2017-2018 seems like a long time ago. That is when the US Department of Energy (DOE) adopted new energy efficiency rules for “Dedicated-Purpose Pool Pumps.” Actually, as a part of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, this DOE conservation standard would result in “significant conservation of energy.”

Several manufacturers filed petitions for extensions back in 2018 as they needed more time for testing and further developing viable solutions.  The industry kept hearing about the standard, but little happened. Now…effective July 19, 2021, when a pump motor dies, it will NOT be life as usual. You are going to need to replace it with a different and more efficient type of pump-motor system.

What does it really mean? Simply put, pumps less than 0.711 HP can still be single speed, but the regulation means that ALL pumps between 1 and 5 HP will need to meet the performance standard – Namely be connected to a variable speed drive of some type, or have some type of (to be developed) super efficiency motor. The industry is promising to build inventory of single speed pump motors (as they can sell what they have in stock), but we expect that to be a short-lived solution. So, we all need to act.

Also complicating the situation, is that any NON-EQUIVALENT change in your pool mechanical system would need to be approved by the Department of Health (DOH). (CES would handle this for you of course). 

Fortunately, there are readily available and affordable solutions to the 2021 standard… and ones that CES customers have been using for years. Customers have been modifying or installing similar models or versions of their existing pool pumps (resolving the DOH issue), but meeting 2021-efficiency standards (resolving the DOE issue), with the installation of our affordable PFDx variable speed drive. 

This is not new or even a trend-following move. Commercial Energy Specialists (CES) has been installing pump-drive combinations on larger pumps for nearly 20 years.  We then launched our own PFD (Precision Flow Device) product back in 2012 to provide a smaller, really affordable solution for pumps between 1 and 5 HP. But then, Energy is our middle name. We never liked the Drive-on-Pump VFD solutions, because we found them difficult to service and not nearly robust enough for our liking, so we developed the PFD as a wall-mounted, industrial-grade solution.

We then upgraded the PFD to the PFDx years ago, adding a whole bunch of features that made it easier to install, to program, and to operate. We also found a way to have it “PAY ITS OWN WAY” out of savings in energy. Here are some PFDx highlights:

• Weather Rated: The NEMA4x package is perfect for your equipment room or PAK which requires a weather-rated solution as they are considered “wet locations.”
• Easy to Program: Our exclusive feature, which costs a lot to set up, lets us use simple programming like AUTO—UP-ARROW–ESC to set speeds, instead of complicated codes (E35-01, B21+11,etc.) used in all other drives, whose programming sections can be 50 pages long.
• Want to Save More?: Save even more energy by running your pool to precise DOH flow. CES will connect your PFDx to a special flowmeter, letting you join customers saving up to 85% of their pumping costs, while maintaining DOH standards.
• Communicative: Unlike most drive-on-pump models, our PFDx talks to your BECS controller, your energy management system, etc. You can also review your energy consumption, alarms, etc. on the screen.
• Versatile: The PFDx programming also operates pumps by water level, pressure, etc. to provide innovative solutions to common mechanical challenges.
• Simple Installation: Don’t change your complete pump, just upgrade your motor, and add a wall-mounted PFDx to the package. Simple, quick, and affordable!
• On Site Service: As always, your PFDx is fully serviced ON SITE by your CES tech team, so there is little or no down time, and no finger pointing from builders or service companies. CES is a Nationally Authorized Service Provider (ASP), and we stock parts and accessories to maximize your PFDx performance. 

So, we have a year to act, but there is really no need to wait.

Find out how converting your small pumps can pay their own way out of energy and costs.