DC Pumps - is one size larger than you need possibly better?

[Reef_Hobbyist]

I am looking to reduce my electric bill and also extend the life of my pumps if possible.

For DC pumps, does it lower the electric bill have more pump than you need and run it at half power?

For example, the Abyzz A200 running at only 40% uses 50w which is less wattage and still moves more water than the A100 running at 100% which uses 100w. Wouldn't that lower my electric bill?

And wouldn't running a pump at 100% tend to wear it out faster than running one at 40%?

Does it make sense to go with a larger pump for both reasons?

 

[ndrwater]

Yes and yes. I know that there is definitely a sweet spot when it comes to DC pumps. From my experience, going beyond about 80% is more or less a waste of energy. The flow gain vs. the power consumption is negligible beyond that.
Running the pump at less than max should indeed prolong pump life, but if we are discussing Abyzz pumps, they have a 10 year warranty anyway. Meaning they will probably last 20.

 

[mcarroll]

Depends on the pump.

Any decent pump should be able to run at 100% until it dies of natural causes...otherwise it's junk.

Reducing power use is usually best-accomplished with a right-sized pump that was designed to pump the amount of flow you're looking for.

If you can describe your plumbing (even hypothetically, if it's a system in planning) then we can talk more particulars and I can give some realistic examples.

 

[piranhaman00]

Bump. Is it better to run DC pumps at less than 100%?