If you spend the extra money and install a high efficiency variable speed pool pump, how long will it take for your new pump to pay for itself?
If you spend the extra money and install a high efficiency variable speed pool pump, how long will it take for your new pump to pay for itself? If you are looking for the quickest way to calculate your savings, you should look the Jandy Energy Cost Estimator.
If you want to get a better understanding of how a high efficiency, variable speed pump saves you money, read on. Your total savings really depends on several factors:
In order to understand your savings, you need to understand how much your old standard pump is costing you to operate. Find the HP rating on your pump and then go across the chart to find the annual cost if you are running 8, 10, or 12 hour cycles.
We are going to use a 24,000 gallon pool for the sake of this chart.
Find your pool size and you will see how much flow is required to pump the entire volume of your pool though your filter in one twelve hour cycle.
If you have a raised spa, you will want to increase the RPM by 200 – 400 RPM to get a nice overflow. If you have other water features such as Rockfalls, Sheer Descents or Laminar Jets, you will also have to account for the flow required by those features.
Most of the time we also program a higher RPM for two hours per day while the cleaner is operating . Even with these higher speeds, the overall cost of operation is still significantly less than the older, less efficient pumps.
When it comes time to replace your pump . . . if you go with a variable speed pump instead of a standard pump, the cost difference between the two is about $750.00. In most cases, you recover that additional expense in just a year or so.
24,000 Gallon Pool, 2.0 HP Pump Annual Savings: $549.99 Payback Time: 16 months
If you have a 24,000 gallon pool with a 2.0 HP pump that is running 8 hour filter cycles, you are currently spending $709.86 per year on your energy bill. If you go with a variable speed pump you will spend about $159.87 per year on your energy bill. That is an annual savings of $549.99!
The cost difference between a standard 2.0 HP pump and a variable speed pump is $750.00. You will recover this cost difference in about 16 months. After that, it will continue to pay you back dividends month after month.
24,000 Gallon Pool, 1.5 HP Pump Annual Savings: $462.09 Payback Time: 21 months
If you have a 24,000 gallon pool with a 1.5 HP pump that is running 8 hour filter cycles, you are currently spending $621.96 per year on your energy bill. If you go with a variable speed pump you will spend about $159.87 per year on your energy bill. That is an annual savings of $462.09!
The cost difference between a standard 1.5 HP pump and a variable speed pump is $800.00. You will recover this cost difference in about 21 months. After that, it will continue to pay you back dividends month after month, for the entire life of the pump (normally at least ten years)
Good question!! If you have water features such as a spa that overflows into your pool, or a water fall that runs all the time or sheer descents, then you may need to run the pump at a higher speed to make these work properly. We can also adjust the valves to push more of the water to these features.
We will generally also program the pump to a slightly higher speed for 2-3 hours per day to create a “cleaning cycle” to coincide with the run time on the automatic pool cleaner so that the skimmers and the main drain more effectively pull in the debris.
With a variable speed pool pump, there is a balance between economy and performance.
If you choose maximum energy savings, you will probably save 75% or more on your pool energy costs, but your pool may not stay as clean. If you choose maximum performance and run the pump at higher speeds, you will keep you pool as clean as you did with your old single speed pump, but you will still save 40 – 50% on your pool energy costs. Either way . . . YOU WIN!!
At Poolstop, we offer professional installation of your variable speed pump. The installation on a new variable speed pump involves more than just plumbing and wiring. It involves optimize the pool and the pump settings for maximum energy savings.
Adjust the programming on the pump to achieve a 12 hour turnover time.
Adjust the return inlets and the valve actuators at the equipment to provide proper flow to you water features, even at lower speeds
Set the various speeds on the pump to provide balance performance with energy efficiency.
Still not sure how much a variable speed pump will save you? Call our office and speak with a trained technician who can review the specifics of your pool and provide you with an estimate of your cost savings
