Which pool pump should I buy?

[ChurroLover]

Hello this is my first post:

I am in the market for a new pool pump for my in-ground pool here in Arizona. My current pump is a single speed Hayward Northstar, (SPX1615Z1BNS) Full Rate 1 1/2 HP, 3,450 RPM, and it was installed in late 2006 when the pool was new. When turned on the pump hums for a bit then trips the breaker. I confirmed that the main shaft spins freely and installed a new capacitor but that did not fix things. I figure since it is 12+ years old its time to get a new one. My pool is 11,070 gallons, has pop-ups on the bottom and two big drains to clean the pool, has a 700 sqft Hayward cartridge filter (takes 8 cartridges). Since the pool pump has been off for the past few months my energy bills are way lower. I have been looking at two variable speed pumps the Hayward SP3202VSP Tristar and the Pentair 011018 IntelliFlo. The Tristar says it is designed to replace most full-rate pumps up to 1.5HP, the Intelliflo is a 3HP pump. What pump should I buy. I was planning on installing it myself. I have included some pictures of the mechanicals, how do they look?

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

First, check for rebates through your power provider along with a list of eligible equipment. That may narrow down your choices. Nothing like rebates to put some cash back in your pocket. You'll be able to run your VS pump at lower speeds which will result in more savings. Win-win.

 

[ChurroLover]

Unfortunately, no rebates in my area for pool pumps.

 

[mas985]

Welcome to the forum!

Please fill out your signature so we may help you better: Trouble Free Pool

Either pump will probably work fine but it may depend on your current equipment and setup. Do you currently have a controller and if so, which manufacture? If not then you could probably go either way. However, the larger VS pumps will be a bit quieter at the same flow rate.

 

[Jimrahbe]

cl,

I would go with the IntelliFlo... (What a shock!!!)

I just want to make sure that just because it says 3 HP is no reason not to use it... Just like you can drive a 300 HP car in a school zone, you can run a 3 HP VS pump in your pool... You just use the amount of HP you need. This means you can run slow most of the time to same money, and only bump up the speed when you want to run that power hog of a cleaning system...

I don't have an in floor system, so I run my pump 24/7 most of the time at 1200 RPM... The cost to do this is less than $20 bucks a month...

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I was planning on installing it myself.

Just be aware that Pentair only allows 60 days warranty on self installed equipment.

 

[ChurroLover]

Welcome to the forum!

Please fill out your signature so we may help you better: Trouble Free Pool

Either pump will probably work fine but it may depend on your current equipment and setup. Do you currently have a controller and if so, which manufacture? If not then you could probably go either way. However, the larger VS pumps will be a bit quieter at the same flow rate.

I don't think I have a controller, just a dial that automatically turns it on at a given time and off at another.

 

[ChurroLover]

I'm thinking about buying the the Intelliflo from Amazon and installing myself and buying the "Asurion Lawn & Garden Extended Protection Plan 4 Year " for an additional $28.43" since Pentair has that 60 day warranty on self installed units (normally 2 years)

Amazon says that Asurion covers:
-Covers mechanical and electrical breakdowns.
-No deductibles or hidden fees. Shipping included on all repairs. Fully transferable.
-Easy claims process online 24/7. If we can't fix it, we will send you an Amazon e-Card reimbursement for your product purchase price.
-Plan term and coverage begins at the end of the manufacturer's labor warranty. Plan is fully refunded if canceled within 30 days.
-Plan contract will be emailed from Asurion within 24 hours of purchase. This will not ship with your product.

 

[mknauss]

We have had some forum members buy that extended protection. No one has ever posted about what happens when they try make a claim.

 

[Arizonarob]

Churro,
Since we have almost identical pool volumes I’ll toss in my 2 cents.
I purchased the Hayward 3202vsp from Amazon late 2017. (Link) At the time of purchase, Hayward was offering a 4 year warranty on that pump IF installed by a licensed pool company. So I spent the extra to have it installed, even though I could have easily did it myself.
Being in AZ, the temps here are demanding on pool equipment, so I would keep that in mind when thinking over the warranty situation.

With all that being said, I absolutely love the pump. Very user friendly, quiet, and has already paid for itself in the first year of electricity savings.

P.S You can definitely kick that ozone generator to the curb when you rework your plumbing. It’s absolutely a waste of time and money. Use the search function and search “ozone generator” and you’ll see the feedback regarding those.

 

[ajw22]

I'm thinking about buying the the Intelliflo from Amazon and installing myself and buying the "Asurion Lawn & Garden Extended Protection Plan 4 Year " for an additional $28.43" since Pentair has that 60 day warranty on self installed units (normally 2 years)

Amazon says that Asurion covers:
-Covers mechanical and electrical breakdowns.
-No deductibles or hidden fees. Shipping included on all repairs. Fully transferable.
-Easy claims process online 24/7. If we can't fix it, we will send you an Amazon e-Card reimbursement for your product purchase price.
-Plan term and coverage begins at the end of the manufacturer's labor warranty. Plan is fully refunded if canceled within 30 days.
-Plan contract will be emailed from Asurion within 24 hours of purchase. This will not ship with your product.

