Poolpumps.

[sunnycoast]

My poolpump seems to be reaching the end of its lifetime as every some months a problem appears with it.
I need to start looking for a new pump and want to buy a good one, preference goes to an electronic one whith much lower electric consumption.
Someone has experience with this kind of poolpump in Bali? Asking this in regards with the quality on the powerlines PLN delivers...
All advice where to buy and reviews on pumps welcome.
Stef.

 

[Markit]

Hey there, first thing I would do is get the old pump serviced. There might be a lot of life still in it - talk to Phil at Tropical Pools +62 812 463 1682 or Trevor White.

As far as I know they are all electrical pumps. About the electric here on Bali well, it's there - that's about all you can say about it. It ranges from about 180 to 280 so rock steady it aint. You will not get a guarantee from any pool supplier here because of that but mine is going on its third year with one refurb and seems to be still good. Course that can change in a minute.

Best pumps are the American ones and second - Ozzy. The rest is rubbish.

 

[sunnycoast]

@markit:
Thanks for ur reply.
Mine has been services 3 times in the last 8 months, so I'm a bit finished with the servicing jobs. It's an American brand but somehow there seem to be too often problems with it.
I know all pumps are electric, but now they have new ones with an electronic control unit that does speed control and lowers electric comsumption with 35-70%.
I was wondering if someone had experience with these pumps in Bali. ;-)

 

[kiwi]

Not in Bali but put one in 18 months ago, great on power saving.
Due to the local power fluctuations in Bali I would be concerned about the circuit board that runs them but I am sure they would handle a certain amount.

 

[pollyanna]

Have you considered a solar pump? A friend from Australia only uses a solar pump on his farm in Australia and is totally happy with it.

 

[Markit]

Pollyanna any further info on the solar pump? Sounds interesting if possible to find here.

 

[sunnycoast]

Have you considered a solar pump? A friend from Australia only uses a solar pump on his farm in Australia and is totally happy with it.

U have a website, brand, ... where I could find more information?
Would take a look at it if it could be used in my installation. ;-)

 

[alex margou]

My poolpump seems to be reaching the end of its lifetime as every some months a problem appears with it.
I need to start looking for a new pump and want to buy a good one, preference goes to an electronic one whith much lower electric consumption.
Someone has experience with this kind of poolpump in Bali? Asking this in regards with the quality on the powerlines PLN delivers...
All advice where to buy and reviews on pumps welcome.
Stef.

My Hayward 1 horse power Super Pump (I think it's a model SP-2605X7) has been running more or less continuously for almost 11 years now. Never been a problem. Never been serviced. The only thing I have to do is to change the ceramic seal every 2 years or so. You know when this is necessary as it starts to leak a little - it's designed to - there is a special channel for the water to leak out. I run it 24 hours a day. Water clarity is excellent.

If you've had trouble, may I ask if the room, where the pump and motor are, is bone dry, or damp and humid, or wet?

Humidity is death to electric motors. Must be avoided at all costs.

As for the variable voltage here in Bali, that's definitely the case. But a simple way round it is to buy a voltage stabiliser (STAVOLT) from any electrical shop. But you need to know that when an electrical motor starts up it uses around twice its normal power. One HP = around 745 Watts. So, to be on the safe side, you need to get a STAVOLT that can handle 1,500 Watts for each HP of your motor.

I got my pool and equipment etc from Budi's Pool. It's opposite Tiara Grosir on Cokroaminoto. I'd certainly recommend them.

Hope this helps!

 

[Markit]

Excellent info Alex, thanks.

As the devil would have it my 8 month old Hayward has just gone up in smoke so am waiting for Tropical Pools to do their magic and get it back to me.

How do you keep a pool pump room from being damp and humid? Not being sarcastic (me?) I would really like to know as I think that may be a contributing cause of my pump's demise.

 

[sunnycoast]

My Hayward 1 horse power Super Pump (I think it's a model SP-2605X7) has been running more or less continuously for almost 11 years now. Never been a problem. Never been serviced. The only thing I have to do is to change the ceramic seal every 2 years or so. You know when this is necessary as it starts to leak a little - it's designed to - there is a special channel for the water to leak out. I run it 24 hours a day. Water clarity is excellent.

If you've had trouble, may I ask if the room, where the pump and motor are, is bone dry, or damp and humid, or wet?

Humidity is death to electric motors. Must be avoided at all costs.

As for the variable voltage here in Bali, that's definitely the case. But a simple way round it is to buy a voltage stabiliser (STAVOLT) from any electrical shop. But you need to know that when an electrical motor starts up it uses around twice its normal power. One HP = around 745 Watts. So, to be on the safe side, you need to get a STAVOLT that can handle 1,500 Watts for each HP of your motor.

I got my pool and equipment etc from Budi's Pool. It's opposite Tiara Grosir on Cokroaminoto. I'd certainly recommend them.

Hope this helps!

