DeepBass9

So how does that explain more power used with more load on the suction side, with a creepy? And also just about every pool website says, dirty filters use more power.

Exactly, so a blocked filter will increase load not decrease it, and a quick google to get some other opinions gives a variety of sources giving the same answer which is: "Although sand and D.E. filters function more effectively as dirt accumulates, a dirty filter can increase the pump’s workload. In fact, the difference between a clean and dirty filter can nearly double the pump’s energy use." As you add longer pipes, narrower pipes, more bends, more constrictions in the pipe you increase the effective head, reduce the flow rate and increase the load on the pump. This relationship is not linear and there is a peak efficiency where the flow rate is maximised. If you effectively create infinite head by closing the outlet valve, I would put my money on a burned out pump, but you are welcome to test that on your own pool pump.

I didn't mean to come across as sarcastic or whatever, so I hope no offence was taken. The reality is the more work needs to be done, the more power is drawn. There are formulas to work out the friction losses in long pipes, and losses due to turbulent flow in valves and elbows. If you block up the outlet on a pump, the impeller will be doing no useful work, just working against friction and water turbulence and that energy will need to be dispersed as heat. So in a worst case your pump will overheat.

Eventually the pump will burn out.

Not much has happened lately, I put a much larger rear sprocket on, but one of the cheap recycled LA batteries I have is dead and I haven't sorted out the charging system as yet, but it is there on my list of things to get to.......

No never got any further than an idea. You can buy electric tractors new these days though.

I resprayed my wood stove for winter with some rattle can spray paint. It looks a bit better than that old yellow green baked enamel color. It probably won't last too long, but the wife is happy!

I am not an expert on this, but as far as I know all earth's must be bonded together, so the newly installed earth rod must be bonded to your other earth's. As I understand it, it is so all earth points have the same potential. I may be wrong through.

Most pool pumps are air cooled, the water doesn't flow around the motor, only through the impeller which is driven with a shaft from the motor.

The motor turns at a fixed rpm and drives an impeller. If there are no constrictions in the system, the impeller will have less resistance and will pump the water through the system will less work done. If the filter is blocked then more work needs to be done, and more power will be drawn. I have measured my pump which is rated 800w and it usually uses 450W but 650W with the creepy attached. The power consumption increases with the work done. As the filter blocks up it will take more work to force the water through the filter. Conservation of energy, its the law so I hear.

You guys are joking right?

I would pay careful attention to balancing the blades/rotor assembly. Vibration at high RPM will quickly shake things to pieces. Great project!

There was also the risk that one of the pipe fittings would pop off under the full pressure of the pump and my swimming pool would be pumped away into the veld!

Because the pipe was a lot of different diameters, with the smallest being 25mm, and because I didn't want to load the pump with pushing the water through a few 100m of pipe. Even if the pipe is all the same diameter as your pump outlet, there is still extra work to be done to overcome the friction in such a long pipe. The way it is I can control the amount of water going through the pipe. I generally adjust it so the water is being warmed to about 30 odd degrees (finger thermometer) as it exits the pipe.

The way I have done it is on the outlet that goes back to the pool, after going through the pump and filer, I have a T piece with a valve that I can partially close and direct some of the water flow through a loop of black pipe (various sizes, just joined all the odd pieces I have into a long one). So most of the water goes directly back to the pool, but an amount of it goes through the black pipe and is heated.