2-speed pump upgrade recommendations for 26’ Intex AGP

[pcorssmit]

We have an Intex Ultra XTR Frame 26’ x 52” AGP. We’re currently using the stock Intex 2500 GPH pump (model 28633EG). Its not easy to find specs on this pump, but I think it is rated at 1/4hp. This pump has an integral cartridge filter, we run with no filter in the pump and use an 18” Hayward sand filter. The pool has dual suction ports, one of which is hooked to an Intex over the wall skimmer. The system is otherwise stock (hoses, shutoffs, eyeball, etc.). We run the pump 12 hours/day.

The Intex pump has good flow when the inlet screens are clear and the filter is clean. Flow drops tends to drop pretty quickly when there is any restriction. Vacuuming is a miserable experience.

What I would like is a 2-speed pump that provides slightly better flow (say ~30%) than the Intex pump on low speed, with a high speed option for vacuuming or for when there are water quality issues.

So far I have tried 2 pump. One was a hand me down from a friend, from what I can tell it is an old Pentair Sta-Rite pump similar to this one: Sta-Rite Max-E Glas and Dura-Glas Full-Rated Pump Replacement Parts The motor is rated ¾ hp on high, 1/8 hp on low, with a SF of 1.65. Low speed was dissapointing, less flow than the Intex pump. I used the high speed to vacuum before going back to the Intex pump, and it worked great.

The second pump I purchased new: https://www.amazon.com/XtremepowerU...prefix=xtremepowerus+1.5+2+spee,aps,83&sr=8-5

It is rated at 1.5hp on high, and .46 on low, but the SF is only 1.0. I hooked it up last night; the flow on low speed was no where near what it is with the Intex pump (gauge on the filter was reading 6psi, vs. 9 with the Intex). On high speed the flow was not as good as with the Pentair pump, I didn’t get pressure readings but with the Pentair pump there was enough pressure that I couldn’t get the Intex hose to seal, but there were no leaks with the new pump. My suspicion is that the pump head/impeller is not big enough (undersized for the motor).

I’d like to keep this as budget as possible, but I also want it to work and not be a hassle and not be a cobbled together mess. I would prefer to stay with 110V for simplicity and cost, but if I have to go 220V I will.

What pumps will work for this? I realize that with a 2-speed pump the high speed will likely be overkill, but for a few hours a month on high I’m ok with that vs. the increased cost (and added complexity) of a VS pump. We live in Denver and the pool is open 4 months/year. (Sorry for the novel.)

Thanks,

Pete

 

[1poolman1]

We have an Intex Ultra XTR Frame 26’ x 52” AGP. We’re currently using the stock Intex 2500 GPH pump (model 28633EG). Its not easy to find specs on this pump, but I think it is rated at 1/4hp. This pump has an integral cartridge filter, we run with no filter in the pump and use an 18” Hayward sand filter. The pool has dual suction ports, one of which is hooked to an Intex over the wall skimmer. The system is otherwise stock (hoses, shutoffs, eyeball, etc.). We run the pump 12 hours/day.

The Intex pump has good flow when the inlet screens are clear and the filter is clean. Flow drops tends to drop pretty quickly when there is any restriction. Vacuuming is a miserable experience.

What I would like is a 2-speed pump that provides slightly better flow (say ~30%) than the Intex pump on low speed, with a high speed option for vacuuming or for when there are water quality issues.

So far I have tried 2 pump. One was a hand me down from a friend, from what I can tell it is an old Pentair Sta-Rite pump similar to this one: Sta-Rite Max-E Glas and Dura-Glas Full-Rated Pump Replacement Parts The motor is rated ¾ hp on high, 1/8 hp on low, with a SF of 1.65. Low speed was dissapointing, less flow than the Intex pump. I used the high speed to vacuum before going back to the Intex pump, and it worked great.

The second pump I purchased new: https://www.amazon.com/XtremepowerUS-75113-ABOVEGROUND-2SPEED-Energy/dp/B07XZL91MV/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2L2RWOHC0R7S5&keywords=xtremepowerus+1.5+2+speed&qid=1658415123&sprefix=xtremepowerus+1.5+2+spee,aps,83&sr=8-5

It is rated at 1.5hp on high, and .46 on low, but the SF is only 1.0. I hooked it up last night; the flow on low speed was no where near what it is with the Intex pump (gauge on the filter was reading 6psi, vs. 9 with the Intex). On high speed the flow was not as good as with the Pentair pump, I didn’t get pressure readings but with the Pentair pump there was enough pressure that I couldn’t get the Intex hose to seal, but there were no leaks with the new pump. My suspicion is that the pump head/impeller is not big enough (undersized for the motor).

