ENERGY EFFICIENT PUMPS

As of July 2021, a fedral law mandates that all new swimming pool pumps perform at an energy effiecient standard that will now eliminate most single speed pumps over 1 horsepower.  All replacement pumps and motors will need to meet this new standard.

The idea of saving on electrical usage and costs is a positive one. However, this may create unforeseen problems for you, the pool owner. For one, they are much more expensive than their single speed counterparts. Then, once they are installed, if you do not program them properly, you may not get enough flow to keep your pool clean, sanitized, or even heated.  

Everything in your pool depends upon proper circulation.  Start with the fact that the pool pump is the life line, the backbone, of the entire circulation system. The pump creates suction for vacuuming the pool, and for leaves and debris to be drawn into the skimmer. It creates the suction at the drain on the bottom of the pool which draws filtered, chlorinated water downward in the pool. The pump pushes the water through the filter for cleaning, through the heater for heat, through the chlorinator for chlorine, and back to the pool. It only stands to reason that when these energy efficient pumps are on their lowest cycles that maximize electrical savings, they are not circulating the water very well at all. 

Everything suffers. Leaves and debris fall on the surface of the pool and the pump is lazily humming along in its energy saving mode. The debris is not drawn over to the skimmer as it would be with a traditional pump. They become water-logged and sink to the bottom of the pool. This increases the need to vacuum more frequently. The center piece of your backyard, is perpetually covered with debris on the top and bottom. Not the look you were going for when you had a pool installed. 

Variable speed pumps may leave dead spots from lack of circulation when on low rpms. Heat and chemicals do not get distributed evenly in the pool. Algae soon develops from lack of circulation. This increases the need for more eco-unfriendly chemicals and the need to vacuum to waste and backwash more to keep up with your dirtier pool. This increases the need for more water replacement (which works against the eco-friendly model of the pump). These extra chemical and water costs eat up any cost-savings derived from lower electrical usage.

In short, with the high cost of the swimming pool installation, and with it being a seasonal entertainment feature here in the mid-west, it is not worth saving a few dollars monthly on your electric bill to have your pool potentially be an eyesore and unusable. So, make sure as you program your new pump that you do not program it for maximum energy savings, rather, program them at the proper settings to do what they are necessary for: swimming pool circulation.