Settings for Newbie with Variable Speed Pump?

[ny2nc]

Hi Masters of all things pool related!

Our brand new fiberglass pool is up and running with a variable speed pump! Our PB set up his "default" settings for now. My question is this, once our pool chemistry is where it should be (hopefully soon since they back washed the pool yesterday) what in the world should I be doing as far as running this thing? Any suggestions to get started? Our pool builders default is running 12 hours a day at varying speeds, 8am it kicks off at 1800rpm for several hours, then goes up to 2400 for several hours, then down to 1400 for a couple of hours.

Thoughts/suggestions/insights? Please Masters...educate the Newbie!

 

[Jimrahbe]

ny,

Here is my standard answer to your question...

Each pool is a little different... You generally run a pump for three reasons:

1. To keep surface debris moving and being pushed into the skimmers. The more debris the more often you need to run the pump.

2. If you have a Salt Water Chlorine Generator (SWCG) you'll need to run it long enough to generate the amount of chlorine needed.

3. To circulate the water to ensure the chlorine is effectively distributed throughout the pool. Two or three hours per day is all that is needed for this to happen in most pools.

There really is no one answer that fits everyone.

I recommend that you play with it and see what works for you.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[MarkTX]

^ What Jim said. And I have a 4th reason. The pump makes the surface more lively and sparkly in the sun, so I like to time the pump to also be on for an hour or so when I get home from work. That way I can get a good look and maximize return on our investment.

 

[Jimrahbe]

N,

As far as speeds go, again that is up to you and your pool.

I run mine, most of the time at 1,200 RPM to generate chlorine because I have a SWCG.

I ramp this up to about 2,000 RPM a few times a day to help the skimmers keep the surface clean.

I see you have a waterfall wall. This is one great thing about VS pumps... you can set the RPM to the exact speed you want to have the water falls look perfect!!

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[MarkTX]

To further complicate things regarding pump rpm, there is an exponential electrical demand (cost) for increasing pump rpm. I think the relationship is squared; basically, twice as fast is 4 times the cost. Pentair has a handy calculator that estimates cost, which may help in deciding between increased run time versus increased pump speed. After you get used to what your pool actually needs, the calculator may be helpful.

https://www.pentairpool.com/en/support/tools/calculators/pages/residential%20pool%20pump%20energy%20savings%20calculator

 

[Sammy2]

^ What Jim said. And I have a 4th reason. The pump makes the surface more lively and sparkly in the sun, so I like to time the pump to also be on for an hour or so when I get home from work. That way I can get a good look and maximize return on our investment.

Mine runs at 2200 RPM in the morning before I leave and in the evening when I get home combined with the LED Light Show. This is totally not necessary for anything other than aesthetics with the lights and the gentle cascading water out of the spa into the pool. But now to get the neighbor to change his pump run times. It is right on the other side of the fence from my back patio door and runs at these times and is quite annoying. How to get him to change that without coming off as rude and pretentious?

 

[MarkTX]

But now to get the neighbor to change his pump run times. It is right on the other side of the fence from my back patio door and runs at these times and is quite annoying. How to get him to change that without coming off as rude and pretentious?

I have listened to pool pumps, usually older ones, that were obscenely loud. So this is a very interesting question. There are definitely less effective and more effective ways to go about mentioning it to the owner. I would strike up a conversation about pools and pumps or whatever, and ease into it. You are neighbors after all, and you both have pools in common. Sometime thereafter in the conversation, mention the pump is a little loud, but in a thoughtful way. Nothing wrong with thoughtful communication. And go from there.

If all that fails, you can offer to buy your neighbor a new, quieter pump!

 

[Rollercoastr]

One more thing to consider: I schedule my pump runtime to support my testing and chemical addition routine. I tend to test/add after getting home from work but before dinner. I want the water well-circulated when I test, and to continue to mix after I add chemicals.