Booster Pump Power Usage

[texasmax]

All-

Getting ready to install a 2-speed motor (from a single speed), and was taking a power usage baseline to compare with after.

Just to call it out, my 2.2x1.1SF is drawing 8.75A at 105gpm, 50% returned to pool, other half to overflow spa, which is how I keep it almost all of the time, except for when it switches to spa recirc for 20 minutes per day, drawing 8.3A at 80gpm. Interesting lesson that, clearly under higher TDH (spa recirc registers 18psi on filter, normally it's 11-12 psi), yes I'm getting lower flow, but I'm not "burning" power trying to push through tougher pipes, my power usage is really directly tied to flow rate. Unless my power efficiency (V-A phase) changes under differing loads. Anyway...

So the point of the thread is this. I also measured my cleaner's booster pump, and it's drawing just over 7A. This is at 220v, just like the main pump. So "Matt" (our shiny new Polaris 3900) is eating up power at 80% of the rate the pool pump is? Once I go 2-speed, Matt will be a larger consumer of electricity than the pool pump on low-speed? Is this the price of a high-pressure/low-flow booster-driven cleaner?

Just thinking out loud here- thanks for listening

[AFiremanFirst]

Good Question! And you are obviously some kind of electrical engineer :-) we like guys you around here! I struggled with the same dilema. My solution was to replumb my pressure side cleaner to a suction style cleaner. I ebayed my cleaner and pump for the price of a new suction style cleaner (hayward navigator) now my cleaner, truely cleans anytime my pump runs! Sure I could have avoided the replumb, but it was challenging and I like that kind of stuff. Now given that you have a brand new 3900 that is probably not the answer that you wanted! But yes. You're right! "Matt" is going to be your big spender. You can save energy by going solar, wind, or changing light bulbs in your house LOL, laughing because I might have done at least one of those. BTW. Any idea what your lights are costing you! 500w/110v=4.5amps. add a 300w spa light and you're at 7.27 amps. unless of course you made the investment of a LED then you're a wise man!

[polyvue]

When I did this calculation last year (3/4 HP booster pump vs. 1 HP SF 1.85 TriStar main pump) I too was surprised... The cleaner was at almost 85% of the single-speed main pump. My solution was to reduce the number of hours the cleaner ran. And if I happen to be out by the pool and see the sweeper cleaning an already clean pool, I turn it off .

[texasmax]

Thanks for the replies! Yup, not going to get rid of Matt any time soon, but he's on his own timer so I can reduce the time he runs as needed. Just wanted to make sure I had some sort of motor issue!

And I hear ya on the LED bulbs

[icreatepools4u]

I agree with you... It's better to use low speed motors for reducing consumption of electricity, i think they are the same useful.

[waterbear]

I agree with you... It's better to use low speed motors for reducing consumption of electricity, i think they are the same useful.

You seemed to have missed the point of this thread. Booster pumps for pressure side cleaners are only one speed (and need to be to provide the proper psi for the cleaner to operate) and are very inefficient as far as power usage goes.