Variable Speed Pump and Chlorinator Settings

[Allhelpappreciated53]

In need of some more help! Sorry so lengthy, but I have no help from our local pool companies. We are finding that our local pool companies continue to give us wrong/bad information and as soon as I get on here, you all help me solve my problem and/or lack of knowledge quickly.

We have a:
- 20,000 gallon pool
- Indoor
- Salt water
- Heated

We recently had a pool company install the Jandy VS Flopro 1.65 HP. They also installed a new Jandy TruClear 11K Salt Chlorinator for 35,000 gallons. We decided to get the VSP because we have read about the major cost savings. The issue is that they never set it up. The pool company said they would run it on full 24 hours a day, 7 days a week which I know is not correct. Another pool company said they do a 1/3 approach where they set the pump to run at it's the lowest speed where the pool heater and SWG continue to operate, 1/3 of the time on the midway point between the max speed and the minimum speed, and 1/3 of the time at its max speed. They said to test the VSP by taking it to it's lowest setting and when it gives errors on the heater or SWG, then raise the speed of the VSP until I find what the minimum number is that my VSP can run at and keep the heater and SWG on. I do agree with that last part as I do need/want to know what is the minimum the VSP can keep everything operational.

I started reading the forums on what I should keep my VSP at, for how long, etc on TFP forums and realized I may be doing a lot of things incorrectly causing me to waste a TON of money! What I am reading is that most people do not run their VSP 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There seems to be mixed answers, but some say they run it 4 hours a day, but that they keep their SWG up to the max so that it is getting what the pools needs and then the VSP is off for the other 20 hours. So I am majorly confused. Before I go on to my questions, I have figured out the 1,200 RPM's appears to be the lowest I can go before it shows No Flo on the SWG.

I currently have the system running at 3,450 RPMs, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with the SWG set at 15%.

Please note that my number 1 goal is to dramatically cut my utility bills without jeopardizing anything with my pool and keep it sanitized correctly.

Here are my questions:

Should I be running my VSP 24 hours a day 7 days a week?
If yes, what should my settings be for the maximum savings? (Duration and RPMs)

If no, how long should I run my VSP, at what RPM, and at what should I set my SWG % to ensure it is getting enough chlorine?

Any additional thoughts you have and want to include is greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance for all of your help!

 

[PoolStored]

Should I be running my VSP 24 hours a day 7 days a week?

Sure. I run 24/7 at 1400 rpm, about 200W...a large lightbulb. You can use whatever rpm keeps your SWG and heater working.

HOWEVER, you should think about why you run your pump. Skimming, heating, filtering, chlorinating, mixing chemicals.
Skimming-Indoor pool, likely don't need much for that.
Heating-Don't have indoor pool. I have outdoor with heater. 24/7 keeps my temps very even. Do you run the heater a lot? How long does it need to run to keep your pool temp where you want it?
Filtering-Again, indoor pool, how much debris/organics etc do you get...likely not much.
Mix chemicals-run it when you add chemicals...
That leads us to chlorinating. You could go at 20% and 12 hours, or 10% and 24 hours...same FC output. Just need to find the right percent and time to run to get the FC you need.

If yes, what should my settings be for the maximum savings? (Duration and RPMs)

For an indoor pool, likely the lowest duration, lowest RPM that turns on SWG and heater, and highest SWG output. The only constraints would be your FC usage, and is the runtime long enough to heat the pool to your needs.

If no, how long should I run my VSP, at what RPM, and at what should I set my SWG % to ensure it is getting enough chlorine?

There is a link to an XLS file in this thread. You need to know your daily FC demand. Then you can choose the output and runtime that replaces your FC loss daily. You can also use PoolMath to do the same thing.

SWG Run Time Calculator

What is the SWG Run Time Calculator? A tool that is designed to answer the common question of "how long should I run my pump/SWG". It calculates the run time of your SWG and Pump based on your pool size, the output of your SWG and your daily FC PPM loss. It is designed as a starting point...

www.troublefreepool.com

Any additional thoughts you have and want to include is greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance for all of your help!

Nope, that should get you started...enjoy!

 

[Newdude]

+1. And with an indoor pool, you should need much less SWG runtime than the rest of us. I run my outdoor pool 24/7 because there are a couple of advantages for me that you don't need like full time skimming, filtering and FC production. It costs about $10 a month more than running part time for me and I gladly pay it so 99% of leaves that fall make it to the skimmer.

But indoors the rippling sound would probably drive me nuts or make me always have to pee. So I'd probably run only as long as the SWG needed to replace the FC loss and/or heat.