Single Speed Pumps Obsolete: 2021 Variable Speed Pump Law Breakdown

Jan 18, 2021

Single Speed Pumps Obsolete: 2021 Variable Speed Pool Pump Law Breakdown

Welcome to another Maintenance Monday from ePoolSupply! Every Monday we like to educate our customers with important information regarding their swimming pool and helpful technical tips to make informed decisions to make pool maintenance easier. Today we will be explaining the recent Department of Energy Variable Speed Pool Pump Law for 2021 and also give you a complete list of replacement pumps from Pentair to make sure you're fully covered. Let's dive in!

New Beginnings

With 2021 comes a few changes to day to day waterborne operations as well as general pool operation. Starting July 19th, 2021 the Department of Energy new regulation will go into effect making it illegal to operate most single speed pool pumps due to the efficiency and energy consumption associated with single speed motors and pumps. As of July 19th, 2021 all newly installed, refurbished, and replacement pumps installed on filtration systems will need to be compliant with the new regulations.

What can you do to save a few bucks while making sure you are compliant?

Upgrading to a variable speed pool pump or variable speed and flow pump is the cheapest and easiest way to make sure you’re compliant while also saving yourself a few bucks in the long run due to the efficiency and less overall energy usage found with these newer, better optimized pumps.

How do the new pumps actually save energy and put money back in your pockets?

When single speed pool pumps operate, they run full speed no matter what, meaning even when it doesn’t necessarily need to be running at full speed.

Enter variable speed pool pumps...

These pumps can be programmed to only run at a certain speed for a certain amount of time. This allows the owner to better maintain their pool water by giving them the option to turn the speed or flow down. When the pump is running at lower speeds it is not drawing as much power which cuts the electricity usage dramatically. We typically recommend a high speed cycle of 4-5 hours during the night to efficiently clean the pool. For the remainder of the day the pump can be ran at a slower speed to conserve chlorine, improve circulation, and increase energy savings.

What is stopping you from making the switch?

Once the law is in effect after July 19th, 2021 it will become increasingly hard to maintain, repair and refurbish most single speed pool pumps as it will also be more expensive and difficult for manufacturers to produce non-compliant products. At the end of the day these parts can be sold and purchased as long as the inventory lasts, but once they're gone they're gone!

What pump would be the correct replacement for you?

Below we’ve included multiple pumps based on performance, color, and suction/discharge port size. While they may still require some replumbing to an extent, they should operate in a similar functionality to the obsolete single speed pump it is replacing. This list ONLY covers existing Pentair Single Speed Models. Please reach out to us directly for more information!