Hayward TriStar or Hayward Super Pump
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If you are shopping for a new swimming pool pump and you have narrowed down your choices to the Hayward Super Pump (variable speed) or the Hayward Tristar (variable speed) then this page will help you to review these pumps and compare how they might perform on your swimming pool system. You should also be aware that both the Super Pump VS as well as the TriStar VS come in different models. The Super Pump comes as a 0.85hp 115v model and a 1.65hp 115v/230v model. The Tristar VS comes in a 1.85hp model and a 2.7hp model. The smaller Super Pump and the larger TriStar are not comparable at all. However the larger Super Pump and the smaller TriStar pump do have considerable overlap in abilities. This is what this article intends to help you compare.
The 1.65hp Hayward Super Pump VS is the model SP2670020VSP. This is the brick and mortar protected dealer line products. A similar 1.65hp Super Pump VS (230v only) can be purchased from the open line of products under part number W3SP2603VSP. The 1.85hp TriStar model number is SP32900VSP from the dealer protected line, with a very similar 1.85hp Tristar VS pump is available in the open line of products under the model number W3SP3202VSP. Whether you purchase from the dealer protected line or the open line (internet) the pump performance will be the same. There are some minor differences between these models but the power consumed and flow generated by the pumps (and motors) is the same between the open line and the dealer protected line. Basically, dealer protected pumps cost more but come with some upgraded features like a Viton pump seal and longer warranty. Open line products available from the internet have less warranty protection but typically cost less to buy.
Comparing the TriStar to the Super Pump - The Super Pump is a medium head pump while the Tristar is a higher head pump. This means the TriStar has a better ability to pump well against a lot of resistance to flow. Resistance to flow is measured in feet of head. A small and basic pool might have 20' of head resistance. A medium size inground pool might have 30' of head. A more complex inground pool with more pipes and more equipment might be 50 or 60' of head resistance. These numbers, while only estimates, are very important in being able to compare the pumps accurately. If you make an assumption that your resistance to flow is perhaps 30' of head for your pool you can look up the performance curves for these two pumps and see how much flow they will deliver. This is important for both safety in the pool as well as protection of your other pool equipment from damage. Let's look at these two pumps operating on a pool with 30' of head resistance:
Hayward Super Pump VS @ 30' of head = 80 GPM
Hayward TriStar VS (1.85hp) @ 30' of head = 125 GPM
Already you can see quite a difference in actual flow rate between these two pumps. At 30' of head both pumps perform well (and similarly) but when we start to increase the resistance to flow to higher numbers you will start to notice how the Super Pump does not perform as well as the TriStar. This is why a pool with a high resistance to flow would likely be better off with a 1.85hp TriStar versus a 1.65hp Super Pump:
Hayward Super Pump VS @ 60' of head = 37 GPM
Hayward TriStar VS (1.85hp) @ 60' of head = 84 GPM
Bigger is NOT better when it comes to pool pumps - Many pool owners might see the lower numbers for the Super Pump at 60' of head and think that this pump is inferior to the TriStar but this would not be accurate. It is more that every pump has a specific application it was built for and you want to choose a pump which is suitable for the actual pool system that you have. Unfortunately it is difficult to know the resistance to flow of a pool system and this is where many pool owners will struggle since they need to know this in order to choose the right pump for their system. Such is the nature of swimming pools in that they tend to be more complex than most people assume them to be on the surface. Choosing the right pump for any given pool really is something best left to industry professionals for this reason. A serious concern is that no pool should exceed six feet per second of water velocity in any suction line. If you use a pool pump which is too powerful then you can easily exceed these safe values as established by the VGBA (Virginia Graeme Baker Act). If you use a pump which is too undersized or designed for lower head resistance than what your pool has you can end up not moving enough water or operating your pump too far from BEP (best efficiency point).
Resistance to flow in pool systems - Using a vacuum gauge and a pressure gauge installed in your (existing) pump you can measure the amount of suction and pressure and from this you can calculate the (momentary) total resistance to flow in the system. Suction vacuum (Hg) x 1.13 plus pressure (PSI) x 2.31 = total resistance to flow in feet of head. If you are able to know or even estimate this with a reasonable amount of accuracy this is going to help you a lot to determine which pool pump will be better sized for your pool. Simply look at the performance curve for the pump you want to buy and compare the flow rates you with the resistance to flow you have measured for your pool.
Pool plumbing efficiency - The size of the pipes in your pool filtration system will determine how much flow your system is able to achieve. The maximum rate of efficient water flow in PVC pipe is equal to 6 feet per second of water velocity. This means max efficient flow in 1.5" pipes is 38 GPM and in 2" pipes it is 65 GPM. You can, and likely will, pump more than this but ideally you want efficient water flow, and staying within these limits of laminar flow is how you accomplish this. This is why a pool with larger pipes will have more ability to move water, and more efficiency in moving that water than a pool with smaller plumbing lines. The Hayward 1.65hp Super Pump is suitable for both 1.5" and 2" pipes, which the 1.85hp TriStar can also accommodate. However if you have larger pipes like 2.5" or 3" or larger, likely the TriStar pump is what you want, and possibly even the larger TriStar 2.7hp pump if your system needs additional flow ability.
Most residential pools will be able to fit either the 1.65hp Super Pump or the 1.85hp TriStar pump from Hayward. There is some overlap in the middle where a pool could potentially use either, but more commonly one of these pumps will fit your pool system better than the other. Small and medium sized pools using the Super Pump, and slightly larger and more complex pool system would likely benefit from the 1.85hp TriStar.
When you are in a situation where both pumps could work the tendency for pool owners is to shop for the larger pump with the logic being "bigger must be better" but in reality pool pumps should instead be "smaller is better" and you want to get the smallest pump that will adequately provide the flow you need for your pool and your pool system. A pump which is too large can be less efficient and ultimately unneeded, but it can also pose a safety concern if you are drawing too much water through the suction lines or exceeding the maximum flow rates for your skimmers, main drains, pool filter etc.
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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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