I’d like to keep this as budget as possible, but I also want it to work and not be a hassle and not be a cobbled together mess. I would prefer to stay with 110V for simplicity and cost, but if I have to go 220V I will.

What pumps will work for this? I realize that with a 2-speed pump the high speed will likely be overkill, but for a few hours a month on high I’m ok with that vs. the increased cost (and added complexity) of a VS pump. We live in Denver and the pool is open 4 months/year. (Sorry for the novel.)

Thanks,

Pete

The Sta-Rite and Xtremepower pumps are completely different. The Sta-Rite is a high-head inground pump that has been on pools for decades. Even at low speed, it will outperform the other two pumps you have by a large margin, especially as the filter gets dirty. You would need a way to switch speeds without rewiring each time. Were you running it on 120v?

 

[pcorssmit]

The Sta-Rite on low had less flow than the Intex, hence why I'm not using it. It is a 120V only motor.

A bit more information on the XtremepowerUS pump: There is a small sticker on the motor that lists the following: THP .80, WEF 5.2, and HHP .273. Seems there is some funny math going on here, since my understanding is that THP is HP x SF, and the "main" sticker on this motor lists 1.5 HP and 1.0 SF.

 

[1poolman1]

The Sta-Rite on low had less flow than the Intex, hence why I'm not using it. It is a 120V only motor.

A bit more information on the XtremepowerUS pump: There is a small sticker on the motor that lists the following: THP .80, WEF 5.2, and HHP .273. Seems there is some funny math going on here, since my understanding is that THP is HP x SF, and the "main" sticker on this motor lists 1.5 HP and 1.0 SF.

You have just run into the new, since 7/19/21, DOE way of rating pumps. Xtremepower is still an above ground pump.
Would like to see the ratingplate on the StaRite.

 

[pcorssmit]

I knew about the new requirements for listing the WEF & HHP, but I thought THP for the Xtremepower should be 1.5, (1.5 hp x 1.0 SF), not .80. The Sta-Rite lists THP as 1.24, which makes sense, since .75 hp x 1.65 SF = 1.2375.

I took a look at the Intex pump last night. Motor capacity .28, name plate hp .25, 3.3 Amps.

Here is the motor nameplate from the Sta-rite pump. There aren't any stickers to ID the pump itself, I was only able to figure out what it was by googling the part number molded into the housing. It looks like there are multiple part numbers for the impeller for different hp motors; I didn't pull the impeller off (I was afraid of breaking it), all I can tell is that it is white.

 

[1poolman1]

From the looks of the pump, it may have been used as a "solar booster." They were often used like that, without the hair and lint pot. If that is the case, it could actually be a 1/2hp pump with a 3/4hp motor, as 1/2hp pumps were the most commonly used in that application. That would account for the very low flow on low speed. It is the impeller that determines what horsepower motor is required. Put a 5hp motor on a 1/2hp impeller an it will only move the water a 1/2hp pump moves. The only true way to tell is to dismantle the pump and see.

If it was/is a DuraGlass, it would have been an uprated pump. The original motor would have been labeled 3/4hp with a service factor of 1.1.
Even today, most people who work on pool pumps, at least in my area, don't have an understanding of motor service factors and will just look at what is most familiar to them, the horsepower rating.

As to the Xtreme, thp of the motor may, in fact be 1.5, but that is not what the new regulations are labeling. It is no longer the motor horsepower that is on the label, but the pump horsepower. Essentially, the horsepower rating on a motor is how much energy it can use without damage. The horsepower rating of a pump is how much work it is really going to do with that energy. (Very simplistic explanation.)

Compare the pump curves of a single-speed Pentair SuperFlo with an Intellflow of the same horsepower (charts are still available somewhere online) and you will see what this means. At same head, Intelliflow moves more water with the same motor.

