New vari-speed pool pump motors

daepp · 08-17-2010, 01:54 PM

Anyone have any experience with these? My electric bill is $600/month, and it's a 2HP motor. Apparently they run all the time at a very low rpm to circulate the water; then come on high to power the pool vac.

I am looking for some real world savings/payback numbers.

TIA

Zeke · 08-17-2010, 02:07 PM

Sounds like a good idea. Is the filter designed to work at lower pressures? One would think so.

notmytarga · notmytarga's Garage

These motors are now code for pools in my city. I had pool built right before they became code and it wasn't even mentioned as an option. My builder is the "finest" in the area, but missed this opportunity to give me an efficient pool. I would have liked to have the lower run-cost option. The filter efficiency is still good because they don't "jam" particulates through the filter media with excess flow. I have a friend that switched his to 2 speed motors. He figured it would pay for itself in a year or two.

This isn't enough info to do a calculation but an encouragement to keep up the research. There are 2 speed motors and variable speed. I presume you can dial in the lower speed with the variable type - but the controllers increase cost quite a bit. There is also the need to have a control module in the electronic control unit. Or perhaps the two timers can be wired to control it, but if your sophistication installs a variable speed pump, then a programmable timer seems appropriate.

Spud · 08-17-2010, 02:46 PM

We just had a pool completed in May this year. A variable speed pump was pretty much mandatory for the main filter/cleaner pump. Yes I do think that the var speed pumps can save you money, but part of this is having the ability to schedule when the system runs the skimmers (low RPM) and the cleaner (high RPM) at the cheapest energy rates of the day.

One additional thing I would mention is that we just added solar heating to the pool. This will end up costing us more per month for electric, since the pump now has to run at a high RPM durring the most expensive rates of the day

requisite pic pre water

pitargue · pitargue's Garage

Dunno, but it is now CA law to run these "green" pool pumps. You have no other choice other than hitting the black market. Or so the pool guy tells me...

LeeH · 08-17-2010, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAEpperson

My electric bill is $600/month...

$600/month? Wow! Our house in Phoenix (ie A/C running full blast 6-8 months out of the year) is all electric with a pool and our bill is $225/month.

sammyg2 · 08-17-2010, 03:03 PM

I have one. It is set at different speeds for different functions. I also have a much smaller high pressure pump that kicks on for the pool sweeper.

I run the main pump about 9 hours a day in the summer due to the chlorine generator and my 'lectricity bill has gone up about $60 a month, to $260.
In the winter it's much lower.

ErVikingo · 08-18-2010, 04:45 AM

I've been using a dual speed for the last 12 or so years (1/4hp all day and 2 hours at 2hp). Its an old Jacuzzi pump. Not bad.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

What the heck do you have a 2HP pump for? I have a 27000 gallon pool and it is overkill having a 1HP pump.

The "best" thing is to have separate pumps for the different functions. My pool cleaner, a Polaris 280, uses a 1/3rd HP dedicated pump. My main pump is now a 1HP unit, after change out from a 1/2 HP unit. My "Boost Pump" is 3/4 HP and obviously is never used. I have considered a VFD for my 1HP unit, so that I can run it as a low speed unit continously, and kick it up to high as a "Boost" unit while we're in the pool.

john70t · 08-18-2010, 07:50 AM

Do they make infrared light systems for pools? This seems like a more efficient way of sterilizing water.
I've heard of using hydrogen peroxide instead of the clorine products as well. Mind the swimmer will be drinking the water.

In the house furnace, we got rid of the electronic(i.e. ozone producing) filter and had an i.r. system installed, and went back to a paper element.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by john70t

Do they make infrared light systems for pools? This seems like a more efficient way of sterilizing water.
I've heard of using hydrogen peroxide instead of the clorine products as well. Mind the swimmer will be drinking the water.

In the house furnace, we got rid of the electronic(i.e. ozone producing) filter and had an i.r. system installed, and went back to a paper element.

Are you sure it wasn't a UV system?

tcar · 08-18-2010, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john70t

Do they make infrared light systems for pools? This seems like a more efficient way of sterilizing water.

Ultraviolet, I think.

john70t · 08-18-2010, 08:46 AM

Yes. UV. thx for the correction(doh).

daepp · 08-18-2010, 08:51 AM

Re: 2hp pump motor - the pool is 45000 gallons and the pump was sized by the pool builder and prior homeowner. Perhaps I could get that checked.

Re: Electric bill - I guess it's actually 350 to 400 level pay year round. 3000 sq feet, 2 refers, pool, 3 kids, stay-at-home CPA wife who works out of the house. Updated to state of the art windows and high seer multi zone A/C is what got us down from 600 month.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAEpperson

Re: 2hp pump motor - the pool is 45000 gallons and the pump was sized by the pool builder and prior homeowner. Perhaps I could get that checked.

Re: Electric bill - I guess it's actually 350 to 400 level pay year round. 3000 sq feet, 2 refers, pool, 3 kids, stay-at-home CPA wife who works out of the house. Updated to state of the art windows and high seer multi zone A/C is what got us down from 600 month.

Sorry, from the picture it didn't look that big. 45000 gallon a 1-2HP system would be indicated.

How much run time for your pump? I run mine about 12 hours a day, which really is more than needed for filtration. I use mine to circulate during the day for algea prevention. I expect you could get away with less. And using a mini-VFD on the pump, you could run it at 1/3rd speed for most of the time, and then at full bore when in the pool.

OTOH, I like the idea of multiple pumps, in case one fails. I was able to run my system on the "Booster" pump until I could get a warranty replacement.

daepp · 08-18-2010, 09:40 AM

The photo of the pool is by another poster.

I run mine 3 hours a day for about 7 months of the year, and six hours a day during the warmer months. The local pool shop recommends 8 hours per day due to the algae I am fighting, but I am just cheap enough to spend more time out there brushing the walls than run the pump more.

daepp · 08-18-2010, 09:43 AM

.

Not the best shot, but you get the idea. It is 11 feet deep at the deepest point, and that depth is maintained for quite a distance towards the shallow end. The guy who built it said he had rambunctious boys and he did not want there to be any way they could hit the bottom on a dive. Unfortunately, that works also to keep the pool cool.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

2 hp ~ 1.5 kW * 6 hrs/day = 9 kWh/day = 270 kWh/mth. That doesn't seem to add up to the extra $300 per month.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Very nice looking pool and landscaping. I need to change out my coping because the stone they used continues to disintegrate, 3 years later.

daepp · 08-18-2010, 10:03 AM

Thanks for the math. I do not know if that increase is just the pool however.

Also, in California we have had huge increases in our electricity rates. Part of my monthly bill is always in "Tier 5" rates, which are at 31 cents per KW.