Will you be fine with no pump on your pool and your pool possibly turning green while you send your pump to Asurion for repair or replacement? Or do you have another pump to swap in in case of a pump failure?

 

[Jimrahbe]

I have purchased three IntelliFlo pumps in the last few years... They all run 24/7... One has been running for over 7 years, one for about 6 years and one for about 5 years... Not a single problem with any of them. I don't buy things with the expectation that they will fail. Most manufacturing defects show up almost immediately when the unit is turned on. Warranties make you feel good, but 99% of the time they are never used.

In the big picture it makes little difference...

Jim R.

 

[RMcGirr83]

I just swapped out our motor retaining the pump body. Cost ~$400 for the motor which is VS 1.65 HP (Century VGreen from inyopools). You may be able to do the same and save some $$$.

 

[keene3b07]

the intelliflo is what you want, do not put in a Vgreen motor to save money, None of my customers that have those are happy with them. One thing you can do is call a local pool service and see if they will sell you an intelliflo at cost. This way you get the better warranty and the pool service gets the rewards and all they have to do is take you the pump.

If it was me I would buy the intelliflo and a robot and be done with the in floor system. If you do this, the pump can run on low speed and it will be extremely cheap, and the performance of the robot will outdoor the in floor system by a million

 

[ChurroLover]

the intelliflo is what you want, do not put in a Vgreen motor to save money, None of my customers that have those are happy with them. One thing you can do is call a local pool service and see if they will sell you an intelliflo at cost. This way you get the better warranty and the pool service gets the rewards and all they have to do is take you the pump.

If it was me I would buy the intelliflo and a robot and be done with the in floor system. If you do this, the pump can run on low speed and it will be extremely cheap, and the performance of the robot will outdoor the in floor system by a million

Hi Keene,

Thanks for the advice.

Any idea how a robot would be plumbed to my current mechanicals?

 

[mknauss]

A robot is plugged into an electrical outlet. It has its own pump and filter.

 

[ChurroLover]

Churro,
Since we have almost identical pool volumes I’ll toss in my 2 cents.
I purchased the Hayward 3202vsp from Amazon late 2017. (Link) At the time of purchase, Hayward was offering a 4 year warranty on that pump IF installed by a licensed pool company. So I spent the extra to have it installed, even though I could have easily did it myself.
Being in AZ, the temps here are demanding on pool equipment, so I would keep that in mind when thinking over the warranty situation.

With all that being said, I absolutely love the pump. Very user friendly, quiet, and has already paid for itself in the first year of electricity savings.

P.S You can definitely kick that ozone generator to the curb when you rework your plumbing. It’s absolutely a waste of time and money. Use the search function and search “ozone generator” and you’ll see the feedback regarding those.

Hi Rob,

Just saw that you are also in Chandler AZ.

 

[RMcGirr83]

do not put in a Vgreen motor to save money, None of my customers that have those are happy with them.

I must be an outlier then. Curious though, how did your customers end up with the motor if you didn't install them? And why aren't they happy with them? Does @InyoMatt or @InyoRob know this? Seems on the inyo pool site the reviews are decent.

 

[wogster]

I'm thinking about buying the the Intelliflo from Amazon and installing myself and buying the "Asurion Lawn & Garden Extended Protection Plan 4 Year " for an additional $28.43" since Pentair has that 60 day warranty on self installed units (normally 2 years)

Amazon says that Asurion covers:
-Covers mechanical and electrical breakdowns.
-No deductibles or hidden fees. Shipping included on all repairs. Fully transferable.
-Easy claims process online 24/7. If we can't fix it, we will send you an Amazon e-Card reimbursement for your product purchase price.
-Plan term and coverage begins at the end of the manufacturer's labor warranty. Plan is fully refunded if canceled within 30 days.
-Plan contract will be emailed from Asurion within 24 hours of purchase. This will not ship with your product.

Check to see what the conditions are for a "professional install", it may not be that you need a pool company, sometimes it may be that your buddy who has his electrical licence, and will come over and watch you do it for a couple of brews and a pizza, is considered professional enough for installation; providing he is willing to sign the form. I can see Pentair's reasoning, that they don't want warranty claims because someone who "thinks" they can install it, and goofed up the wiring and fried the electronics is now trying to get a "free" replacement. Extended Protection Plans, usually have so many exemptions and make the process of making a claim so complex that the plan itself is worth about the cost of the paper it's printed on.

 

[ChurroLover]

I was thinking about installing a FlowVis when I install the new variable speed pump. Based on the pictures I posted where is the best place to splice this in? That long stretch of pipe after the filter?

Thank you,
Steve