Pool Pump Manuals & Owner Guides

What WEF means

The Weighted Energy Factor (WEF) is the U.S. Department of Energy efficiency metric for pool pumps: thousands of gallons pumped per kilowatt-hour, weighted across the speeds a pump uses in the test. Higher is better. Federal standards that took effect in July 2021 set a minimum WEF for each pump type and size; for most full-size in-ground filter pumps, meeting them effectively requires a variable-speed motor.

Variable-speed, two-speed and single-speed pumps

Pump physics favors slow speeds. Flow drops in proportion to speed, but power drops roughly with the cube of speed — so a pump at half speed moves about half the water for roughly one-eighth of the power, in theory. In practice, variable-speed pumps commonly cut filtration energy by well over half compared with single-speed pumps.

Variable-speed

Permanent-magnet (ECM) or other motors with an electronic drive; any speed can be programmed.

Multi-speed / two-speed

A few fixed speeds; low speed for filtration, high for cleaning.

Single-speed

Always runs at full speed; best limited to small above-ground pools or booster duty.

Sizing and plumbing

Bigger is not better. Size the pump to the flow your filter, heater and features need at your plumbing's resistance. Larger pipes, fewer elbows and a clean filter all lower resistance, letting the pump run slower and use less energy. Compare pumps by hydraulic horsepower (hhp) and WEF rather than nameplate horsepower alone.

Pool Pump FAQ