The pump is the heart of a pool. It pulls water through the skimmer, pushes it through the filter and heater, and sends it back clean. It is also, on most pools, the single biggest user of electricity. That is why the type of pump you have matters more than most owners realize.
Single-speed versus variable-speed
A single-speed pump has one setting: full power. Whether the pool needs a gentle turnover or a hard push, it runs flat out every minute it is on.
A variable-speed pump can be set to run at different speeds through the day. Most of the time a pool only needs slow, steady circulation, so that is what the pump delivers, saving the higher speeds for the jobs that need them.
Why slower uses so much less power
This is the part that surprises people. A pump’s power use does not fall in step with its speed. It falls much faster. Run a pump at half speed and it uses roughly an eighth of the power, not half.
So instead of running hard for a few hours, a variable-speed pump runs gently for more hours and still uses far less electricity overall. The water also gets filtered more thoroughly, because slow-moving water gives the filter more of a chance to catch fine particles.
The other difference you will notice: noise
A single-speed pump at full power is loud. A variable-speed pump at low speed is quiet enough that many owners have to look at it to know it is running. If your equipment is near a bedroom window or a patio, this alone can be worth it.
Why you may not have a choice
Federal efficiency rules for pool pumps took effect in 2021. The practical result is that most replacement pool pumps sold today are variable-speed. If your old single-speed pump fails, the replacement will very likely be a variable-speed model either way.
Signs your current pump is on its way out
- It has become noticeably louder, or grinds or screeches.
- It hums but will not start.
- It runs but will not prime, so the basket never fills.
- There is water under it.
- It trips the breaker.
None of these automatically mean replacement. Some are a repair. The only way to know is to have it diagnosed.
What Ripple does
When a pump is acting up, a technician comes out and finds the real cause. There is a service call fee for that visit, and if you go ahead with the repair it is credited toward the job. A small fix that needs no parts is generally done on the spot. Anything bigger is quoted before work starts, and there is no pressure to replace a pump that can be repaired.
When a pump does need replacing, the ones we install most are the Pentair IntelliFlo3, the Jandy VS FloPro and the Hayward TriStar, and new pump installs carry a three-year warranty on parts and labor.
