I had a whisper flo WFE-6 and I did a pool remodel and I am looking for a VS pump. I have a pool/spa configuration that had a single pump that operates the pool or spa with the configuration of the (2) diverter valves. I have a booster for cleaning that is drawing from the pool return. Its pretty obvious that my spa is driving the pump performance choice, but I cant help but think that my WFE-6 was oversized to begin with. To start with, I only have a 13000 gpm pool.I have a Clean and Clear 420 filter (oversized), and a mighty therm 33,000 BTu heater(oversized), and my spa only has 3 jets…I can’t seem to find a pump performance chart that matches the WFE-6 the closest I have found in the VS pumps are 2hp and 3hp pumps that track that performance (if you look at the max flo 3450rpm line). Any advice…I know I should err on the side of caustion and try and match the performance of the WFE-6, but I didn’t want to spend $1300 on a pump…
Hi ScottyK,
I agree that the Pentair Whisperflo WFE-6 seems a bit big for the set up you explained. The main thing you would need the larger pump for is to power the spa jets, but if you only have 3 spa jets then that should not take too large of a pump. Typically spa jets need 10-25 GPM per jet depending on the style of the jet, so if we errored on the side of 25 GPM per jet that would mean a pump that could output 75 GPM and for most standard plumbing set ups the WFE-6 will output much more than that. My suggestion would be the PureLine Prime PL2605 1.65 THP Variable Speed Pump at $599 or if you wanted to error on the side of caution and go with a larger pump then I would suggest the PureLine Prime PL2606 2.7 THP Variable Speed Pump at $799
Your current WFE-6 pump has a THP of 2.2 on the variable speed pumps above you would only use the high HP of 1.65 or 2.7 when you are running the spa jets and during normal filtration, you would use a much lower HP like 1/2 HP, this will drastically reduce your operational costs for running your pump. I hope this helps!
Thank You
Patrick
Thanks for the info, I just figured out that my jets are 5/16" orifice which I guess was pretty standard. Pool was built in 84. I found a jet flow chart and jet performance curves online, not sure if this is for a particular brand or if this covers the spectrum. I had great pressure in my spa but I suppose I had a lot of backpressure because I think the pump was oversized. I will post the charts I found and a pic of my jet nozzle. I am not sure I follow the chart…if I require 12 GPM per nozzle that would mean I need only 36gpm at my spa? And what does the 20psi stand for? 20 psi at the discharge of my pump, or is that pressure loss?
Hi ScottyK,
Yes, this would mean that you would need 36 GPM’s for 3 jets if the jets are rated at 12 GPM each. Honestly, I’m not sure how you read the PSI on the chart. I still think going variable speed is the way to go as you can dial the pump into the appropriate speed to run the jets and then dial it down to save money for general pool filtration. The variable speed pump really gives you a lot of flexibility as it can be dialed into any HP from .25 HP all the way up to 1.65 HP or 2.7 HP depending on the model you choose. Based on what you have supplied I would go the 1.65 PureLine Prime Variable Speed Pump.
Thanks
Patrick
Thanks Patrick, I am really concerned about coming up short on flow/pressure when it comes time to fill my spa/pool and fire up my new pump…from what I can tell a rule of thumb for spa/pool w/heater combo is 40-60 feet of head, if that is a decent pool build guideline and I go with the Pureline 1.65…if I go conservative at 60’ that puts me at 38gpm. Which should be close, but ok. I was never able to nail down the pressure drop or head loss on my pentair CNC 420 filter, the only wild card, I suppose I can bypass my filter, with valving, and go direct from pump to heater if I have any issues. Thanks for your feedback
ScottyK, You are correct most pools fall in the 40’ of head range. We do have a Guide on How to Determine Feet of Head which you may find helpful. We also have a second Guide on Showing How to Determine Total Feed of Head with Gauges.
Can you post a performance curve for your pureline pumps. I cannot seem to find this info.
Scotty,
Here is the PureLine Prime PL2605 1.65 HP Flow Chart
Here is the PL2606 PureLine Prime 2.7 HP Flow Chart
Thanks!
Thanks Scotty let us know which pump you choose and how it works out for you.
one follow up question…I have a 2pole 15A breaker that fed my single speed pump. When i get my VS pump , do i need to swap the breaker for a 2 pole 15A with GFCI?
Yes, we do recommend a 2pole 15A GFCI breaker.
Ok, thanks. That’s an easily overlooked extra cost, those are not typically off the shelf and they cost $120…