 

[pcorssmit]

It is very possible that this isn't the original motor, I don't know the history on it. I'll try to get the impeller off and see if there's a number on it. The diffuser is CI-200PA, which is for the 3/4-2.5 hp pumps according to this: C1-200PA - 3/4 to 2-1/2 HP Diffuser - Dura-Glas Max-E-Glas - Pentair (There is another part, C1-216P, for .5 HP full rated thru 0.75 HP up rated pumps.) I'm starting to wonder if part of the issue is also the condition of the impeller nose and the diffuser. I didn't take a picture of the diffuser ID when I had it apart, but I remember it being kind of crusty. It was missing the hair/lint pot (and the stand) when I got it, but it looks like it was on there in the past (witness marks on the housing, and the threads are clean). It is dusty in the pictures from being in storage. The fact that is was missing the hair/lint pot also was part of why I just ordered a complete new pump, since I don't currently have one in the system and would really like to add one.

That makes perfect sense about labeling for the pump head rating, and I understand why you'd want that information for both the motor and the pump.

I suppose my other option is to buy a smaller pump (say 1/2 hp), and plumb both pumps in parallel with a couple ball valves. I was just trying to keep things simple with a single pump.

 

[1poolman1]

Interestingly, that's a very damaged 3/4hp impeller. I've seen, literally, a few hundred.

 

[pcorssmit]

The metal insert in the diffuser was fairly corroded (I'll get a picture when I get a chance). I'm wondering if a loose fit between the impeller nose and the diffuser ID is causing problems at low speed.

 

[1poolman1]

The metal insert in the diffuser was fairly corroded (I'll get a picture when I get a chance). I'm wondering if a loose fit between the impeller nose and the diffuser ID is causing problems at low speed.

As good an explanation as any.

 

[pcorssmit]

I dug back into the pump today, and took the impeller off. The part number is C105-138PEB, which is correct for a 3/4 HP full rated or 1 HP uprated pump. The metal ring in the diffuser is definitely in poor shape. I don’t have a real accurate way to measure it, but the diametral clearance between the impeller and the diffuser is in excess of .060” (this seems like a lot to me, but in reality I have no idea what it supposed to be.)

 

[pcorssmit]

Also, it does look like there may never have been a strainer basket directly mounted to this. The threads shows some signs of corrosion, and I don’t see any witness marks on the housing.

 

[pcorssmit]

I also found this 1.5 HP 2-speed Pureline pump on clearance at Inyo pools: PureLine 1.5 H.P Above Ground Pool Pump Dual Speed - PL1507 - INYOPools.com The price seems good (too good?), but my gut tells me that this may not be much better than the Xtremepower pump. The motor specs are similar, 1.5/.39 HP but only a 1.0 SF. They do not list the THP, WEF, etc. (perhaps these are on clearance since they are an older model built before the new mandates took effect).

I can put a new impeller and diffuser in the Pentair for ~$75, which isn't bad, but that still leaves me needing to buy a hair/lint pot assembly, and the parts to wire it up to control the high/low speed. Not huge stuff, but it adds up, and makes the new pump option appealing if I can find a budget pump that will actually work. But at this point the ~$450 for a 2-speed Hayward is a bit hard to swallow.

 

[pcorssmit]

After much debate, I went ahead and ordered the impeller & diffuser for the Sta-rite. They should be here next week some time; I'll report back when I get the parts installed.

 

[1poolman1]

After much debate, I went ahead and ordered the impeller & diffuser for the Sta-rite. They should be here next week some time; I'll report back when I get the parts installed.

You'll need this part as well if you don't have one. Can't hang a pump on the plumbing.
Sta-Rite Dura/Max-E-Glas Pump/Motor Base part# C104-42P

 

[pcorssmit]

Yes, thanks. I made a temporary support for the motor for testing; if all goes well I'll either build a permanent one of buy that part. I wouldn't hang the pump off the plumbing regardless, but it sure wouldn't work too well with the flex hoses I have. I'm currently using the Intex hoses, once I figure out the pump situation I'll upgrade at least the pump to filter hose with Tygon or similar to handle the pressure on high speed.

I also ordered a Hayward thru-wall skimmer the other day (SP1091LX) to replace the Intex over the wall unit.

Thanks for your help!

 

[pcorssmit]

The new diffuser and impeller came yesterday. The metal ring in the old diffuser was in even worse shape than I realized. The old impeller fit much tighter in the new diffuser than the new impeller fit in the old diffuser. I installed the new parts in the pump. I didn't try to measure the impeller to diffuser clearance, but it is way less, I would guess ~.015" (based on sliding the diffuser back and forth on before screwing is down). The new O-ring fits much tighter as well between the diffuser nose & the pump housing. I'll wire it back up for low speed and test it when I get a chance.

