{"id":38,"date":"2012-03-27T22:42:52","date_gmt":"2012-03-28T02:42:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/?p=38"},"modified":"2012-03-27T22:42:52","modified_gmt":"2012-03-28T02:42:52","slug":"energy-conscious-cleaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/energy-conscious-cleaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Energy-Conscious Cleaning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Take a look at this guide to energy-efficient pool cleaners.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pool \u00a0 pumps have been a focal point for energy efficiency in several states. \u00a0 Automatic cleaners may be next.<\/p>\n

This summer, Pacific Gas & Electric Co.<\/a>, a leading \u00a0 California utility and advocate of energy-efficient pool systems, will \u00a0 conduct a study on the energy efficiency of automatic cleaners. Depending on \u00a0 the results, the company could create new rebate incentives for buying \u00a0 certain cleaner types, in particular those of the robotic variety.<\/p>\n

However, you must consider a number of factors to make sure cleaners realize \u00a0 the greatest possible energy savings.<\/p>\n

The Pump<\/span><\/strong>
\nPool cleaners don\u2019t work in a vacuum, no pun intended. The relationship \u00a0 between the cleaner and the pump is critical when it comes to saving energy.<\/p>\n

To that end, a number of states are embracing legislation that would \u00a0 encourage pool owners to use two-, multi- and variable-speed technology.<\/p>\n

Variable-speed technology creates significant energy savings not only for \u00a0 pool filtration, but for cleaning as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got 1 amp [from the pump] for filtration and 3 amps for running the \u00a0 sweep for about three hours,\u201d explains John Balistreri, owner of Balistreri \u00a0 Pool & Spa Service in Petaluma, Calif. \u201cOne lady dropped her [utility] \u00a0 bill from $400 to $100.\u201d<\/p>\n

But a number of green-minded technicians are less enthusiastic when it comes \u00a0 to two-speed pumps because of the energy they waste on a high-speed setting.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsually the high speed is too high and the low speed is too low [to run a \u00a0 cleaner],\u201d Balistreri notes.<\/p>\n

However, in some cases, techs can utilize two-speed motors on pool\/spa \u00a0 combinations, using the high speed for the spa and the low speed for both \u00a0 filtration and a low-flow suction-side cleaner.<\/p>\n

In addition, some aren\u2019t convinced the difference between energy on an \u00a0 intermediate speed (on a variable-speed) and high-speed (on a two-speed) is \u00a0 universally significant. This is especially true in areas with low energy \u00a0 costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou go to Phoenix and it\u2019s 9 cents a kilowatt hour,\u201d says Marchal \u00a0 DePasquale, director of marketing, automatic cleaners, at Hayward Pool Products<\/a> in Elizabeth, N.J. \u201cYou\u2019re not going \u00a0 to move someone toward a $700 pump when they\u2019re living [with those rates].\u201d<\/p>\n

Applications<\/span><\/strong>
\nWhile saving energy is important, picking the right cleaner for the job is \u00a0 crucial.<\/p>\n

Pressure-side cleaners are a popular option, but the additional energy \u00a0 expended by the booster pump they frequently require has been drawing a lot \u00a0 of attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a big interest in cleaners. They\u2019re kind of a low-hanging fruit \u00a0 [because] booster-pump cleaners actually have to utilize two pumps to perform \u00a0 their as-advertised operation,\u201d DePasquale says.<\/p>\n

Indeed, pressure-side cleaners that need a booster pump can be energy hogs, \u00a0 as some booster pumps charge in excess of 7 amps. Though there have been \u00a0 improvements in the efficiency of pump motors, running an extra pump can \u00a0 still make a dent in anyone\u2019s electrical bill.<\/p>\n

Yet they are also vital to running many pressure-side cleaner models. \u00a0 Boosters provide a much-needed pressure requirement \u2014 often above 30 psi \u2014 \u00a0 that filtration pumps cannot create over such a long distance.<\/p>\n

