Your pool should be a pleasurable experience, day in and day out. Meanwhile, maintaining your pool is important, not only in terms of performance but also in managing any required maintenance. At the end of the day, the two go hand in hand.
Did you know there’s money hiding in your pool’s pump?
Did you know there’s money hiding in your pool’s pump?
That’s right, for pools with single-speed pumps, they’re likely working harder than they were intended to. In fact many pool pumps are being asked to carry a burden beyond their design. This can lead to early failure, and higher energy costs since a single-speed pump is being asked to do so much more. Combine that with new regulations in some states that pump replacements only occur with variable-speed units, and it sets the stage for an opportunity to save money and improve performance at the same time.
Single-speed pumps start out at full speed and stay there, which is not good for the pump (or any motor for that matter). In comparison, variable-speed pumps fluctuate so they can run at considerably reduced RPMs. With a variable-speed pump, you’ll run at lower speeds during filtering hours (though you may need to run for a longer time period), which consumes less energy, filters more effectively, and lowers your costs.
Check out this savings scenario
For example, let’s say you have a 20,000-gallon pool with a 12-month swimming season. If you were to replace your existing single speed 1 ½ HP pump with a variable speed 2.2 HP pump (a common replacement specification), your pump speed would decrease by about one third, resulting in far less wear and tear. Meanwhile, your “turnover rate” (the number of times your pump circulates all the water in your pool) would actually increase. The best part? Your annual cost would be halved, resulting in over $600 a year in energy savings! And since variable-speed pumps last eight to 10 years, your return on investment would be recouped after just three years while your energy bill gets immediately cut in half.
So, what’s one of the best ways to save money and improve your pool performance? Replace your single-speed pump with a variable-speed pump, and watch the savings add up in your energy bill each month!