 

[pcorssmit]

Pictures.

 

[denwood]

The metal insert in the diffuser was fairly corroded (I'll get a picture when I get a chance). I'm wondering if a loose fit between the impeller nose and the diffuser ID is causing problems at low speed.

I also tried a 2-speed 3/4 HP with our pool and found like you that on low speed, the flow was not great. Less than the Intex .24 HP (2100/1600 GPH). On high it did flow better, however it was a bit of a relative power hog using 10 amps. I also ran the 2 speed pump in series with the Intex pump for about 2 years with no issues. That was good for about 1675 GPH with the 8 solar collectors in play (2 speed pump on high).

I had two pumps running in series (Intex OEM .24 HP pump + 2 speed 3/4 HP pool pump) to provide enough flow/pressure to supply the panel array/filter and ran a few tests of flow with the new plumbing setup into the current setup of 8 2’x20’ panels, 320 sq/ft.

Low Speed on 3/4 HP, + Intex .24 HP - 17.5s 5 US gallons (with solar) using 5.3 amps@120V :
1028 GPH total
= 17.14 GPM total
= 2.14 GPM/panel

High speed on 3/4 HP, + Intex .24 HP - 10.5 seconds for 5 US gallons (with solar) at 11.4 amps@120V :
1714 GPH total
= 28.51 GPM total
= 3.57 GPM/panel

Now, with a 21" sand filter and Hayward pool return ( the Intex aerator is restrictive) and dual Intex .24 HP pumps, my numbers are quite a bit better. With one pump connected in front of the filter, and other behind (call it a push/pull setup), I'm up to 1800 GPH (with eight solar collectors online) using the Intex 2100 GPH (1600 system) .24 HP pumps. Power use is 3.8 amps with the two pumps, and another .4 amps or so with the salt water chlorinater on.

Below is a snapshot of a good solar afternoon...clicking on it goes to the live data feed...

 

[pcorssmit]

I realize this thread is a couple years old at this point, but I finally have a setup that I'm happy (enough) with, so I figured I'd post an update.

I added the Hayward through-wall skimmer in late 2022, and that was my only suction line (I capped off the two original lines). It was a big improvement, should have done this much sooner.

Last year I ran the old Intex pump, and swapped it out for the Pentair (wired for high speed) when I needed to vacuum. I was on crutches (after knee surgery) when we opened the pool, and was keeping things as simple as possible. Eventually I plumbed the two pumps inline, running the Intex pump normally and both pumps when needed (mainly for vacuuming, or for skimming if there were a lot of leaves). I upgraded the pressure hose from the Pentair pump to the filter to Tygon also. It worked ok. I don't think the Intex pump was really happy being used this way. Towards the end of the season, the original Intex pump (from when we bought the pool in 2020) was starting to make more noise, and generally not sounding real happy. At times it also hesitated to restart when warm (after shutting off for maintenance). After 4 seasons, I figured it had had a good run and retired it.

When we opened the pool this year, I used the Pentair pump wired for low speed. I've been watching Craigslist & Marketplace for some time looking for a variable speed pump that would work, but I finally gave up. I was tired of screwing around with the pumps, and spent some time & money "upgrading" my setup. I bought a hair & lint pot for the pump, put together a wye on the inlet so I could use the original suction fittings if I wanted (say if the water level was low), and wired the pump for two speed operation.

I still run the pump 12 hours/day. I have a 24 hour timer (same one I use for my Christmas lights) in the shop, plugged into a GFCI protected outlet. Near the pool, I have a switch to cut power (for servicing the pump/filter), and a 2 hour spring timer to switch the pump to high speed. It would have been much easier and cheaper to just put a low/off/high switch on the pump, but I really wanted a timer on the high speed function. This way my kids can turn it to high speed to skim the pool when they uncover it in the morning, or when they get out, without me worrying about it being left on all the time. Not only do I not want it using that much power all the time, but I also don't want the pump sucking air if the water gets low or if they are making lots of waves in the pool.

I would have rather had a nice VS pump, but I just couldn't find anything that I was confident with for what I was willing to pay (I had arbitrarily set a $400 budget for a pump). So far the revised setup is working good enough, and is much less hassle than before. I spent ~$55 on the hair/lint pot, ~$60 on wiring, and ~$35 on plumbing (I could not for the life of me find a 1 1/2" PVC wye with NPT fittings, and had to buy several pieces to make one). I also built a mount/foot for the pump.