is Variable Speed Pump worth the change

[robneyandrews]

Hi all,

Duke Energy is offering $300 rebate if I switch to a Variable Speed Pump this year. They claim that it will save me lots of money each year.

Currently have a 1 HP constant speed pump that we run 24/7 from April 15 - Oct 15.

Has anyone made the switch to variable speed pump and was there a noticeable difference in your electric bill?

Thanks

 

[robneyandrews]

Should have added - there is nothing wrong with my current pump - it's a least 5 years old but running with no issues.

 

[Mdragger88]

You can get a calimar 3hp & add the 3 yr extended warranty for a little over $600
Does your rebate only apply to specific pumps?
They are usually worth it even without a rebate when compared to a single speed energy consumption wise.

See for yourself

Pool Pump Savings Calculator

Use Pentair’s Pool Pump Calculator to estimate how much you can save on energy costs by switching to one of our variable speed pool pumps. Get started today!

www.pentair.com

 

[Jimrahbe]

Rob,

Here is an example..

I run my 3 HP VS pump 24/7, mostly at 1200 RPM for less than $20 bucks a month. What do you spend??

I suspect that to qualify for the rebate you have to buy a pump on their list, as well as have their tech install it.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Newdude]

You just done made me go out back and fumble with the equipment. Anywho, here is 2000 words about it :

 

[Homebrewale]

I received the same offer. You can get the details online. The pump must be Energy Star certified. You either need to use one of their qualified installers or you can purchase yourself.
Residential Pool Pump Rebate - Duke Energy

 

[sande005]

Well, Newdudes pics might be a bit optimistic - but his point is right on. Using the calculator linked above, and my local rates, savings would the close to $1000 per year! It may be less, since the calculator assumes 2 hrs at high speed, and some unknown time at low to achieve one complete turn over of all the water.
But many of us, especially with SWCG's, run them on low/very low 24/7 and get near that kind of savings.....
Even at 1/2 that, it makes it really worth doing....

 

[Newdude]

Well, Newdudes pics might be a bit optimistic

I chose 700 RPMs bevause my SWG works that low. (Disclaimer, I have dirt simple plumbing). But I splurge all the way up to 1500 RPMs and 210W because we like the look of the water moving a little more, only using 8.6% of the maximum draw.

 

[sande005]

I chose 700 RPMs bevause my SWG works that low. (Disclaimer, I have dirt simple plumbing). But I splurge all the way up to 1500 RPMs and 210W because we like the look of the water moving a little more, only using 8.6% of the maximum draw.

So while the math is probably not exact, still the OP should see a 91-92% drop in his electric bill for the motor....
I run mine at 1400, only because lower than that, for the rare times I fire up the heater, the flow/pressure switches don't trip.

 

[Newdude]

So while the math is probably not exact, still the OP should see a 91-92% drop in his electric bill for the motor....

OPs 1HP might only draw 1800W or so, but evenso, the savings is substantial.

I run mine at 1400, only because lower than that, for the rare times I fire up the heater, the flow/pressure switches don't trip.

That's *exactly* it. You only need to run the RPMs for the specific function you're trying to achieve. After that, you can run lower for skimming, filtering or SWG and reap the savings.

Many need higher RPM for cleaners and such. So they bump it up for the 2 hours (?) they need then go right back to sipping energy.

 

[Mdragger88]

@robneyandrews is there some reason you currently run your pump 24/7? For most that is really not necessary.

Determine Pump Run Time

To figure out how many hours you need to run your pump, you need to know how fast your pump works. You can find this here.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Kaylee34]

Simple answer: Switching to a variable speed pump has saved me $98.62 per month averaged over a 12 month time period.

$300 rebate + the savings on electricity, the pump will pay for itself in a year. After that, it's keeping money in your pocket.

Make the switch. It's a no brainer. Keep the old pump for a spare.

 

[Santaanapoolowner]

A warning for California pool owners. My variable speed pump became unsafe to operate with broken off bolts on electrical covers. The lowest setting on the new california approved pump is almost twice as high as I operated my old variable speed motor with a vacuum cleaner attached. I still have my old pump what appeared to be stainless bolts froze and snapped in the aluminum housing. I had put off the last pump seal change to the point the pump would not prime.

 

[Dirk]

Make the switch. It's a no brainer. Keep the old pump for a spare.

That's the mistake I made. I sold my old pump for $100. I should have kept it for a backup.

Anecdotal: I think I saved about $50 a month switching to VS. It's paid for itself by now.

 

[gkw4815]

I generally lean towards simple/reliable solutions, even if these aren't the most efficient. For instance, I prefer my booster pump-powered pool cleaner to my robot, even though it uses more power, due to its easy/cheap serviceability and the ability to just leave it in the pool all the time.

But even I find the math behind VS pool pump savings overwhelming. My VS pump has been consistently saving 500-600 kWH/month since I installed it a year ago - the pump will pay for itself by the end of the year.

 

[SJPoe]

One word : Yes.

More detail : I replaced a Hayward 1.5HP SuperPump with the Calimar 3HP after some gentle prodding by NewDude to take the plunge.
Other than some minor plumbing tweaks, it was a no brainer. My pump runs about 19 hours a day now because I switched to a SWG too.

I used to run the Hayward for 12 hours a day (because that's what the pool guys told me to do when I first bought the house), and I did like how it kept all the floating stuff cleaned up. As I now run an SWG and a heater, I tend to run from Midnight through 2PM, then 7pm through midnight (there is a peak rate increase during the summing that doubles the cost).

Hayward : 12 hours at ~1700watts (3300 rpm) = 20.5 kwh @ 0.17/kwh = ~$3.50 a day = $105 month.
Calimar : 2 hours at ~1000 Watts (3000 rpm) and 17 hours at 1800 rpm (~ 420watts) = 2000 + 7100 = 9.1 kwh @ 0.17/kwh = $1.55/day = $47 month

The pump change alone is saving me somewhere around $60/month, despite running it almost double the time.
On a 6 month swim season here in Michigan, my $650 pump purchase will be paid off in 1.5 seasons.
If I bothered to put in a bypass for the heater and automate it so it bypassed when it wasn't needed, it'd probably run even lower RPMs and use even less power, but 1600 seems to be the lower limit for the heat and SWG to trigger, so I run a little higher just to be on the safe side.

The new pump is also incredibly quiet - for the first month or so, I had to go outside near it just to check it was running. Even when running at full power, for vacuuming etc., it's still quieter than the old Hayward.

With the $300 rebate, your payoff will be even shorter.

 

[Dirk]

The new pump is also incredibly quiet

Yah, I forgot to mention that, because it's been so long since I had my 2-speed grinding away. VS pumps, at the speeds you'll use most, are crazy quiet.