Ecostar VSP output safe for rest of the pool system?

[Kidney]

Hi, first-time poster here,

My 15,000-gallon pool and spa (2" piping) just got a new Hayward system (Ecostar 3400 VSP, ProGrid DE 6020 and 400 BTU heater mostly used for the spa) and my Polaris 380 just got a new PB4-60 booster pump that uses 1.5" piping.

Can I safely run the VSP at full speed (3450rpm) for the spa or with auto priming, or should I set it at a lower speed (if so, how much?) and with a 3 Minute Prime? (From manual: "It is recommended to set the maximum speed in order to not exceed the maximum flow rate[ of 80 GPM for 2" piping]" but I have no idea if that's a hard requirement or just a soft recommendation and what speed provides 80 GPM.)

Can the DE filter and heater (and the rest of the pool system) take the flow output by the Ecostar at full speed?

Thanks!

[Watermom]

I'm going to let someone else answer your plumbing question but just wanted to welcome you to the Pool Forum!

[Kidney]

Thank you Watermom!

[Kidney]

Later today, I will fill in the PF Pool Chart to better show what I am dealing with. I hope this helps a fellow forum member answer my questions above. I will have more questions coming after that but for now, I'm really wondering if I should reduce the upper speed of my Ecostar VSP...

[mas985]

The most vulnerable piece of equipment is the filter. But with that filter, you don't have anything to worry about since max flow rate is 150 GPM and the EcoStar will never reach that let alone the APSP flow rate of 120 GPM.

Also, the flow rate recommendations for PVC pipes are mainly for water hammer. You can exceed that without much worry about any damage. So you can technically run as high as you want although I would keep the filter pressure below 25 PSI.

Also, how many spa jets do you have and do you know what size? (e.g. 3/8" or 7/16")

Is the spa on 2" pipe as well?

[Kidney]

Thank you Mark! Glad to hear I don't have to worry. The DE6020's manual shows a "design flow rate" of 120gpm. I guess that corresponds to your second number?

I have 4 jets in the spa and the piping feeding them out of the equipment pad is 2" but not sure it stays that way underground. I don't know the size of the spa jets unfortunately.

I filled up the PF Pool Chart. I so far run the VSP for 21h15 a day at 600rpm and at 2400rpm for 2h30 when my Polaris 380 is running its 2h daily cleaning powered by its PB4-60 booster. Since I have the booster pump, could I reduce the VSP speed to the 1000rpm (or less?) at which I often see the Ecostar being recommended to run for max efficiency? How do I know I am getting proper skimming other than seeing all debris not making it in the Polaris ending up in the 2 pool skimmers (spa has none but overflows in pool)?

When I run the VSP at full speed there is no air in its basket (there is air however at much lower speeds, is this normal?), I hear some noises (sounds like small stones) around the 6-position variflow valve interfacing the filter: the equipment installers said this is normal due to the high water flow. I do hope that is nothing bad like cavitation. For information, I made sure more than 10" of straight piping feeds the VSP.

I am reading the "BBB" to get up to speed re testing and what I am learning is very interesting and quite exciting :-) Once this is understood and used, I will look into remotely controlling the system for spa operation...