1 HP or 1 1/2 HP ?

[mohawk]

We have a 30' round 22,000 gallon pool. The filter has 200 pounds of sand and I want to change out the pump to a 2 cycle (save on electric) pump. Could I get by with a 1 hp pump or would I have to go to a 1 1/2? Any help is appreciated.

[Poconos]

I assume you mean a 2-speed? Go with the 1 HP. With a 200# sand filter even that on high speed may be overkill. My pool is 22K also and a 1 HP single speed Hayward pump with 300# sand filter and that's been working fine. In any case you'll be running on low speed most of the time anyhow and that won't be overkill for that filter.
Al

[mohawk]

I also have 2 solar panels that lay on the ground next to the pump. Will the 1 hp pump still be enough pump for my pool? Denise

[Poconos]

Should be enough. The output of my sand filter and 1 HP Hayward Superpump is split 3 ways. One path straight to the returns, one to a 4x20' solar mat, the 3rd to the back field where I have 1200' of 1/2" black poly pipe configured as twelve 100' runs in parallel as another solar heater.
Al

[waterbear]

Just be aware that there is such a thing as a full rated pump, an uprated pump, and a max rated pump. Besides the hp you have to look at the service factor of the pump...you multiply the service factor by the hp to get the true brake hp of the pump. Now this is where manufacturers start to play a numbers game.
If you look at a manufacturers pump model line that has both full and uprated models you can see what I mean. I will use Pentair whisperflo as an example. The full rated 1 hp has a service factor of 1.65 so the brake hp is 1.65. The uprated 1.5 hp has a service factor of 1.1. This still give a brake HP of 1.65. The reality is that they are EXACTLY THE SAME PUMP with the same moter, volute, impeller, performance curve, etc. The ONLY difference is the label plate on the pump and the price!!!!!
As a general rule, if you are looking at pumps in a certain manufacturer's line and they are the same model line then any full rated pump is going to be identical to the uprated one size bigger (i.e. 1 hp full is same as 1.5 hp uprated, 1.5 hp full is same as 2 hp uprated). There is often a price difference between what is exactly the same pump. this is where you can save some money if you are a careful shopper!

My advice is to stay away from max rated pumps. The service factor on these is very high to make the pump seem much bigger than it actully is. I have seen service factora as high as 1.85 on uprated motors which means that the pump is actully only about 1/2 as big as they say it is!

[mohawk]

Thank you all for your insight. I'm going to start searching for a pump, hopefully I'll find one on sale. I know I can use an inground pool pump instead of an above ground, but I'm not sure what all I'll have to do to install it. My hubby doesn't do ANYTHING when it comes to the pool so I'd have to figure it out myself. Denise