Since 1990, HydroTher Hot Tubs have been the #1 choice of architects, consultants, designers and facility operators for commercial aquatic applications.
Effective July 19, 2021, new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) regulations will go into effect that require Dedicated Purpose Pool Pumps (DP3) manufactured in or imported into the U.S. meet minimum energy-efficiency standards. The standards apply to all pool pumps with a Hydraulic Horsepower (HHP) rating ≤ 2.5 HHP, with some limited exceptions. HHP is approximately 50% of the pump motor's total horsepower (THP) rating.
Most pool pumps with a motor rating of 5.0 THP or less will be required to meet the minimum energy-efficiency standards.
There is no distinction in the regulations between variable-speed and non-variable speed pumps. The regulations simply require dedicated purpose pool pumps to meet minimum energy-efficiency standards.
The Good News:
The regulations are written in a way that makes it relatively easy for most variable-speed pumps to meet the requirements.
What to be Aware of:
The regulations make it difficult for most non-variable-speed pumps ≥ 1.0 THP to meet the requirements. Many single-speed and two-speed pumps < 1.0 THP, including booster pumps, will meet the requirements.
Two Terms to be Familiar with:
Hydraulic Horsepower (HHP) is a standardized measurement of how much water the pump moves and is roughly half of the pump motor THP. A 5.0 THP pump will have a HHP of roughly 2.5 HHP.
Weighted Energy Factor (WEF) is a standardized measurement of how much energy is required to move the water in terms of gallons per kWh of energy use. A pump with a WEF of 7.847 means the pump is rated as being able to pump 7,847 gallons of water with one kWh of energy.