Yikes, Time Flys & The Season Hasn't Really Started

I apologize to all my readers, I was recently overwhelmed by the response to my booth at the Home Show in Sacramento.

I ran across a local website the other day EnergySavingPools.com. It seems, this company is targeting a niche that nobody is talking about. Pool equipment pad retrofits. Most of us in the industry have heard the buzz about variable speed pumps. The utility companies are paying homeowners anywhere from $100 to $200 to replace their single speed filtration pump. What really amazes me, the companies that don't have the technology are literally dancing around the subject. I personally know of at least a couple of designers that have lost business because they couldn't offer the pumps. ***Anybody know a good Jandy builder ;) ***

I personally, am a BIG fan of the IntelliFlo pumps. Hayward, Jandy and Waterways have literally no available option.

Why are these pumps so great? And, why should anyone be paying close attention?

1. Quiet Operation - Standard single speed pumps operate around 70 decibels. A human whisper is about 20 decibels. The IntelliFlo and the IntelliFlo 4x160 operate between 7 and 10 decibels. Heck, that's half a whisper!
2. Dramatic Energy Savings - The pumps operate at 30 to 90 percent less energy than traditional single speed pumps.
3. Longer Service Life - Because these pumps operate at slower speeds, there is less heat buildup in the motor and wear and tear on the moving parts.
4. Slower Water = Cleaner water, because the filters increase efficiency when the flow rate is slowed. The filters are able to strip more particulate from the pool water.
5. Optimized Water Features - Both of these pumps allow the homeowner to add or decrease water flow in waterfalls and adjust heights of water columns in fountain heads and other features. This allow for varying levels of sight and sound in the poolscape.

Probably the most exciting opportunity we have as an industry is the ability to make right for all the CHEAP SINGLE PUMP pool spa combos sold in the past.

You guys know who you are!

Single pump pool/spas are an abomination of pool hydraulics and energy efficiency. Why? To fully enjoy the therapeutic value of having a spa, a builder would need to operate the spa with a minimum of 1-1/2 hp pump. Well that's fine if you were using your spa all the time. Truth of the matter, once the honeymoon is over after the project is complete and the spa is up and running, most homeowners are lucky to enjoy their spa once a week. It's far more common that most homeowners will use their spa twice a month.

Frankly, I don't know of many homeowners that have single pump spas, that if given the chance would have opted for the more costly, yet, luxurious spa with a separate booster pump and computer controls.

Getting back on track...Having a single pump pool/spa operating with a minimum of 1-1/2 hp pump is penalizing the customer for the rest of the time the pump is operating on filtration mode.

Now for the good news! With the introduction of the variable speed pump, we can now filter the water more efficiently and at a reduced energy cost, while still being able to operate the spa at a second speed for what little time we spend in our spas.

Walla - I hope this little rant has inspired some of you. There can never be enough good competition. What I worry about the most are the "price whores" who would sell their mother's shirt for a contract. I believe it was Dick Dal Pino who said "Cheap is never good, and good is never cheap!" Now there's a builder who I respect.