The max the whole system can put out is a total of 90 amps at 220VAC, but this is a small club house for a retreat center/hotel, so there will be other draws - kitchen appliances, office equipment, lighting, TVs, stereos, etc. I would estimate probably 50 amps could be continuously available after allowing for those other loads. My plan for sanitation was to use the IntelliChlor along with the EasyTouch in the pool. I had been advised that the chlorine generators aren't as effective in the spa system due to water temps (though I've also heard differing opinions on this). I was guessing that I'd just have to add chlorine directly for the spa system. The plumbing size is all 2". After finding this forum (after the pour), it seems like we should have gone 2.5", but that is already set in concrete. I don't have any pool equipment in place yet. I'm hoping to purchase everything simultaneously. This includes the automation system(s). It sounds like you're advising against the automation systems - or perhaps you just mean the old style, mechanical ones. When you say that the VS and VF should be attached directly to the 220 source, do you mean without an additional automatic control mechanism like the EasyTouch? Or do you mean just to skip the older-style mechanical timers? Can I control things like solar heating diversion, chlorine generation, spa jets, etc. directly through the pumps? It seems like the VF has some onboard controls, if a bit complicated. My sense was that I was going to need two EasyTouch systems - one for the pool and one for the spa. Many thanks for your advice and insight. I truly appreciate the guidance of those with expertise in the area.

Habi Regarding 2 speed pump options for your pool, there are quite a few as this technology has been around a long time. As long as you stay with a trusted brand name and have a local qualified installer that stands behind their equipment, you cant go wrong. They will size the 2 speed pump for your application. There is not much power consumption difference at low speed when comparing a 1.5HP to a 2.0HP 2 speed pump, so if in doubt, go with the bigger 2 speed and you will still be saving lots of energy over your existing 1 speed. There are no true 2.5HP 2 speeds out there. These are called up-rated pumps and are really 2 HP pumps. All the technologies mentioned in this post will work for your solar setup. The key to making low speed pumps work with solar is to momentarily prime the solar panels first with a higher speed, then the rest of the cycle can be ran at low speed providing heat, filtering and circulation for your pool saving lots of energy over a 1 speed! The variable speed pumps will save more energy over 2 speed at low speed as long as you do not run the variable speed at high speed very long. If they are ran more than a couple hours per day at high speed, then the power saved at low speed operation is erased and they will start costing more money to run than a 2 speed at high speed. If your electricity rate is high and you will not be using high speed that much, the variable speed pump may make sense but only you can justify the added cost over 2 speed. To calculate the return on investment for a variable speed pump over a 2 speed pump, use about 200-300 watts savings per hour of run time in low speed. In high speed, use about 1,000 watts cost per hour of run time over a 2 speed. Regarding DIY systems to run your meter backwards, I am not aware of any. You can google "net metering" for more info on this technology and also "using solar to run meter backwards" for some mfgs out there. There are also hybrid systems that provide heat for your home while at the same time generating electricity to feed back into the power grid to run the meter backwards and there are even generators that run on waste cooking oil that will feed power back into the grid. It is an emerging technology and is very expensive at this time for US residents. In Europe, the governments are helping promote the technology with heavy buyer incentives. The US has not reached this point yet, but its being evaluated. Hope this helps! Subl1002- If the variable speed pump is going to be used for light duty, low flow circulation for a majority of its operation time, the technology can not be beat on efficiency. Either variable speed or 2 speed will work for solar. Solar does provide some challenges for variable flow (VF) technology because the pump is trying to adjust to sudden changes in system pressures, but there are work-arounds for this also. 2 speed and discreet speed (such as 4x160 or VS) will work just fine for solar. The added up front cost for variable speed is a personal choice based on 1) return on investment knowing hours of low and high speed operation 2) value of having several different speeds instead of just 2 speeds and 3) having the latest technology no matter what the costs (some people just like to have the technology and are willing to put up with the costs and complexity). At $.095/KWH, personally, I would opt for the 2 speed either with or without solar. The return on investment will be more than 10 years for a variable speed pump over a 2 speed. But, if other factors mentioned above are important to you, the variable speed may be a better choice for you personally. Regarding reliability of the technologies, I think the jury is still out for variable speed pool pump products. They have not been on the market long enough to have much history and there are not very many of them out there compared to 2 speed and 1 speed. From my HVAC experience, having inverters in a harsh environment, such as piggybacked on pool pumps in the backyard, has not been proven reliable over time and is expensive when it comes time to replace the inverter. Hope this helps!

I saw this post a while back and I wasn't quite sure I wanted to go out on that limb. This will be easy to figure out, but can you post a photo of the water feature? I'd have to see the trough to give a definitive answer, but here's what I've come up with so far: Now, these gpm figures are the ones I use. Somebody else may use different numbers, but these are mine and I haven't had to eat a pump yet. Key word: yet! 3' sheer descent = 36 gpm spouts = 10 gpm each x3 That's the easy part, but depending on the trough design you might need no more flow or lots more flow. I'm assuming you have, or will have, valves in place to adjust and balance the flow to all these features, as well as a bypass line to send the excess flow directly back into the pool. Yes? As for the filter pump, let's go with a quick 6 hour turnover rate. Some people use 8 hours and to be honest I don't remember what the "rule" is on that because it's a moot point for me since I use at least a dual-speed pump if not an Intelliflo, so I want the higher flow rate of a 6 hr. turnover since that will give me a higher flow rate on the low speed for less-compromised skimming and the possibility of getting the heater to fire on low speed. My logic might be askew, I don't know. I love being able to run spas on low speed and still have the heater fire up. It's quiet, it's safer, it's cheap, it's nice. Anyways, a 30,000 gallon pool would need 83 gpm for a 6 hr. turnover. I'm sure you're getting that with your 1.5HP. So you could run your pump for 6 hours a day, maybe more in the summer. I think you'd also get that with a 1HP, especially given the likelihood of having 2 or 3 suction lines open at once. So you could run that for 6 hours a day, or more if needed in the summer. What type of cleaner do you have? If you have an in-floor system, then that may necessitate the 1.5HP. Now, if you went with a dual-speed pump, you could run it on high speed just long enough for some good skimming and cleaning action, then switch to low speed for simple filtration for the duration of the time required to turn the pool over. The flow cuts in half on low speed, but the energy savings are astronomical, even though you run it twice as long. The Intelliflo offers more speeds, which is really cool for me on a pool/spa with solar and this-and-that, but if the pool only really need two speeds and the math works out to the flows it needs, then I'm happy enough with the dual-speed. For now. Have you gotten an electric bill yet since you've had the pool running? I'd love to know how much that pump is costing to operate. Check out your meter when the pump is on. It's scary to me.

You have the same problem that so many pool owners fall into. That 2HP pump is waaaaay too big for your pool. You could easily get away with an efficient 1/2 horsepower model based on your pool volume, if not a 2 speed pump in the 3/4hp to 1 hp range. If nobody has mentioned variable speed pumps to you yet then you need to research that before you go any further as they will pay for themselves over time in electrical savings. To properly size your pump you need a pump that can turn over your pool water volume up to 3x per 24 hours. This means that you need a pump that can move 45,000 gallons per day. That Jandy Stealth could, at least in theory, move 225,000 gallons per day. See how this is way too much for what you need? If you want to educate yourself further on this subject before you buy a pump then read this pump review that compares all Jandy, Pentair and Hayward pumps side by side based on flow volumes & the size of pool the pump is suitable for. Flow Volume Reviews For Swimming Pool Pumps