With the summer season finally upon us, many of you are beginning to use and enjoy your pools. As with anything around the home, maintenance and breakdowns are going to happen. 

When this happens to your pool pump, you should consider replacing your standard single-speed pool pump with a variable speed driven, Energy Star^®-rated pool pump. 

The return on investment will be seen on different timelines depending on the size of your pool, but will ultimately be worth it regardless of size. For instance, an above ground pool at 24-feet round and 4-feet deep holds 13,600 gallons of water and can see savings of around $65 per pool season (about 120 days of operation). In that same time frame, a pool that is 28-feet round and 54-inches deep holds 20,800 gallons of water and can see savings of around $100.

Fun fact: According to the pump affinity law, when you cut the motor speed in half, the flow rate is also reduced to half, but the power consumption of the pool pump is reduced to one-eighth of the original draw.

The reason the payback is not as quick with a smaller pool is the upfront cost of a variable speed pool pump. Through a conversation with a local pool company, I found the standard, 1.5-horsepower single-speed pump costs about $300, and the variable speed pump they use to replace this one is $900. 

But there’s good news! The Power Moves^® program launched a new incentive for replacing your standard single-speed pool pump with an Energy Star-rated pool pump. The $250 rebate will offset the initial cost for the variable speed pump even more, making the call to your pool company a little easier.

To talk more about the rebate or your options for pool pumps, give me a call!