There are three types of pool pumps available in the market: single-speed, dual-speed, and variable speed pool pumps. The single and dual pool pumps are the traditional pool pump types that produce noise. The variable speed pool pump is the upgraded pool pump and is the widely used pool pump today.
How Long Should You Run Variable Speed Pool Pump
With a variable speed pool pump, most pool owners run their pumps from 8 am to 10 pm every day, the same when they are still using the single-speed pump. But, it is essential to point out that this type of pool pump with variable speed should run 24 hours a day to make sure that the water moves properly and stays clean.
As long as your pool pump isn’t running, bacteria can live and grow in your pool because the water isn’t moving. As a bonus, any water disinfection method you use won’t work properly if your water isn’t moving around in the pipes it comes from. Turn off the pool pump only when it’s not being used. The water will be dirty for a while before it’s clean enough to swim in. This can cause health problems, even if you only turn the pump off when you aren’t swimming.
Changing to a pool pump with variable speed, even though you might have to run your pump all day long, it is worth to have peace of mind that your pool water is safe.
Reasons for Using a Variable Speed Pool Pump
It Has a Powerful Motor
There are lots of reasons why you need variable speed pool pumps. They have a more powerful motor than single and dual-speed pumps, which is called a permanent magnetic motor. It is the same type of motor used in electric cars. It’s a lot more efficient than the traditional single and dual-speed pool pumps that use induction motors, which aren’t as efficient.
Permanent magnets are used in these motors to make a magnetic field between the rotor and the windings, making them move. The magnets work to make the rotor move instead of standard induction motors that need more electricity to move the magnetic field into the rotor.
A permanent magnetic motor has an efficiency rating of 90%, but a single-speed pool pump can only get an efficiency rating of between 30% and 70% on most of its pumps. It implies that running a pool pump with variable speed pool pump use a lot less energy than running a single speed pump with the similar flow rate.
Consume Less Power
Variable speed pool pumps cost more upfront, but they will pay for themselves and save you even more money in the long run. If you want to run your pool at a slower speed for more time, you can use a variable speed pool pump. This is because the single-speed pool pumps only run at high speeds for a short time.
Single-speed pool pumps usually run at a much higher speed than they need to, which means they are always wasting electricity. Reduce the speed of your pool pump, and you’ll save a lot of money. Even the smallest speed reduction can save you a lot of money.
The variable speed pool pumps have more efficient motors and let you set the speed to exactly what your pool needs. This means that they will save you the most money on your energy bill over any other pool pump.
A Better Flow of Water in the Pool
In order to save money, most people using single-speed pumps run them for eight hours a day only or less. This means that their pool water is sitting still and letting bacteria and other things grow for most of the day. With more contaminants in the water, pools will need more chlorine, which will make more toxic chloramines that irritate and make the water smell like chlorine, so more of them will be made.
It’s also cheaper to run a variable speed pool pump for a long time, like all day long, because it doesn’t make as much noise. This is because it doesn’t run at full speed all the time. This will improve the circulation in your pool, which will lead to a much healthier pool that doesn’t need as many chemicals.
Any extra sanitation systems, such as UV, ozone, or AOP systems, will also work better with continuous circulation, which makes it possible to reduce the chlorine levels in the water down to the level found in drinking water or even less.
Produces Less Noise
You don’t want to leave single-speed pool pumps running all night because they can be very noisy. You can leave your variable speed pumps running all the time at a low speed and not wake up your family or your neighbors.
Better Pool Filtration
When you run a pool pump at too high of a speed, your filter may not work as well. When you run a variable speed pump at a slower speed for a long time, your filter will be able to work more efficiently. This means you will have a cleaner pool, and your filter will last longer.
Also read: Best variable speed pool pumps
Frequently Asked Questions – (FAQ)
What is the normal RPM for a pool pump?
If you have a small pool, the filtration system can run at low water flow with 1000 RPM or less than typical motor speeds. This depends on the size of your pool and how long you want to run the pump. In general, suction cleaners run at speeds between 2200 and 2400 RPM.
Should the variable speed pump run 24 hours?
In order to keep the water moving and the pool clean, a variable speed pool pump should run 24- hours a day.
What is a good RPM for a vacuum?
The impeller spins at a very high speed of about 30,000 to 35,000 RPM. When you think about the power of a suction motor, you think about how much air is coming in and how much pressure is coming out. This is how you figure out how much power the motor has.
How do you backwash with a variable speed pump?
· Turn off the pool pump’s power at the circuit breaker.
· Turn the valve’s handle until the selector notch points backward, then let go of the handle.
· Keep the waste hose attached to the valve and free of kinks so it can flow freely to your chosen drainage point.
· Turn on the breaker for the pool pump, then turn on the pump for your swimming pool.
· Turn the pump off again.
· It’s time to rinse. Turn the valve to Rinse.
· Make sure to turn on the pump and let it run for about a minute or until the sight glass is free of silt and sand.
· In order to set the filter setting on the valve selector handle, you need to turn off the power to the pump.
· Turn on the pump to go back to your normal filtering schedule.
Conclusion
For new pool owners adjusting and setting a variable speed pool pump is not easy. You need to know the vital facts like what RPM should you apply to run your variable speed pool pump and others. If you need more information about the topic, you can contact an expert and ask for assistance. Also, you can share your ideas and thoughts by commenting below.