I am planning on replacing my pump, pretty sure its too big

[leena]

Well I said I couldnt find a 1hp 2speed combo but here is one:

SD35 SYSTEM 1HP 2 SPEED PUMP PNSD0035DE2160
Pentair sand dollar system. Its a 1hp 2 speed pump but the filter looks really small. 16", 100lbs. It says it will filter 16,800 gallons in 8 hrs and my pool is 12,000 gallons so I guess that would work but it just seems so small compared to everything Ive been looking at. But the name is good(Pentair) and the price is great ($431 for the pump & filter both). Its also a 2 speed.........but that sand filter just looks itty bitty.

I just dont know if I am truly understanding what I need.............?

Am I even in the ball park in the systems I am considering?
If it were you what combination of pump & filter would you use if you were trying to stay less than $700 for both?

[SunnyOptimism]

OK, that's not what I meant by an IMG link. Hard to explain in words, but if you click on any picture in Photobucket you'll see a section off to the side for "sharing". In that area of the screen is a field called "IMG". The text inside that box is the link you copy & paste into a post.

Ok, pumps and filters. There is no hard and fast rule for selecting a pump/filter combo, just some general principles. The main thing you need to size for a pump and filter (and match the filter to the pump) is flow rate (measured in gallons per minute or GPM). So if we want your 12k gallon pool to turn over the water every four hours, then you need a MINIMUM flow rate of 50 GPM. That's the minimum amount of flow through the entire pipe system, pump, filter and returns. Since it looks like your pump/filter pad is closely attached to your above ground pool, then you I would say you want to find the largest 2-speed pump and filter combo that gives you a minimum flow rate of 50GPM. I'd size it a little bigger (1.5 times my need) and look for something that can produce a 75GPM flow rate.

Then, as stated in my previous posts, BIGGER is BETTER for sand filters so get the biggest one you can afford. A 2-speed pump is way more desirable than a single speed pump since your power consumption is dramatically reduced at lower RPM's. And, as I saw in your pictures, you should really consider replumbing everything you can with straight walled PVC and ditch the flex-tube connections. Straight PVC has lower head loss then lots of long flex tube runs.

That's the best advice I can offer. There are other users on the forum way more knowledgeable than me about pumps and filter and I really hope that they will chime in and correct any inadequate advice I might be offering.

[kelemvor]

[leena]

[SunnyOptimism]

@leena, Great pictures!! Many thanks to @kelemvor for posting the How-To video!!

A couple of points to keep in mind if/when you get your new equipment -

1. Not sure what the purpose of that shutoff valve is right at the filter inlet but it seems redundant to me. Why do you have a shutoff there? If it is not necessary then do not install one on the new filter. I understand having one near the skimmer.

2. Re-plumb your pool, pump & filter connections with straight wall PVC piping, it is much better than flex-tube. Use schedule-40 PVC piping, joints and quick-connect unions where needed.

3. Plumb the new sand filter with PVC quick-connect unions to make it easier to disassemble and remove the multiport valve on the top of the filter. Add shut-off valves as-needed to keep the pool water from draining. Being able to easily remove the top of the filter helps when you want to do a deep-cleaning of the sand and inspection of filter internals. That kind of maintenance should be performed annually at the start or close of the pool season.

4. Not sure how much of a project you want to make this, but having your pool return located so closely to the skimmer means that the pool water flow is going to have lots of stagnant spots. I would think adding a second return to the other end of the pool (if it can be done easily and without much of an eye-soar) would be really helpful it keeping more of your water moving. Of course, an additional return run with a long stretch of PVC could possibly require a higher HP model pump, so it would be a big consideration.

Just thoughts, for whatever they are worth....

[leena]

ive been reading that sometimes the hp can be misleading per pump on what amount of electricity / rpm /watts/amps it actually uses. I don't know much about electricity but can you tell which of these 2 pumps use less electricity on LOW? Im assuming the one that uses the less will be the one that will cost me the least to operate.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00212NNU4/...=IPBL5VSUIDVO8 ........ I found a comment in the reviews that said this pump was rated 11 amps on high and 2.8 amps on low

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HHM020/...P89FGH0U&psc=1

[SunnyOptimism]

ive been reading that sometimes the hp can be misleading per pump on what amount of electricity / rpm /watts/amps it actually uses. I don't know much about electricity but can you tell which of these 2 pumps use less electricity on LOW? Im assuming the one that uses the less will be the one that will cost me the least to operate.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00212NNU4/...=IPBL5VSUIDVO8 ........ I found a comment in the reviews that said this pump was rated 11 amps on high and 2.8 amps on low

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HHM020/...P89FGH0U&psc=1

That's not really an apples-to-apples comparison since one is just a pump and the other is a pump & filter combo.

Also, how much power the pump ACTUALLY consumes depends a lot on the specifics of your pool and the plumbing. The horsepower rating on pumps is typically a maximum power or break power consumption and then there also manufacturer who state just the power and a service factor or state the power multiplied by the service factor (service factor is how hard you can overdrive the pump without it failing). So a 1HP pump with a service factor of 1.5 is almost completely equivalent to a 1.5HP pump with a service factor of 1 when you run them at full speed.

I think for your pool you currently have a single-speed 1.5HP pump. If that makes you happy, then get a 2-speed, 1.5HP pump and I bet you'll run it on the lowest speed most of the time and save ~ 1/3 of the power. Beyond saying that (not much, I know), I'm not comfortable telling you which pump to buy. Perhaps other PF users have more insight....