How to calibrate a variable speed pool pump in Arizona

Congratulations on choosing a variable speed pool pump over a single speed pump. Single speed pool pumps have been outlawed in several states and Arizona will follow in 2014 and for good reason too. Variable speed pool pumps are proven to use 80% less energy, are quieter, last longer and leave you with a cleaner pool than its single speed counter part.

Variable speed pool pumps slow down the RPMs of the pump motor to have you hundreds of dollars a year, it's comparable to driving a Pruis compared to a dragster to the grocery store. The magnetic drive is super quite and your pool is actually left cleaner because the water spends more time circulating and more time passing over the pool filter.

To fully realize the potential of your variable speed pool pump you will want it properly calibrated. A variable speed pool pump left uncalibrated can end up costing you more money if left unchecked.

Their are several items that go into a pool pump calibration including:

1. Pool volume
2. Type of filter and cleaning system
3. Static pressure of the suction and discharge lines
4. Hours of operation
5. Amperage and watts used of the variable speed pool pump

Both APS and SRP follow the National Sanitation Organization guidelines for pool pumps, stating that for a clean pool, the pump needs to turn the pool over completely once a day. If the pump turns your pool over more than once per day on a regular basis, it is overkill and wasting energy. If we have a dust storm of course you should run the pump more but not everyday.

Fortunately for you, you don't need to invest $500 in the equipment for calibration, there is a simple chart and guidelines you can use to get your variable speed pump started. Keep in mind, Green ID offers a free variable speed pool pump calibration for APS and SRP customers in the Phoenix area. All you have to do is contact us on the web @ http://www.greenintegrateddesign.com, leave your name and phone number in the contact form  and include the make and year of your variable speed pool pump. 

Slay your energy vampires

I have been a Phoenix energy auditor for over two years and can remember one of the first things I did when I started was to create a list of all small and large appliances and their average energy usage.  SRP and APS have an extensive list of their own for common appliances and there are several resources online and in text.   I also bought a Kill-a-watt energy monitor to find out exactly how much that coffee machine takes to run.  It turns out to be not much- but over the years I have monitored the energy consumption of a variety of appliances and gadgets I will share in these posts.

If you have a nicely landscaped backyard with a pond, you probably have a small underwater pump to keep the water filtered that may or may not have a timer.  I had a homeowner ask how much energy his pond pump was using without a timer so I hooked my energy monitor to find out.  Two hours later we got the results. 

Obviously the pond pump was small and only cost him $0.12 a day to run 24/7 however there were other factors that motivated him to put the pump on a timer.  The first being that in 1 year he had already replaced the pump two times because of failure.  With a timer, the pump will run less and extend the lifetime.  The second reason being was that his energy usage never broke more than $150 per month all year round.  Since his consumption was so low (he already had a tight, efficient home) his low hanging fruit was not so low anymore and he had to dig a little deeper to find those energy saving opportunities.  I think making the trip to the store to buy a new pump would be motivation enough for me to put it on a timer.

Easy DIY Energy Saving Tip

The APS and SRP energy audits have a prescribed set of standards each auditor has to check.  Outside the usual duct leakage, air leakage and insulation checks it is up to the auditor to decide what services they want to provide.  At Green ID, we pride ourselves on our quality work and customer satisfaction.  We think that our customers get a little more for their money when they use our services compared to other contractors, but there are some efficiency tests homeowners can do themselves to check on their efficiency.  Below is one DIY tip that is easy to do and not very well known.

Back east, bathroom toilets were occasionally piped with hot water rather than cold water.  It is easy to check if yours wasting hot water.   Water heating can be the second biggest energy user in your home and costs will dramatically increase every time you flush the toilet it replaces 3.5 gallons (average toilet water use) of hot water.  It is easy to check if your toilets are connected by turning on the corresponding sink’s hot water line.  Run it until hot water starts to come out.  By the way, this is a good time to take a thermometer and measure the actual temperature of your hot water.  Ideally it should be 125 – 130 degrees.  If it is higher, the water heater is overheating the water (130 degrees will begin to burn you) and don’t worry about the dishwasher, it uses its own heating element while running.  If it is lower, you risk Legionaries disease growing in the water pipes.  Anyway, once the water is hot, shut it off and flush the toilet.  As it refills, take off the top and put your hand in the water stream that’s refilling the tank (this is clean drinking water and you can touch it) and see if it is hot water coming out.  If it is, call Green ID at (602) 684-0462 and have our plumber change the supply to cold.  Your wallet will thank you as will your family when you take all out to dinner with the money you’ve saved.