VS Pool Pumps: Do They Really Save You Money?

The first option would be to replace the motor with a Century V-Green stands-alone VS motor. They are compatible with most pumps and have a round or square flange. It is the most affordable option, and if the existing pump is less than five years old, I suggest going that route. But if you need to replace the entire pump, here are some brands to look at.
The pool pump can be the highest energy hog in your house, passing your Air Conditioner and Refrigerator just by the sheer number of hours it runs each day. If you have a 1 ½ or 2 HP pump installed and you run it 8 hours per day, not to get into complicated conversions of kWh (Kilowatt Hours) and how your Electric Company charges you each month, imagine it as having 20-100 watt light bulbs on every hour. That is a lot of electricity each day, and if your bill is tiered by usage, the more you use, the more you are charged, and your account can get very high very quickly. On average, a pool pump in the Summer will be about 40% of your total electricity bill.
So, the best way to save money is to cut into your monthly electricity bill, and that is precisely what a VS pump does. Put your standard pump runs at 3450 RPM (Rotations Per Minute), about 1800-2000 watts. A VS Pump can be set to different RPMs; the total wattage is lowered at every lower RPM. So, dropping the VS Pump to 2100 RPM reduces the watts to 685. At 2100 RPM, the water will appear to flow as strong as a standard pump running at 3450 RPM. Cut it down even lower to 1800 RPM; you are down to 165 watts. So, instead of running 20-100-watt light bulbs, you only have a little over one light bulb running each hour. So, it is hard to see the VS pump energy savings, but if you look at the monthly drop in your electricity bill, you will see the savings reflected there.
You may notice that the pool doesn't stay as clean with a VS pump, which leads you to believe that the pump needs to be fixed as well as your old single-speed pump. That is just one drawback of not running your pump at 3450 RPM. One way to address this is running a short, higher speed RPM for 2-3 hours (2,800-3,000 RPM). That way, the surface debris can be pushed into the skimmer, leaving the pool cleaner each day.
Many consumers balk at the higher price tag of a VS pump, but that is due, for the most part, to the "Drive" on the top of the VS motor (some are now internal). This drive allows the pump to run at a different speed, and this is the brain of the pump. Many also have a controller mounted to the pump, which acts as the VS pump's timer. These extra components cause the VS pump's price to be higher than a standard single-speed pump. It's not the manufacturers charging more just to make more money but that these pumps cost more to the manufacturer, which translates into a higher price tag for you.
A VS pump is a more significant investment that will save you 60-80% on your electricity bill and pay for itself in 2 years.
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Пікірлер: 11

  • @79steelymatt
    @79steelymattАй бұрын

    Good show David

  • @phillipchristensen3202
    @phillipchristensen320224 күн бұрын

    I personally noticed my year over year electric bill reduce by ~$50 when I went to VS.

  • @SPL

    @SPL

    24 күн бұрын

    They do save some

  • @mayorb3366
    @mayorb3366Ай бұрын

    What are your thoughts on 1725/3450 rpm 2-speed motors? I like the simplicity and that they have no electronics on them, and can be used with an existing mechanical timer by adding a second timer to switch between speeds.

  • @SPL

    @SPL

    Ай бұрын

    They are okay. But you really save more if you can avoid the 3450 RPM

  • @mxguy2438
    @mxguy2438Ай бұрын

    I have a VS pump (waterway 270) and a flow meter. It flows 22gpm at 1370 rpm and 148 watts. I run it this way at night and its enough for my salt system to operate. I run it at 1970 rpm for 8 hours during the day which is 34gpm and 400 watts. Its enough to run my pool heater. Gives right around 3 water changes per day and costs $20 a month to run. 34 gpm gives ok skimming but on windy days with lots of leaves, I might run it for another hour or two at a higher speed to improve the skimming function so in reality its a little over $20 a month at $.12 per kWh. For 3 water changes per day at a 1.5hp setting (2800 rpm and 1096 watts and 51gpm) it would need to run 11.5 hours per day at a cost of $45 per month. So the variable speed does save about half the energy cost, or around $260 a year.

  • @SPL

    @SPL

    Ай бұрын

    That's a set up that takes a lot of thought! Great job!! Yes, 50% is a realistic number.

  • @ThePoolAnimal
    @ThePoolAnimalАй бұрын

    I feel like these are the most headache of a pump for a pool tech. I hate them.

  • @SPL

    @SPL

    Ай бұрын

    Single speed pumps are very easy. I agree. No money savings but easy.

  • @philindeblanc
    @philindeblancАй бұрын

    People, Get out of this overpriced money grab monopoly of 2-3 MFG for pumps/ Plenty great pumps with better warranty from the place these guys buy their parts from and assemble in the US.

  • @SPL

    @SPL

    Ай бұрын

    They are pricey. I suspect someone is making a killing.