Bought a new AG pool; now need to figure out pump and fitler

[K9SwimCoach]

That's a good idea, to get Ben's input. I gather Louisa's pool will be a commercial enterprise used to swim dogs. That presents an entirely different filtration issue from a pool used by children. She won't have to deal with urine (dogs don't pee while actively exercising) but she will have a lot of dog hair. No sun tan lotions but dander, instead. In my mind, for her 9,000+ gallon pool she'll want a pump and filter that does the job reliably well, not just something that'll get her by.

You're correct in that the pool will be used in my business for dog swimming. I have an indoor swimspa that is used for canine hydrotherapy and the larger AGP will be used for more athletic dogs. My 3000 gallon swimspa has a 3/4 hp 2 spped pump that seems to work well with the 175 pound sand filter for getting the water pretty clear after a full day of furry dogs.

Yes, dogs will get water on everything. Even on places you wouldn't think. When they shake, water really travels great distances. And no one ever leaves the dog spa with dry clothing!

I would love to get by with a 2 speed pump, but another pool retailer told me that it will be hard for me to get a 1 HP pump because they're not energy efficient and being in California, it's a problem. According to him, oversizing pumps has become such an issue that the State of California (a big pool state), recently enacted a law to control how big of a pump could be placed on a swimming pool.

I haven't yet been able to find out if there are energy efficient 2 speed pumps. Does anyone know?

Louisa
K9 Swim Coach

[K9SwimCoach]

I decided to go with the Pentair IntelliFlo VS 3050 High Performance Pump from Amazon for a total of $882 (includes shipping.)
My local pool supply retailer said they would try to match the price but I'm not holding my breath. I'm now shopping for a sand filter. It seems there probably isn't much difference between Pentair, Hayward, and other brands. If anyone has a differing opinon, I'd love to hear it.

Louisa

[CarlD]

Wow! That's a lot of money for a pump! A Hayward Superpump 2 speed 1hp is less than $500. That's what I have and I run it on low about 12 hrs /day, on a 19,000/20,000 pool--and yours is 10,000 gals. I think you are wasting serious money. But that's my personal opinion.

[K9SwimCoach]

The Intelliflow is almost $300 cheaper than if I bought if from my local pool supply place. The reason for choosing it is because it's more energy efficient than the 2 speed pump (or that's what the salesperson told me.) I am paying a lot for electricy per kw so I would rather pay more now for a pump and get long-term savings on my energy bill over the years.

Louisa

[AnnaK]

In general, a 2-speed uses 1/4 of electricity when on 'low' as opposed to the 'high' setting. I run mine at night when electricity rates are already reduced by 50% and I honestly do nt notice an increase in my bill during the summer. The A/C in the house consumes ever so much more power than my 1 horse pool pump on low speed.

[K9SwimCoach]

If the energy savings isn't that significant between running a variable speed pump on low vs a 2 speed pump on low, then it makes more sense to buy a cheaper 1 HP 2 speed pump. Thanks so much for your help!

Louisa

[AnnaK]

I learned about pool pumps by talking to several sales people at different pool stores. From each conversation I gained new information which I then used when talking to the next guy. It was a slow process. At the time nobody mentioned variable speed pumps, maybe they aren't popular in this local area.

[AnnaK]

Meant to ask, is your Aquatherapy swim spa a counter current pool? Indoors or out? Do you have a Website for your business?

. . . Never mind about the URL, I found it. I'm very interested in the skid proof floor covering you use. What is it? We have a serious problem with dogs slipping on the wet deck and have been looking for some sort of covering for years.