Athletic facilities, particularly those with indoor swimming pools, have been hit hard during the pandemic. Many remain closed and others are only operating at limited capacity. Having experienced significant revenue loss over this past season, commercial aquatic facilities are looking for ways to reduce their operating costs when they are able to re-open. Since pool pumps are the greatest consumer of energy in the pump room, they should be the first piece of equipment targeted for evaluation. Upgrading commercial pools with a variable speed pool pump (VSP) is a way to reduce energy usage and help lower the pool’s operating costs.
Athletic facilities, particularly those with indoor swimming pools, have been hit hard during the pandemic. Many remain closed and others are only operating at limited capacity. Having experienced significant revenue loss over this past season, commercial aquatic facilities are looking for ways to reduce their operating costs when they are able to re-open. Since pool pumps are the greatest consumer of energy in the pump room, they should be the first piece of equipment targeted for evaluation. Upgrading commercial pools with a variable speed pool pump (VSP) is a way to reduce energy usage and help lower the pool’s operating costs.
Benefits of VSPs for Pools
It’s important to remember that an aquatic facility manager might not fully understand how their pool’s pump works and why a variable speed pool pump will reduce their pool’s energy costs. “It’s important for facility managers to understand how pool pump speeds affect energy usage,” says Mike Fowler, Commercial Sales Manager at Pentair.Fowler explains that historically pool pumps with induction motors only operate at one or two speeds and therefore tend to draw more energy than is required to circulate pool water. “It takes far less power to simply keep the pool water filtered — a difference single-speed pumps cannot address,” says Fowler. “Where variable speed pumps differ is in their ability to be programmed to operate at set speeds to deliver the correct flow rate so they can also be programmed to achieve turnover times of exactly six hours, even if the filter is dirty,” explains Fowler.WhisperFloXF Variable Speed Pump
Some facility managers will find the cost of a VSP hard to justify. However, before ruling one out, the price of a new pump should be compared to the expense of not upgrading. “When an aquatic facility sees on paper that they can save electricity costs, it becomes much easier to decide there is a need to upgrade pump room equipment,” says Fowler.
Make the Future Bright
Not only will an upgrade to a variable speed pump lower the pool’s energy consumption, but it will also help keep the pool water cleaner and safer as athletic facilities reopen.To learn more about the Pentair WhisperFloXF ® VS 5HP Variable Speed Pump designed for commercial pools visit Pentair.com/whisperfloVSP or contact your Pentair representative today.
