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It's Not Easy Being Green Many people falsely believe that the VFD, which is used to control variable speed pumps, is new technology. In reality the VFD has been around for many decades. In 2007 and 2008 manufacturers are selling "generation five" of VFD technology, and working on "generation six". What that means to you is that the problems of VFD controls are not yet, and may never be resolved. Because the laws of nature or physics cannot be changed, there are many problems with the VFD that can never be fixed. Redesigns of VFD's with a new name hit the market daily. These are just Band Aids, as the VFD is an old design with many inherent problems. One of the biggest problems with VFD controls is that they were designed to be a "fluid system". For a manufacturer, a "fluid system" has nothing to do with water. A "fluid system" is a product designed to cost a lot up front, doesn't last very long, is not repairable, and because it controls your water supply, must be replaced as soon as it fails. "Fluid systems" are great for the manufacturer, because the homeowner must continue to shell out cash to keep his water flowing. Older generations realize that equipment like pump systems should last a long time. A good pump installer can show you systems that have been dependably supplying water for 20 or 30 years. Younger generations don't realize that buying a new $800 VFD controller, or even a new variable speed pump every couple of years is not the norm. This throw away society has to replace their computers, games, televisions, cell phones, appliances, and even automobiles regularly, as these items are now designed to be a "fluid system", instead of lasting as they should. Variable Speed Pumps or VFD's are no exception. VFD's are designed to be a "cash cow" for the manufacturer, at the expense of the homeowner. The hook that makes most people think a Variable Speed Pump is worth all the trouble, is advertisements that promise 30% to 50% energy savings. This is false advertising at it's finest. It seems to make sense to most people that slowing the RPM of a pump should save energy. However, anytime the speed is reduced, a pump uses more energy per gallon than if the pump were running at a constant and normal speed. VFD's also have "parasitic" losses. In other words, the computer in a VFD controller is using as much power as a 40 to 200 watt light bulb, even when the pump is not running. The power consumed by an idle VFD controller, can be more than the energy consumed by the pump itself. A conventional pump system can easily last 20 years or more without any maintenance or additional cost. Mining, manufacturing, transportation, installation, and disposal of at least four VFD pump systems to last the same amount of time, uses tremendous energy that does not show up on the homeowners electric bill. The homeowner is still paying for all this wasted energy with the purchase of the additional and short lived VFD equipment. Manufacturers of VFD's are claiming energy savings to make the homeowner feel "green", when in reality they use these tactics to rack in a lot of "green" for themselves. "Constant Pressure" has many benefits for your water system. "Constant Pressure" is really the only job that a VFD is trying to accomplish. The Cycle Stop Valve or CSV, was designed to mimic the "constant pressure" delivery of a VFD, without needing the computerized controls that create so many problems. The best technology is not always electronic. The best technology is one that has been reduced to the simplest form that will accomplish the job at hand. The CSV is newer technology and has been used to replace VFD's every day since 1993. The CSV reduces energy consumption of a pump as much as varying the speed with a VFD. The CSV also makes pumps, motors, tanks, and controls last much longer, which saves considerably more energy than a VFD. Being mislead by multimillion dollar add campaigns, claiming energy savings for using VFD products, is how corporations get multimillions of your dollars. In this age of information at your finger tips, do a little research. Because, without the right information, "it's not easy being green". |
| Cycle Stop Valves® is a registered trademark. All right reserved unless prior authorization is obtained. Cycle Stop Valves are patented: Patent number 5,988,984 and other patents pending. |
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