Thanks a lot Alex, this will help.
At the moment the pump is doing good and working a lot of the time, as we changed complete pool water and it turned out brown because of the iron in the water. At the moment it's very clear again, but to keep it this way, we have the pump on more than normally.

I also have "the" question for you; how to keep the humidity out of a pool room (underbuild), as there is always humidity there?
The bottom itself is dry and if some water gets in, there is a drainage pump to exhaust the water. But in this Bali climate, the room isn't what we call really "dry".

The stalibilisor is something I would certainly install when I change to an electronic pump, but for the normal motor that's not really needed.
I will check Budi's pool out, at the moment my pool guy buys all stuff at Tropical pool, but they aren't very helpful when it's about spare parts, they sure prefer to sell new items more. ;-) I need a new pool light and will go check what Budi has in LED lights.

 

[Markit]

I was advised not to use a "stabilisor" as that would mean that the pump will cut out continuously and then start again and that this will kill the pump surer than a Magnum 45. The reasoning being that the majority of electrical instability is in the range 240 - 180V not higher and it's the higher voltages that will damage the windings/copper but not the lower.

Me, I believe everything a guy with a pen tells me.

Tropical Pools (Sanur) have just returned the pump newly re-wound, new seals and fully serviced to me with the only charge being for transport. Hats off to them for being great!!!

 

[alex margou]

Excellent info Alex, thanks.

As the devil would have it my 8 month old Hayward has just gone up in smoke so am waiting for Tropical Pools to do their magic and get it back to me.

How do you keep a pool pump room from being damp and humid? Not being sarcastic (me?) I would really like to know as I think that may be a contributing cause of my pump's demise.

I also have "the" question for you; how to keep the humidity out of a pool room (underbuild), as there is always humidity there?
The bottom itself is dry and if some water gets in, there is a drainage pump to exhaust the water. But in this Bali climate, the room isn't what we call really "dry".

Don't know how to answer this, even though it's very important.

I don't have any way to "keep" it dry. Rather it's the way it was built in the first place 11 years ago. My pump room is a hole in the grass next to the pool, which is also a hole in the grass, as is the poolside sunken bar.

Now "hole" is a severe understatement! They are are all steel reinforced concrete items, and all 3 were made together and woven together as one hugely complex web of steel. Then they were boxed in and filled with concrete (in Bhs Indo this process is called cor) all in one go on one day.

When that was all over they were painted several times over (over a period of days) with special waterproof paint - for the pool to stop the swimming pool leaking out - and for the pump room and bar to stop water in the earth seeping in through the walls and floor. And it works, they are waterproof and dry.

Now add to that the fact that the electric motor is going continuously so the pump room has, in effect, a 750W heater going all the time - it's bone dry.

I should add that the pump room has a big 1 yard square plastic (glass fibre?) hinged cover/lid with its own frame. When it's closed, rain (even the feline/canine variety!) just can't get in at all.

If your pump is above ground in some kind of shed then it will be humid I guess. If it's underground but the walls and floor are just breeze blocks plastered over (not waterproof) ..... then I guess it will be damp.

STAVOLT

When I read your (Markit's) comments about stabilisers I realised that I had forgotten to take my medication this morning! And so what I wrote was a load of balls!

Sorry. The STAVOLT I use is for the lamps, not the motor of course!


Nurse! Where are my pills?


But (now desperately trying to recover my reputation!) if you are thinking of fitting a STAVOLT to your whole house electricity supply, as some folks do, bear in mind the rule about twice as much power needed on startup for your washing machine, vacuum cleaner, air conditioner compressor etc motors.

Nurse! Quick! Where are my pills?

 

[Markit]

Your rep is safe.

You've just proved that you are human, and not a bad one at that - few here admit to ever making a mistake. Hence questions of their humanity are valid.

I do have one more question: you run your pump 24/7 why?

The most any normal pool, even here in the tropics, will need is about 12 to 14 at the hardest times. I only run mine overnight occasionally when it starts to get that greenish tinge but usually only 12 hours daily with breaks for 8 till 10 and 12 till 2pm as I was advised these are the peak power startup/usage times for offices, schools and factories and this is when the worst spikes are going through the power lines that eat pumps.

 

[alex margou]

Well, I've just had my pills! Washed down with a glass of Pils!

So now, pump 24/7.

When I got the pool, all those years ago, the bloke from Budi's Pool told me 12 hours a day was enough. So I tried that for a while. But I wasn't getting that beautiful crystal clear water that I wanted - it was good, but not perfect.

So I thought I'd try running the pump for longer - and it worked - and still does! I'm very pleased with the results, so I do it.

Budi's Pool said to me "If you run the motor 24/7 it will soon wear out!". Seems like a reasonable comment, I agree. But, here I am now, 2 months short of 11 years down the line, and the motor is fine! So there it is. Also, I suspect that running the motor 24/7 keeps it hot and (drum-roll!) DRY! If it's not running in the morning then dew will form in it and stay there doing it's evil until you switch it on and it warms up.

As for spikes, I understand, but can only say again that my motor is still OK.