I have a roughly 30,000 gallon pool. This fall my current pump, Hayward Super Pump 1.5hp died and I suspect that it may be due to the pump being inadequate for my needs. The pool equipment is located roughly 7’ above the water line and the filter pressure never reaches above 3PSI unless its cloggged.
Is a 1.5hp pump adequate for my needs? What type of pump should I be using (Super Pump, Super 2, other)?
Thank you!
Hello Cjpiasecki - We have a couple questions before we recommend a pump. Is there an attached spa that requires additional flow for the jets? Do you know the feet of head on your system? If you are unsure about the feet of head, check out our article titled “How Do I Calculate Feet of Head for My Pool?”.
There is no spa. The pool has two intakes (one skimmer and one drain) via two 1.5" lines that join a 3" T just before the pump. The return is via one 2" line to a waterfall. The approximate feet of head is 90 with 50’ of 1.5" line, 13" feet of rise from the bottom of the pool, 32.6’ for check valves, T’s, elbows, etc, and 26’ for the sand filter. All of this assumes an approximate target flow rate of 70 GPM.
I’m guessing the super pump burned out because I was using a medium head pump in a high head situation.
Thanks in advance for your help!
We would recommend something like the Pureline Prime model PL2606. This is a 2.7HP variable speed pump. The 2.7Hp may seem like overkill but that’s just the max output of the pump. You can run it at a lower speed.
Variable speed pumps are the most energy-efficient option. They can save up to 80% on your energy consumption.
For more details about variable speed pumps, check out our article titled “Variable Speed Pump or Dual Speed…Which is Best for Me?”.