12 amp Intellichlor breaker tripping

[Goldenlake]

With power to my circuit boards, I can turn lights on, but the moment I push the pump button on the panel the 12 amp Intellichlor circuit breaker automatically trips, there is a short hum from what sounds like the left side of the panel where the main breakers are and then the 12 amp breaker (one of the 4) located at top right of the panel trips. There are no burn marks on either circuit board, in fact I replaced the surge board thinking that was the problem, the transformers appear ok and there is no tripping of the large main breakers. I had plugged something that takes power into the light GFCI, and shortly after this tripping problem developed. Is it possible that a bad GFCI occurred by using that plug for power and is now causing the pump / swg 12 amp low voltage breaker to trip ?

So frustrated, any help appreciated

 

[ajw22]

What automation system are we discussing?

Disconnect the wire to the cell and see if the breaker no longer trips.

How old is the cell? IC??

What is the manufacturing date on the label on the front bottom of the cell?

Chances are the cell is bad.

 

[Jimrahbe]

GL,

Most likely, the cell is bad...

The reason it pops when you push the "F" button is that closes the Pump/Filter relay, sending power the cell.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Goldenlake]

@ajw22
What automation system are we discussing? PENTAIR EasyTouch

Disconnect the wire to the cell and see if the breaker no longer trips. DID THAT, STILL TRIPS ON PUMP SELECTION

How old is the cell? IC?? 3 YEARS, WAS FINE BEFORE USE OF THAT GFCI FOR AN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE

What is the manufacturing date on the label on the front bottom of the cell? NOT SURE, CELL WAS CLEANED IN SPRING

Chances are the cell is bad. PERHAPS, SOMEHOW I NEED TO TRACE WHATS CALLING THE ELECTRICAL FAULT AND ISOLATE THAT CAUSE. MOST OTHER POSTS BLAME THE SURGE BOARD BUT THAT I REPLACED, I KEEP WONDERING IF ITS DAMAGE TO GFCI AND HAVE AN ELECTRICAN COMING MONDAY TO LOOK THINGS OVER

 

[Goldenlake]

GL,

Most likely, the cell is bad...

The reason it pops when you push the "F" button is that closes the Pump/Filter relay, sending power the cell.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Is there a way to test that without replacing the cell ?

 

[Jimrahbe]

GL,

If the breaker pops with the cell no longer connected to the EasyTouch, then the cell is not causing that specific problem.

It could be the small breaker is bad, or it could be that the new surge card is bad. It could be that the SWCG transformer is bad.

I'd disconnect the output of the transformer from the surge card and test to see if you have about 28 Volts AC.

If the transformer output tests ok, then I would replace the 12 amp breaker (even if just temporarily with a fuse) and see what happens.

Did you buy the new Surge Card from E-Bay?

Show us a pick of the installed surge card.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Goldenlake]

GL,

If the breaker pops with the cell no longer connected to the EasyTouch, then the cell is not causing that specific problem.

It could be the small breaker is bad, or it could be that the new surge card is bad. It could be that the SWCG transformer is bad.

I'd disconnect the output of the transformer from the surge card and test to see if you have about 28 Volts AC.

If the transformer output tests ok, then I would replace the 12 amp breaker (even if just temporarily with a fuse) and see what happens.

Did you buy the new Surge Card from E-Bay?

Show us a pick of the installed surge card.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Was bought on Amazon. Here are pictures of the surge card that I installed. NOW, (which is a difference condition that what I experienced in my original post) with everything plugged in and then turning on the main breakers, the 3 amp fuse in the top left corner of the 4 low voltage fuse area trips, and there is no display on the screen and nothing will function. In the first picture I removed a connection off the right of the surge circuit board, on power up none of the low voltage switches tripped, and there was display at the screen. I Pressed the F button for the pump and the 12 amp breaker immediately tripped, but the pump itself started and there were no lights showing on the salt cell. I would say the surge circuit board is behaving similar to the old board, don’t think it’s the board itself but no idea.

 

[Goldenlake]

GL,

If the breaker pops with the cell no longer connected to the EasyTouch, then the cell is not causing that specific problem.

It could be the small breaker is bad, or it could be that the new surge card is bad. It could be that the SWCG transformer is bad.

I'd disconnect the output of the transformer from the surge card and test to see if you have about 28 Volts AC.

If the transformer output tests ok, then I would replace the 12 amp breaker (even if just temporarily with a fuse) and see what happens.

Did you buy the new Surge Card from E-Bay?

Show us a pick of the installed surge card.

