Pool companies should review any Energy Star pumps they sell to make sure they still qualify.
When the Environmental Protection Agency first created an Energy Star designation for pool pumps in 2013, it was a big deal. To gain the designation, pumps would have to achieve an energy factor greater than or equal to 3.80. The energy factor is defined as the volume of water pumped in gallons per watt hour of electrical energy consumed by the pump motor.
With the original criteria, virtually all two-speed and variable-speed models on the market qualified for the voluntary household goods designation.
Now, thanks to an updated version of the Energy Star criteria, which went into effect Jan. 1, pumps must jump an even higher hurdle to gain the earmark.
However, the new version also makes the designation possible for aboveground pool pumps and pressure-side cleaner pumps, which were not included before.
The EPA also adjusted the language somewhat to better align with the Department of Energy’s pool-pump rule, which will establish minimum efficiency standards for pool pumps to enter commerce in the U.S. The rule takes effect in 2021. Rather than referring to inground pumps, the new Energy Star standard mentions self-priming models; in place of abovegrounds, it lists non-self-priming. This was meant to place the focus more on performance rather than application.
But the most noticeable difference may be that most or all two-speed pumps now will fail to meet the standard, said Jeff Farlow, program manager of energy initiatives for Pentair Aquatic Systems in Sanford, N.C.
Rather than measuring energy factor, which Farlow likens to a car’s gas mileage, the updated Energy Star performance standard is based on weighted energy factor. The standard also places more restrictions on the test method so it more accurately reflects real-world use and conditions.
