Electric Bill / Pool Pump Replacement (house, calculated, live)

[MartyGras]

I just upgraded my pool pump from a 1-1/2 hp electric hog to a 3 HP variable speed electric sipper.

I'm not sure how old my pool pump is but it had a few leaks and I was tired of paying the high electric bill that it generates.

In the short time it has been installed I have seen a 47% reduction of my daily electrical usage.

Current settings
Run time 13 hours
1400 RPM
Watts 165
Flow 18 gpm.......(( in installed a flow gauge)
Based on these numbers it should only cost about $6.00 per month...a huge savings


It's interesting that running for a longer period of time at a lower speed drastically reduces the electric usage....the important thing is that the pump cycle the total volume of your pool at least once per day.

Also because my chlorine I am not restricted to the minimum flow that may be required to operate a salt/chlorine generator.

If you have an old pump, I highly recommend the upgrade

Gary

[sunshinewi]

Very interesting information. Thanks!!

[City Guy997S]

You will find the variable pumps will not last years like a traditional. If the drive fails on a Pentair the part is $600 and comes with a 90 day warranty. My first variable failed in 18 months. I returned to a regular pump as the variable couldn't run on the super low speeds (low flow would not allow the heater to run).

[MartyGras]

Originally Posted by City Guy997S

You will find the variable pumps will not last years like a traditional. If the drive fails on a Pentair the part is $600 and comes with a 90 day warranty. My first variable failed in 18 months. I returned to a regular pump as the variable couldn't run on the super low speeds (low flow would not allow the heater to run).

I'm aware of the heater issue however since to heater only runs a very small percentage of the year I can live with boosting the pump speed when it is needed.

For the warranty....3 years...even if you have to replace the entire unit every 3 years it early pays for itself.

Gary

[MikMal]

Not understanding electricity well, other than when I throw a switch something turn on or off, I have some questions in regards to these variable speed pumps:
1. Why can't you just wire in a rheostat to control your pump speed that way?
2. Does the pump actually run a "variable" speeds or do you just adjust and set it at a given speed calculated on your pool size?
3. If the speed does vary throughout the day, what controls it and decides what speed it should be running at?
4. Instead of having a large pump running at low speed, why not get a smaller pump and run it faster; won't it average out?

[MartyGras]

Originally Posted by MikMal

Not understanding electricity well, other than when I throw a switch something turn on or off, I have some questions in regards to these variable speed pumps:
1. Why can't you just wire in a rheostat to control your pump speed that way?

I don't know, but it's an interesting question

2. Does the pump actually run a "variable" speeds or do you just adjust and set it at a given speed calculated on your pool size?

it has a key pad that allowed you to set it to run pretty much any program of speeds and duration you want

3. If the speed does vary throughout the day, what controls it and decides what speed it should be running at?
see the answer above

4. Instead of having a large pump running at low speed, why not get a smaller pump and run it faster; won't it average out?

i don't know for sure but I can tell you that according to my short experience using the new pump it is reducing my electric usage drastically. I could be that a larger motor doesn't have to work as hard as a smaller motor to run at a given speed

Other than it hurts when you touch it, I also don't know a lot about electricity when it comes to these applications.

But when I look at the FPL dashboard it's easy to see the difference in power usage.

Gary

[HarborRat]

Originally Posted by MartyGras

i don't know for sure but I can tell you that according to my short experience using the new pump it is reducing my electric usage drastically. I could be that a larger motor doesn't have to work as hard as a smaller motor to run at a given speed
...

The temps have been lower, can some of that be attributed to your AC working less?

[HarborRat]

Originally Posted by MikMal

...
1. Why can't you just wire in a rheostat to control your pump speed that way?
....

AC motors like to run at a certain speed. The old way of limiting speed on them was resisters that robbed power, the new way would be pulse width modulation that is expensive and may lower the lifespan?....not sure...might be wrong.

The multi-speed motors have separate sets of windings for each speed to run at it's optimum efficiency. Just like your ceiling fans.

It's a lot easier to make a DC motor variable than an AC motor. I think someday most pool and HVAC motors will be DC and fully variable. Even the newest tech in the industry today is really archaic.


I've already started my hurricane party, so all the above may be complete BS .

[MartyGras]

Originally Posted by HarborRat

The temps have been lower, can some of that be attributed to your AC working less?

I don't think so because the FPL energy dashboard shows the high temperature for each day and when compare previous dates with the same temperatures the difference is very evident.


This is actually a pretty good test because I'm not there now and I'm comparing to dates when I also wasn't there with everything in the house unplugged so the only things drawing power as before are the AC, security and the pool pump.

If there was someone in the house I'm sure we would see a difference but it would be much harder to define because who can keep track or which lights, tv's etc...are on and there is also thermostat settings.

When not there I keep the thermostat set at 85° and that keeps the humidity at about 55% to 60%

Gary

[HarborRat]

Originally Posted by MikMal

....
4. Instead of having a large pump running at low speed, why not get a smaller pump and run it faster; won't it average out?

Running a smaller pump at its rated speed for longer hours rather than a bigger pump for less hours will save pretty much the same thing as most multi-speed pumps....I think....but it won't have the power when it comes time to vacuum the pool or run your heater.

I think the separate speeds help the most when you have a solar heater. Low speed won't get the water up to the roof panels, but you can set certain times a day that it will.......?