Super Pump VS Filtration Schedule
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This is a stand alone article about how to program a 24 hour variable speed pump schedule for your pool with specific reference to the Hayward Super Pump VS running on a pool system with 1.5" plumbing size. This is just one in a series of articles about this subject, covering the flow rates, electrical consumption and 24 hour programming cycle for variable speed pumps. You can find a great comparison article as well which is almost the exact same test (and 24 hour program) except on a 2" plumbing system instead of a 1.5" plumbing system. To see the 2" example read this page about 62k gal. of filtered water for $1.05.
Every swimming pool system is unique and every pool will have unique numbers for flow rates, electrical consumption etc. and this even goes for my pool pump testing lab. The 2" and 1.5" runs are not exactly identical. The 2" run is physically a higher elevation to push, plus the 2" run employs a spring loaded check valve as part of the flowmeter which contributes to the total dynamic head, or resistance to flow, which is measured in feet (of head). It is important to understand this dynamic nature of how these variables interact and understand this is not a black and white comparison of 1.5" to 2" pipe...but it is pretty close to that and does help to provide some interesting context about the relationship between pipe size, flow potential and flow efficiency. In short, with the exact same equipment and almost identical plumbing systems except for pipe size, the 2" system is able to pump 62,240 gallons of water per day for a cost of $1.05. On this page you will see how the 1.5" system resulted in 52,020 gallons (10k less) for a daily cost of $1.02. That is about 17% increase in flow from the larger pipe size.
Filtration goals - You should strive to filter the volume of your pool three times every 24 hours. The more you filter your water the less physical debris and contamination there will be in the water. This means there is a direct, linear comparison between how much chlorine your pool will use, and how much you filter your water. The more you filter your water, the less debris you have in the pool, the less chlorine you need. For one, chlorine costs money so that is a benefit. Even more beneficial is a reduction in the total exposure to chlorine and subsequent chemical treatments needed to maintain your water balance. More filtration is the silver bullet that pool owners have been asking for. Less chemicals, less chlorine, cleaner water...all using something you have already. The filtration system. Simply use it more. Instead of running the pump the least possible amount to keep the pool clean, as is traditionally done by pool owners, instead filter your water as much as you can. Especially since variable speed pumps take the concern of electrical cost away in doing so. There is no valid argument for less filtration versus more. Three turnovers of the pool volume daily will result in approximately 95% of the water in the pool being filtered at least one time. The first turnover nets 63% and the second nets 86%. The third 95% and a fourth turnover will result in approximately 98% of the water being filtered at least one time. This is due to how the clean, filtered water diffuses into the body of "dirty" pool water still waiting to be filtered. Regard three turnovers of your water as your minimum goal every day and if you want less exposure to chemicals or cleaner water then you can increase these numbers even further.
24 Hour filtration example
Pipe size = 1.5" PVC
TDH = 30'
Filter pressure = 9 PSI @ 3200 RPM
Pump = Hayward Super Pump VS (SP2603VSP)
Filtration total = 52,020 gallons
Electrical use = 7.81 kWh
24 hour cost = $1.02
Since 1.5" pipes are smaller they have more resistance to flow than 2" pipes. Water velocity is the measurement to pay attention to when discussing efficiency of plumbing systems. For a given flow volume of water if you make the pipe smaller the water velocity will increase. If you make the pipe bigger the water velocity will reduce. This is just a function of how water flows through a pipe. When the velocity of water moving through a pipe increases past 6 feet per second there is a dramatic decrease in efficiency due to friction and turbulence of the fast moving water. Water moving in laminar flow is very efficiency and experiences very little resistance from friction and turbulence. 6 feet per second in 1.5" PVC pipes is about 35 to 38 GPM which means when water is moving over and above this amount it is doing so with significant efficiency losses. This is why a plumbing system with larger pipe size would operate more efficiently as the water (for a given volume) is able to move slower and with less friction and turbulence.
24 Hour schedule
5am - 1pm = 1200 RPM
1pm - 2pm = 3200 RPM
2pm - 9pm = 1200 RPM
9pm - 10pm = 3200 RPM
10pm - 3am = 2500 RPM
3am - 5am = 3200 RPM
After 24 hours we have a total of 15 hours at 1200 RPM, five hours at 2500 RPM and four hours at 3200 RPM. This provides a total of 52,020 gallons of filtered water for a total 24 hour cost of approximately $1.02 which is very lean. Most people pay a lot more than this to filter their water for only 6 or 8 hours per day with a single speed pump. It is very important to install and use a flow meter as this instrumentation is critical in being able to dial in the correct pump RPM speeds and flow rates. Without a flow meter you can only calculate or guess at flow rates which leaves too much room for error.
Filtration totals
1200 RPM (23.5 GPM) = 21,150 gallons after 15 hours
2500 RPM (50.5 GPM)= 15,150 gallons after 5 hours
3200 RPM (65.5 GPM) = 15,720 gallons after 4 hours
Total filtration = 52,020 gallons / day
Electrical consumption totals
1200 RPM (80 Watts) = 1.2kW after 15 hours
2500 RPM (505 Watts) = 2.53kW after 5 hours
3200 RPM (1020 Watts) = 4.08kW after 4 hours
Total electrical use = 7.81 kWh / day
Total cost (7.81 x $0.13) = $1.02 / day
The 24 hour schedule shown on this page is not a one-size-fits-all solution for pool filtration. This would be best for small and medium sized pools to use as a reference since you really should aim to turnover your pool three times per day at the minimum. 1.5" plumbing and over 50,000 gallons of filtered water in a day for about a dollar is a very economical pump schedule. If you are new to variable speed pumps, or even pools, between the lines you should use a schedule like this if your pool is 10k to 20k gallons in size and you have 1.5" plumbing lines. If you have 2" plumbing lines you should use this 2" plumbing comparison instead as a starting point.
If you have a more demanding pool system or a larger swimming pool than 20,000 gallons then this pump schedule might be a little bit lean on volume and low on GPM. The peripheral devices you have installed on your pool like salt water, or a heater (gas or electric heat pumps) all require minimum flow rates in order to operate so be sure to note this difference. If you have little to no peripheral devices installed on your pool (or at most a salt cell) then this schedule might be a good starting point for you to dial in the savings with a variable speed Hayward Super Pump.
To see a comparison to this filtration schedule using this exact same 24 hour pump schedule running on 2" pipes instead of 1.5" pipes you can find this here: SuperPump Filtration Schedule On 2" Plumbing
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Swimming Pool Steve is an award winning, second generation swimming pool and spa specialist from Ontario Canada. With over 10,000,000 views on the Swimming Pool Steve YouTube Channel, winner of the 2018 Pool & Spa Industry Leadership award and author of hundreds of pool and spa articles both online and in print Steve is committed to helping pool and spa owners as well as pool and spa industry workers learn more about the technical side of building, renovating, repairing and maintaining all types of swimming pools and spas. Follow Swimming Pool Steve on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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