This energy need may drive some techs to other cleaner models that can \u00a0 operate solely on the filtration pump (or on their own, in the case of \u00a0 robotic cleaners).<\/p>\n

Still, when coupled with variable-speed technology, booster pumps may not be \u00a0 as wasteful as they appear.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people look at the booster and [think] that it will cost a heck of \u00a0 a lot more money to operate,\u201d says Brian King, Pentair<\/a>\u2019s senior product manager for \u00a0 automatic cleaners. \u201cSure, you\u2019re spending a bit more on the booster pump, \u00a0 but you can do it while the variable-speed is running at a very low rate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, the booster pump should only be running one or two hours a day, \u00a0 and even less so in the wintertime.<\/p>\n

Pressure-side cleaners are particularly popular in Northern California and \u00a0 much of the Southeast. They\u2019re known for being able to pick up large debris \u00a0 such as leaves, twigs and acorns. However, because they do not take advantage \u00a0 of the pool\u2019s own filtration system, these cleaners are not ideal for \u00a0 cleaning up smaller, dust-like debris.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re in a leafy environment with a lot of trees around the pool \u2026 you \u00a0 really want a pressure-side cleaner,\u201d King says.<\/p>\n

And not all pressure-side cleaners require a booster pump.<\/p>\n

\u201c[For] new pools built today, unless they have a really deep deep-end and \u00a0 [the cleaner] really needs to climb around the pool, I don\u2019t put in a \u00a0 booster,\u201d says Dean Nesson, owner of All Clear Pool & Spa in Rancho \u00a0 Cucamonga, Calif.<\/p>\n

Instead, Nesson likes to use a low-volume pressure cleaner and a dedicated \u00a0 line that\u2019s fed from the pump before the filter to reduce the risk of filter \u00a0 explosions.<\/p>\n

The other standard cleaner type \u2014 suction-side \u2014 comes with its own set of \u00a0 pump parameters.<\/p>\n

When combined with a two-speed pump, many suction-side cleaners can work at a \u00a0 low speed. The difference creates a 56 percent savings in energy consumption \u00a0 between the two speeds, according to DePasquale.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there are some compromises that are made with the performance of the \u00a0 cleaner when you run it at low speed,\u201d he warns.<\/p>\n

Certainly the cleaner must run longer on a low speed, but it also won\u2019t \u00a0 create the same agitation and circulation as it would on high speed. Also, \u00a0 suction-side cleaners are less effective in sweeping larger debris than \u00a0 pressure-side.<\/p>\n

For its part, the robotic cleaner is purported to sweep large debris and \u00a0 small dirt particles. And the devices are very energy-efficient.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur educated guess is that the robotic cleaners offer dramatic savings over \u00a0 pressure-side with booster pumps, somewhere in the range of 800 watts per \u00a0 hour,\u201d says Joanne Panchana, manager of the pump and motor rebate program for \u00a0 Pacific Gas & Electric Co. in San Francisco.<\/p>\n

However, for some applications, its higher price point may counter balance \u00a0 some of the product\u2019s advantages. And some techs may hesitate to use robotic \u00a0 cleaners because they don\u2019t function with the pump.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t circulate the pool at the same time [they\u2019re cleaning],\u201d Nesson \u00a0 says. \u201cSo if you don\u2019t have a skimmer working in your pool \u2026 you\u2019re not going \u00a0 to get results.\u201d<\/p>\n

Picking a pool cleaner also may depend on maintenance, and therefore a \u00a0 technician\u2019s own preference. Service techs may gravitate to whatever cleaner \u00a0 is associated with the repairs and replacement parts with which they\u2019re most \u00a0 familiar.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Source: John Miles – Pool and Spa News | 4.30.2009<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Take a look at this guide to energy-efficient pool cleaners.   Pool \u00a0 pumps have been a focal point for energy efficiency in several states. \u00a0 Automatic cleaners may be next. This summer, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., a leading … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fiberglass-pool-maintenance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39,"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38\/revisions\/39"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}