No. The regulations restrict the ability of manufacturers to manufacture or import non-compliant pumps on or after this date.

What does this mean for you:

• No inventory in the supply chain needs to be returned
• As the regulation is currently written, all pumps in the supply chain as of July 18, 2021, can still be sold whether they meet the new requirements of not
• Per the currently written regulation, non-compliant pumps which the manufacturers have on hand as of July 18, 2021 can still be sold to distribution; in turn, distribution can sell these non-compliant pumps to pool professionals, and pool professionals can sell them to homeowners

• Unfortunately, there are two accompanying “motor rules” that have been proposed, one by the DOE and another by the California Energy Commission (CEC) — these have yet to be finalized. These rules may restrict the sale of some replacement motors and pumps, even if they meet the current minimum energy performance requirements.
• Until these rules are finalized, manufacturers will be hesitant to provide an official, final list. In general, all variable-speed pumps will be compliant while most single- and two-speed pumps with a motor THP rating ≥ 1.0 THP will be non-compliant.

• Manufacturers bear sole responsibility to ensure only compliant pumps are manufactured or imported starting on July 19, 2021.

• HHP stands for Hydraulic Horsepower and is generally used to measure how much water a pump moves. THP refers to the Total Horsepower of the motor used on the pump. HHP is roughly half of the THP rating of the motor.

• The easiest way to understand WEF is to view it as you would Miles Per Gallon (MPG) for a motor vehicle. The higher the WEF, the more energy-efficient the pump is. In general, pumps with a lower HHP/THP rating will have higher WEF ratings.
• Manufacturers will be required to publish WEF and THP on the pump rating label as well as other product material on all pumps manufactured and/or imported on or after July 19, 2021.

• No. Pumps still need to be sized properly for the application, (you would not expect a low HHP/THP pump to move enough water to effectively filter a 40,000 gallon pool). Homeowners need to rely on their Pool Professional to prescribe the best pump for the application. WEF is simply a reference point that indicates energy efficiency.

• The regulations do not make a distinction between in-ground and above-ground pool pumps. Rather, most pumps used in above-ground applications are classified as “non self-priming” pool pumps. The minimum WEF standards for these types of pumps are lower than “self-priming” pool pumps used in most in-ground applications. The result is most non-self priming single-speed pumps meet the minimum energy-efficiency requirements and will continue to be available.