Author Topic: I'm tired of replacing my AquaBoost pumps & controllers!  (Read 18850 times)

memse

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I'm tired of replacing my AquaBoost pumps & controllers!
« on: August 14, 2012, 10:03:56 PM »
I have a residential irrigation system with 48 zones.  Our water is very expensive so I had a well dug that's 388' deep back in 2001.  My driller stopped when he hit water but it turned out that I only get 3.5 gpm so I had to  install a 10,000 gal above ground tank and an additional irrigation pump system.  The number of sprinklers in each zone vary considerably so I bought an AquaBoost II package with a 1.5HP 3 phase motor/pump 1MC1F2B0 (in 2002).  The 2AB2 controller failed the first season and was replaced under warranty.  My first pump failed 1 or 2 months after the warranty expired which cost me about $600 to replace with shipping.  My 2nd pump (which was about 4 years old) failed 3 weeks ago and I bought a slightly different version, a Goulds 1MC1F5B0, which is more water resistent but much noisier.  This set me back $552 delivered.  Now my 2AB2 controller failed yesterday.  I found one in stock online so I ordered it with 1 day express delivery because we're having a stetch of hot, sunny weather and my wife will kill me if all her shrubs & flowers burn up -- the lawn is already looking a little burnt here & there.  This set me back about 800 bucks (delivery was $163)!  I want a variable boost system but I'm ready to switch to an alternative and was researching what might be available when I found a blog entry that referenced CSV.

Now I'm wondering what it would cost me to replace the entire system I have or better yet, be able to use the Goulds 1MC1F5B0 motor/pump that I just bought.  I want to be prepared to act fast next time one of these expensive components dies or it turns out the I've misdiagnosed the controller as having failed (it has power to the unit but no power to the pump and the unit's idiot light is off).

Seems like every time I have a failure it's at the worst possible time with hot weather and as I mentioned, my water bill can quickly add up to be well over the price of even the high priced AquaBoost components if I have to use our association's water for irrigation.  Not only that but it's always a struggle to find the pump in stock around the country because I learned on this go-around that Gould's only builds them on demand.

Any suggestions an switching and advice on what components I'll need would be greatly appreciated.

Cary Austin

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Re: I'm tired of replacing my AquaBoost pumps & controllers!
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2012, 08:50:03 AM »
Hi memse
I am so sorry that you have been taken in by the Variable Speed Pump (VFD) scam.  The VFD is designed to separate the consumer from as much of their money as possible.  The way the pump manufacturer is looking at this is that they already have more of your money than they would have gotten with a conventional pump system in 30 years time.  So they really don’t care that you are mad, or if you switch brands of pumps.

With a booster pump that produces such low pressure, you really don’t need anything to vary the flow rate for the different size zones.  The VFD would only allow the pump to be slowed down by 13% (almost no variation), and still produce the 40 PSI you need.  And a pump that only builds a maximum of 52 PSI, really doesn’t need a CSV either.

Requiring a three phase motor to work with the VFD, is one way they try to lock you into continually repairing this system instead of being able to use something different, as you could if you had a single phase motor.

I hate to recommend any Goulds pump since they already have a lot of your money.  But they have a pump model GT15 that I find on the Internet for about $350 that would work very well.  But if you want to stay away from "that" company, you could use a Sta-Rite model DS3HF which I find for about the same $350.  Of course Sta-Rite does the same thing with VFD’s as well, just that they haven’t had the chance to fleece you yet.

Since these pumps are single phase, all you need is a $25 pressure switch to control them.  Set the pressure switch at 32/52.  Then you will have 37 GPM at 40 PSI, the same as with the pump you have now.  You can also run as little as about 7 GPM without the pump shutting off (cycling on and off).  But you will need a little 20 gallon size pressure tank, which I can find on the Internet for about $120.

So I am guessing you spent $1500 on the original installation, and I added up another $2115 that you have spent since then.  This is after you got one controller warranted at no charge.  This adds up to about $3615 that you have spent so far.

The pump I am recommending will cost $350.  A pressure switch and pressure tank will cost another $150.  This is a total of $500 cost, for something that should last 30 years without maintenance.  This makes it easy to see why pump manufacturers are pushing Variable Speed Pumps the way they do.

To get you hooked they will tell you that the “soft start” from a VFD will make the pump last longer, and varying the speed saves energy.  Both of these things are false, as you have discovered.  You have basically just given them an extra $3100. Sorry! Let me know if you have more questions.
Cary
« Last Edit: August 15, 2012, 02:24:04 PM by Cary Austin »

VirgilHowie

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Re: I'm tired of replacing my AquaBoost pumps & controllers!
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2014, 11:10:14 PM »
I have a residential irrigation system with 48 zones.  Our water is very expensive so I had a well dug that's 388' deep back in 2001.  My driller stopped when he hit water but it turned out that I only get 3.5 gpm so I had to  install a 10,000 gal above ground tank and an additional irrigation pump system.  The number of sprinklers in each zone vary considerably so I bought an AquaBoost II package with a 1.5HP 3 phase motor/pump 1MC1F2B0 (in 2002).  The 2AB2 solar panels controller failed the first season and was replaced under warranty.  My first pump failed 1 or 2 months after the warranty expired which cost me about $600 to replace with shipping.  My 2nd pump (which was about 4 years old) failed 3 weeks ago and I bought a slightly different version, a Goulds 1MC1F5B0, which is more water resistent but much noisier.  This set me back $552 delivered.  Now my 2AB2 controller failed yesterday.  I found one in stock online so I ordered it with 1 day express delivery because we're having a stetch of hot, sunny weather and my wife will kill me if all her shrubs & flowers burn up -- the lawn is already looking a little burnt here & there.  This set me back about 800 bucks (delivery was $163)!  I want a variable boost system but I'm ready to switch to an alternative and was researching what might be available when I found a blog entry that referenced CSV.

Now I'm wondering what it would cost me to replace the entire system I have or better yet, be able to use the Goulds 1MC1F5B0 motor/pump that I just bought.  I want to be prepared to act fast next time one of these expensive components dies or it turns out the I've misdiagnosed the controller as having failed (it has power to the unit but no power to the pump and the unit's idiot light is off).

Seems like every time I have a failure it's at the worst possible time with hot weather and as I mentioned, my water bill can quickly add up to be well over the price of even the high priced AquaBoost components if I have to use our association's water for irrigation.  Not only that but it's always a struggle to find the pump in stock around the country because I learned on this go-around that Gould's only builds them on demand.

Any suggestions an switching and advice on what components I'll need would be greatly appreciated.

Hello friend really sorry for posting in old thread but were you able to find right aquaboost pump and controller? I have been facing similar problem for a while so can you help me out?
« Last Edit: February 21, 2014, 10:54:51 AM by VirgilHowie »

Cary Austin

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Re: I'm tired of replacing my AquaBoost pumps & controllers!
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2014, 09:27:05 AM »
Hi Virgil
I haven’t heard back from memse for a couple of years.  Since I haven’t heard back, I assume he got rid of the Aquaboost and got a standard reliable type pump.  The sooner you eliminate the variable speed type pump, the sooner you will start climbing out of that money pit.