# Forum Home Renovation Pools, Spa & Water Features  Multi speed Eco pool pumps, worth it?

## mudbrick

I have to choose a new pool pump to replace a dead one. I've been seeing these advertised In pool shops and online for years now and I always planned to get one when I needed a new pump. I just don't know anyone who has one to find out if they really do what they claim and save you hundreds in power each year. 
Has anyone got experience with these pumps? Onga, waterco and several others sell them though they cost about twice as much as standard single speed pumps.
is one brand better than others?

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## Marc

Anything named Eco ... something, is bound to cost twice as much last half as long and be weak and pathetic ...  :Smilie:

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## mudbrick

That's also my concern but these things run on a variable speed drive, and in most heavy industries VSD's are considered the ducks nuts... 
A bit like replacing an incandescent globe with an LED, although using that example we both know you don't always get what you were hoping for when going LED, so hmmmm

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## Whitey66

Just be careful that with some of the newer pumps, the bearings and seals aren't as easy to replace or aren't replaceable at all.
If you do your own pump motor repairs this is very important once it's out of warranty.
While VSD's have their place in several applications, I don't think they are really worth it for pool pumps. Less RPM = less water moved= longer pump running times which negates the efficiency imho.
It might be the way to go if you run them off solar panels though.
If you don't have solar, I'd be more inclined to pick a standard type pump motor with a good efficiency.

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## Marc

I looked into it for a drinking water tank. Each time you open the tap the pump comes on, so hundreds of start and stop a day, a soft start seems like the way to go.
Changed my mind. Kept my 30 years old pump that works every time. To recover the cost through the theoretical savings would take me uhuu may be at current rates some 25 years or so ...
Then of course the ecocrap will cark it at 10 years so no savings at all. :Doh:

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## David.Elliott

> Anything named Eco ... something, is bound to cost twice as much last half as long and be weak and pathetic ...

  
What he said!  Although don't you have to be a vegan hipster to qualify to buy Eco...  could be a problem..

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## Marc

I would be barred from entering the shop then.  :Smilie:

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## commodorenut

You can always install a VSD/VFD onto a standard pump.  I looked into it for the spa, and it was cheaper to rebuild the original decent quality name-brand pump, and fit a small (but quality) VSD, rather than buy a new all-in-one package of dubious origins.   With 'auto-tune' it's quite easy to set them up, and in a spa, you don't really need 100% duty cycle during the cleaning phase - it only needs circulation fast enough to filter all the water, and keep the chemicals mixed (and/or ozone stirred around).  Probably a bit different to a pool with a much larger volume of water. 
I work for a company that does a lot of VSDs into industrial applications, and ran it through the software that works out true running costs & savings, and the payback period was only 2 years, based on it running 2 hours/day on a timer when not in use, and 3-4 hours/day when in use.

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## mudbrick

Hmmm this isn't as bad as most green concepts. It isn't really a green concept at all it's just technology that's been applied to pool pumps to save power. 
So it's a pump with different speeds rather than just full bore ( which they label Eco to attract attention )
The lower speed is say half the rpm of top speed. It draws say 1/3 the amps of top speed while pumping 1/2 the volume of water. So you run it for twice as long to match the total flow and in theory you saved 1/3 off the power bill in the process !?!? Hmmm
i guess if it doesn't work out like that I could just run it full bore and have an expensive pump

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## mudbrick

Oh well I talked myself into it and bought a quality variable speed pump. Will be fitted once i get some new pipe glue cos my 10 year old bottle has turned to jelly and o dont want the pipes blowing off the pump.
They claim it has a 5 year warranty but it's not a Hyundai  :Smilie: 
The general consensus in pool circles is that these new pumps save $100 a quarter off your power bill. So we shall see what a few LED globes and a pool pump does to the bill over summer!! ☀️
The family is growing up so using more power so if a few things like this make the power usage go the other way it will be worth it.

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## Marc

Good luck with that. Variable speed pumps are more energy efficient, there is no doubt about it. And hydrodynamics says that double the power does not mean double the flow, so there is a very good reason to adjust the speed to the flow required. 
The problem with this latest technology is not the principle but the reliability and the cost of repairs. If the upkeep is less than the savings, then you are on a winner. 
Let's hope you are.

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## pharmaboy2

I was shown a $3k variable pump yesterday - it was installed because they needed slower flow when running a spa seperately and was needed for solar heating, but this was in a pretty much high end pool ($12k controller etc), so I doubt energy was the big issue, just the flexibility

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## mudbrick

They sure do get expensive, or should I say some places charge an arm and a leg 2k for the same thing you can get at another place with different label for 700.
For me it's like buying any large appliance like a fridge or water heater, you only get one choice and live with it for hopefully 10 years. That's 40 power bills and potentially a lot of maintenance to be made or lost. 
After summer I'll update what impact it has on our power use.

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## Marc

Yes, variable flow control may have an ulterior usefulness besides saving electricity. However like with any technological advance, until that time when it becomes mainstream and everyone has them and the price is low and anyone can fix them with cheap parts, you are better off old school and inefficient. Reminds me of the old debate, outboard vs inboard and two stroke vs 4 stroke and woodheater vs aircon and many other lovely debates. 
Looking forward to an update.

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