Right now everybody is trying to save money, and who could blame them? Everyone wants to make their money last, as long as possible. One way to do that is to reduce your energy consumption. With today’s rising energy costs, and their continued rise in the foreseeable future, it just makes sense to reduce when and where we can. There are new technologies available that help you do just that. A high efficiency variable speed pump may be just the ticket you need, to still enjoy your backyard pool and spa and yet save on energy!
Pentair's IntelliFlo-SVRS
This technology has finally made it to the pool industry after being developed for industrial uses and most recently in hybrid car technology. We will all be the better for it, as more and more designers specify these pumps in their designs. I specify them in all my projects. Why, because manufacturers claim these pumps can save from 30 to 90% over a single speed pump, if it is used correctly. It accomplishes these saving by in three ways.
The first is through a more efficient design. Pentair Water has led the pool industry through the introduction of their variable speed pump, the IntelliFlo. Although other pool manufacturers have introduced their own variable speed pump, in my opinion Pentair’s design is still superior. Prior to their new pump, all residential pool and spa pumps used a basic “induction” electric motor, which requires a portion of the electrical energy to be used in creating a magnetic field. This magnetic field is what propels the shaft of the motor to spin. In an induction motor this field is constantly shifting, keeping the shaft spinning at nearly 3,000 revolutions per minute. The energy required to generate this field and the inevitable heat that is produced in the process is a consumption of energy that need not be. In contrast Pentair’s motor uses rare earth permanent magnets, so there is no energy absorbed in creating this magnetic field. The motors, therefore, use less electricity even when running the same speed and carrying the same load as a similarly sized induction motor. A side benefit is the motors run cooler, which promotes a longer service life, which reduces the long term cost of ownership.
Pentair's IntelliFlo-SVRS Control Panel
The second is through understanding the Law of Infinity regarding energy. Most of us relying on “common-sense” would assume if we increase the output of a pump the energy requirement increases proportionally. Meaning, if you doubled the volume of water a pump pushed, the cost would be twice that of the lower volume. However, this is not correct. Simply put, the Law of Infinity states when you double the power output of a motor the energy requirement increases by a factor of four. That’s twice as much as what one would think. Conversely, and here is the real benefit to the motor, when you decrease the power output by half, you cut the energy requirement to 1/4 its previous amount.
Pentair's IntelliFlo Installed
The third is through using only as much energy as is actually needed. Prior to the introduction of this pump, the determination of which pump to use was a little like buying shoes. Shoes come in various sizes, but unless you had custom made shoes, you had to settle for a shoe that was either a little too small or too large. Rarely was there a perfect fit. Pumps were the same way, designers picked from the various pump size offerings without the benefit of a perfect fit. The IntelliFlo-SVRS version of Pentair’s pump has the capability of performing like a pump anywhere along the spectrum of a 1/4 horsepower output up to a three horsepower output. This allows the designer to install the pump and find that perfect speed which supplies all the necessary water to your spa and not a bit more. Once installed the pump can be programed with up to eight speeds in its memory, meaning you will have up to eight pumps in one. So one could program a very low, barely operating speed for maximum energy saving, and in addition several higher speeds could be programmed to create a visual effect from a water-feature. The pump has a built in timer, which when programed, allows the pump to automatically switch between these speeds.
Installing the IntelliComm Interface
One draw back on the pump is that utilizing the display requires bending over to see and adjust the display mounted right on top of the pump, which is often not very convenient. However, the pump is easily controlled by any of Pentair’s automation systems making programming much more convenient. Pentair has even developed an interface, called their IntelliComm, which allows the pump to be controlled by other manufacturer’s automation systems.
Finally, I should point out that Pentair has several versions on this pump. The least sophisticated is their IntelliFlo-VS-3050, which offers only four programmable speed settings with no built in timer. Another version, the one featured here, is their IntelliFlo-SVRS, which not only offers the energy savings but also the added benefit of a built in Safety Vacuum Release System, which is in compliance with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool Safety Act, designed to protect swimmers from suction entrapment.
