have 2 way valves that goes to the pump. The pump goes into the filter(DE Hayward 48) and the filter goes to solar and then goes thru the SWG. The solar has an automatic value and an equalizer value. Then back to the pool returns jet, fountain, and two jets all have 2 way valves. When the solar is on the filter pressure increases about 10psi.

            filter-----------------|
 SWG-------- |  |                  pump
 |_______    |--|           _______|
   |  |  |   |  |           |  |  |
   return      solar        intake

PoolDoc is there any ectro-mechanical hi-E 2-speed motors that you prefer.

thanks again

[PoolDoc]

I was considering 2 speed motors before the Impower and the cost different was not that great. But I could not find any review on the Impower (reliability, energy saving etc).

Yeah. They want YOU to be one of the people WRITING the reviews . . . and they are hoping they will be good ones. But it sounds like they don't know. (New product designs = unreliable products -- no matter WHO the manufacturer is!)

As far as 2 speed motors, I've mostly bought them WITH the pumps. The motor-only purchases have been AO Smith, but that was just because that was what I could get.

[mas985]

AO Smith, now owned by Regal Beloit, is the primary OEM motor supplier for most residential pool pumps so they would be a good replacement. They have recently come out with a high efficiency two speed motor which uses a run capacitor on low speed as well as high speed. They are claiming a 20% improvement on low speed with this new motor. Unfortunately, it only comes in a 56y frame at this point.

You can find more information here:

http://www.aosmithmotors.com/WorkAre...mID=2147483754

[PoolDoc]

Mark, I've been doing some work with the Calif state ratings, and have been surprised at some of the efficiency figures. I looked, but could not find, any data on AO Smith's motor efficiency. Have you seen any data on that?

[mas985]

No but I talked with a rep and he said that AO Smith does not publish their efficiency data directly but he did say that the numbers in the CEC database are probably correct. He also confirmed the 20% improvement noted in the brochure. Theoretically, a low speed 20% efficiency improvement is predictable with the addition of a run capacitor. A typical two speed motor does not use a run capacitor on low speed so the efficiency of the motor is about half of that on high speed. Because the motor is significantly underloaded due to the speed change, the power factor is quite low so there is quite a bit of I^2R losses in the motor. The run capacitor shifts the current more in line with the voltage so the power factor increases and total current decrease improving the efficiency of the motor. But again, this efficiency improvement is only on low speed.