Not Recommended - Hayward "NorthStar" Pump / Motor First, regardless of what pump/motor combinations you get, DO NOT GET A CLIP ON COVER FOR THEM. These pumps and motors are air cooled. Any structure that limits air flow will lessen life span. Any structure that makes it hard for me to service your pumps/motors / equipment will increase your costs when I work on any of it. I might make you take it all down before I touch it. Yes, if you can put it next to a tall wall, where the afternoon sun won't hit it, and aggravate the heat issue, like on the East side of your house in the Northern corner, do so. Just don't completely enclose it. Avoid plants, trees, ... that are going to put off a lot of debris that will gather around your equipment, and again, cause it to fail prematurely. Make sure that your equipment is at a high point in your back Yard, or build up the area prior to installation. I have had people build in lower points, or in so much landscaping rock, ... that the equipment ends up in a depression. In most cases, the equipment goes along fine until they get a down pour, and all of the equipment floods and burns out all of the motors. Note: Flood insurance requires an additional insurance rider. Note 2: I have had it cost customers $2000 plus every 2 years because they didn't resolve this issue, and raising everything AFTER it is already installed, can cost at least half that. Get it done right, and be done. What specific pumps and motors do I recommend? Well, let me start with what I don't recommend. I do not recommend Hayward NorthStar pumps. (See the picture at the top of the page. Notice the plastic handle to the bottom left of the pool motor. That's the recognizable feature. ) I charge extra to work on them, as getting them apart, and putting them back together, is a royal pain. They also seem to break down at a ratio of 3 to 1 to other pumps. This is the only pump I still see in the Phoenix area market, that I always tell the clients, "If you are going to be here longer than 5 years, you will probably make a good financial decision by getting rid of this pump at the first problem.". Does that mean that I do not like Hayward products? No, not at all. They make some pretty good products. Their Super II pump is pretty good. I use this one a lot. Pentair makes a Whisperflo and a Max-E-Pro pump that I also like. Here's the problem we face in Arizona though. The best filter, for pool filtration, by far, is a standard D.E. filter (Stay away from the "quad" D.E. filters). If you could run your pool motor at 1 H.P. for 8 hours a day during the summer, you can keep most pools clean and clear. If you read Arizona's Motor Law, however, you will find that you now need a 2 speed pump and motor, and, unless you manually override, i.e. go outside to your pool equipment, and manually have your pump go to the higher speed, your pump / motor will NEVER run at the higher speed. (With one exception mentioned in the Arizona's Motor Law page. And no, I will not give you the name or they may legislate that they can no longer manufacture it.) So far, there are no "2 H.P. to 1 H.P." 2 speed pumps / motors that are out there which would allow you to just run your pump / motor on the lower speed 8 hours a day and be done. Some of the problems with this law are: 1.) The water flow on Low Speed is inadequate to turn the water over the required number of times in a 24 hour period for most pools, even with the equipment running 24 hours a day. a.) D.E. filters can only be run 16 hours / day max to allow recharge, and not totally destroy the filter. b.) Some pools require 24 hours a day right now, to keep the water clear with the filters they have because of the size, filter type, cleaning systems, ... and that is at 1 H.P. at 1/4 H.P. or 1/8 H.P. the pool will ever be anything but a swamp. Or the homeowner must manually come out every single day and turn his pool pump/motor on the higher speed. 1 miss in the summer time might cost him a weeks swim time and $100 + in chemicals. c.) Most suction side cleaners, and floor head cleaners(Hooked up to the filter line), will not function at all at anything less than 1.H.P. (Floor heads, sometimes the minimum is 1 1/2 H.P). So, even if you could turn over the water enough times to keep your pool clean, your cleaning systems designed to run at 1 H.P. or greater will NEVER EVER RUN AGAIN, unless you manually go out and turn your pool on to the higher speed. I have heard that some home owners having new pools built are having the plumbing put in that will handle a 2 H.P. (or larger) pump installed, and then either telling the manufacturer that they will purchase their own pumps/motors, or putting in the absolute cheapest pump/motor they can for the main pool filter motor. Then, once the manufacturer has left, they go out and pick up a single speed "Energy Efficient" pump and motor that is the size they need (1 H.P. or >) and plumb it in themselves. Be aware that the installer, if reported, can be fined $500 for every occurrence of putting in a pump/motor that will actually function well on your pool. Keep in mind that every pool man is REQUIRED BY LAW to install a 2-speed pump/motor that will not work properly on any existing pool. Yes, there is a workaround for 1 H.P Pumps / Motors. If you need one because you want to comply with the letter of the law, while completely avoiding compliance "Legally", call me for a price quote. There is no workaround for the larger pumps / motors. You either go with a 2 speed, or sign a release form from the person who sells you a pump/motor stating that you are going to install the pump/motor yourself, and that it is for a water feature or cleaning system. Those 2 places are the only ones where I can "legally" sell you a single speed pump/motor, or replace a single speed motor with another single speed. Again, call me if you need a workaround. |
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