Thanks,

Jim R.

I seem to have returned to the original problem of the 3 amp fuse tripping, leaving screen blank, unless I unplug the right connector off the new surge board. You mentioned maybe it was low voltage breaker but I keep wondering if bad GFCI is in some way part of these problems. This is like trying to see where the ghost is.

 

[mknauss]

Can you bypass the GFCI temporarily?

 

[Goldenlake]

Can you bypass the GFCI temporarily?

I will try that, not sure how, probably disconnect the wiring to it from inside the panel. Might want to wait for my electrician to do that as not sure what could happen if I power it all up without a GFCI connected, atm though I can’t reset that GFCI by pushing reset buttons and even with power on there is no green light on the GFCI

 

[mknauss]

If you are not comfortable working around electricity, wait for an electrician.

Use liquid chlorine to keep you pool water sanitized in the interim.

 

[Goldenlake]

If you are not comfortable working around electricity, wait for an electrician.

Use liquid chlorine to keep you pool water sanitized in the interim.

Yes, I dumped in some liquid chlorine yesterday as the saga of fixing this unfolds. Good advice though to anyone who isn’t comfortable or experienced around electricity

 

[Jimrahbe]

GL,

The 3 amp circuit breaker in the top left is for electronics..

If this were my system, I would disconnect everything from the main card.. All the valves, all the relays, everything except the one main power plug.

I would then add back one connection at a time in a effort to see what connection might be causing the problem.

The first thing I would add back would be the Pump/Filter connection. I would leave any Remote or ScreenLogic connections until last.

Not saying that has anything to do with your SWCG issue, just trying to work on one problem at a time.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Goldenlake]

GL,

The 3 amp circuit breaker in the top left is for electronics..

If this were my system, I would disconnect everything from the main card.. All the valves, all the relays, everything except the one main power plug.

I would then add back one connection at a time in a effort to see what connection might be causing the problem.

The first thing I would add back would be the Pump/Filter connection. I would leave any Remote or ScreenLogic connections until last.

Not saying that has anything to do with your SWCG issue, just trying to work on one problem at a time.

Thanks,

Jim R.

What about the connection from the main circuit board to the transformers, wouldn’t that need to stay in place or is that the one main power plug ?

 

[Goldenlake]

What about the connection from the main circuit board to the transformers, wouldn’t that need to stay in place or is that the one main power plug ? Take everything off back here, what stays to start with ?

 

[Jimrahbe]

GL,

The power from the transformer is what I was calling the one main power plug. In the upper right in your pic.

I would remove EVERYTHING else

I'm try to see if your main card has lost a power regulator/supply chip.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Goldenlake]

GL,

The power from the transformer is what I was calling the one main power plug. In the upper right in your pic.

I would remove EVERYTHING else

I'm try to see if your main card has lost a power regulator/supply chip.

Thanks,

Jim R.

GL,

The power from the transformer is what I was calling the one main power plug. In the upper right in your pic.

I would remove EVERYTHING else

I'm try to see if your main card has lost a power regulator/supply chip.

Thanks,

Jim R.

I think I wrote this correctly

- Only pump connected see screen, toggle F button and 12 amp low voltage breaker trips

- Only comms connected, see screen and 3amp breaker trips

- Everything connected, no screen, 3 amp trips

Also the board in this thing in picture doesn’t look burnt anywhere but has a mild burnt smell that I don’t smell on other boards.

Does this help with clues Jim ?

 

[Jimrahbe]

GL,

What happens when nothing is connected, except the power connector??

With NOTHING but the power connected to the main card, the screen should come on and nothing else should work. Pushing the "F' button should do nothing.

That is an antenna for a Pentair remote, or ScreenLogic. The often go bad.. I would leave it disconnected until you figure out what is goin going on.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Goldenlake]

GL,

What happens when nothing is connected, except the power connector??

With NOTHING but the power connected to the main card, the screen should come on and nothing else should work. Pushing the "F' button should do nothing.

That is an antenna for a Pentair remote, or ScreenLogic. The often go bad.. I would leave it disconnected until you figure out what is goin going on.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Yes with nothing but the power connected to the main card, the screen does come on and nothing else works. Pushing the "F' button does not do anything in this scenario I tried that when it was all disconnected, forgot to record that step in my summary. I had that disconnected when I tried those tests.

 

[Jimrahbe]

OK,

Just connect the Pump/Filter relay.. And see what happens.. doing nothing else, and then what happens when you push the F button.

Thanks,

Jim R.