Wiring and scheduling a VSF

[mikef612]

I am a first time pool owner and have a question about the wiring and programming of my Pentair VSF filter pump with an EasyTouch system. I think my pool builder made a mistake and wired my VSF filter to the load side. This meant the pump wasn't getting power unless the filter relay was engaged. So, I switched it to power the pump from the line side instead. This works and now I have setup two additional feature circuits that run the pump at medium and high speed (the pool/filter pump circuit is set to run at low speed). So now my question is on the correct wiring for the salt generator and the gas heater. Should those still be run from the load side of the filter relay? I think so, but that means they won't run if the pump is in medium or high speed (unless I turn on both the medium/high speed circuit and low). Am I missing something here?

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

So now my question is on the correct wiring for the salt generator and the gas heater. Should those still be run from the load side of the filter relay? I think so, but that means they won't run if the pump is in medium or high speed (unless I turn on both the medium/high speed circuit and low). Am I missing something here?

Your VS pump on the LINE side is correct.

The heater and SWG go on the LOAD side of the filter/pump relay.

The EasyTouch is smart enough to engage the filter/pump relay anytime it runs the main filter pump through the RS-485 data connection.

Do you have ScreenLogic?

Post screen captures of how you have your pump circuits setup.

 

[mikef612]

Thank you Allen. I appreciate the quick response. I do have ScreenLogic. Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but here are a few pics from ScreenLogic (phone app):



Pool Circuit is the Pool/Filter circuit/relay. Pool 2 and 3 are features.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Mike,

Good job on moving the IntelliFlo over to the line side of the pump relay like it should be. This allows you to put the system in the Service mode so that you can manually run the pump, when needed.

While you can power your gas heater from the load side of the pump filter relay, it is not a requirement, like the SWCG is. You could just power it from a circuit breaker. Not sure what you gain by using the Pump/Filter relay.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ajw22]

If you run POOL, SPA, POOL2 or POOL3 the filetr/pump relay will be closed.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Mike,

The pump filter relay will only be closed if you are in Auto and in the Pool or Spa mode.

I suspect that you already know this, but if you run "Pool2" or Pool3" all by themselves, it will not close the Pump/Filter relay.

To have the relay closed you need to have the Pool circuit on AND then turn on Pool2, and/or Pool3.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[mikef612]

Thank you @Jimrahbe, this is what I had figured out. I just don't know how to correct this? I've seen videos where people setup the pump with different speeds and then assign all the speeds to the same circuit, POOL. That doesn't make sense because you can't then select a different speed. Am I completely missing something or is this just a limitation? What is the right way to setup a VSF in easytouch so that I can schedule it to run most of the day at a low speed and a higher speed for part of the day. Do I just have the Salt Chlorinator only run when the pump is running at one speed and off at any other speed?

 

[reggiehammond]

So, I switched it to power the pump from the line side instead. This works and now I have setup two additional feature circuits that run the pump at medium and high speed (the pool/filter pump circuit is set to run at low speed).

Just to mention; make sure the VS speeds are doing what you need them to do. There's no benefit to running faster than necessary - the real energy savings are when you run it low and slow.

The pump exists to disperse chemicals (very easy), skim the pool, and filter the water.

Many of us run 24/7, but at very low RPM's (fast enough to satisfy the SWCG flow switch.) I run 1400 rpms which is less than 200 watts.

 

[mikef612]

thanks @reggiehammond. My pool builder originally had it set to run at a high speed for about 8 hours a day. As I learned more about the capabilities, I started making a lot of changes. This is when I corrected the wiring and moved to a 24/7 schedule. The pool is about 25000 gallons, so I went with 1800 RPM most of the day, but I can reevaluate further and bring that down some more.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Mike,

The key is that when the pump sees two or more speeds it will always run the fastest one.

Using your RPMs, this is how it should work...

Pool = 1800
Pool2 = 2000
Pool3 = 2600

Schedule Pool for the entire time you want the pump to run. Let's just use 8 am until 8 pm

When the pump starts at 8 am it will run at 1800 RPM and the pump/filter relay is closed.

If you also turn on Pool2 at 10 am, then at 10 am the pump speed will increase to 2000

If you then turn on Pool3 at noon, then at noon the pump will run at 2600

If you shut off Pool 2 at 1 pm, nothing will change as Pool3 is still on so the pump will continue to run at 2600.

If you then shut off Pool 2 at 2 pm the pump will slow down to 1800 RPM.

Please let me know if this makes sense. It seems to me you already had it figured out.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Mike,

Pool volume has nothing to do with what speed you want your pump to run..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[reggiehammond]

thanks @reggiehammond. My pool builder originally had it set to run at a high speed for about 8 hours a day. As I learned more about the capabilities, I started making a lot of changes. This is when I corrected the wiring and moved to a 24/7 schedule. The pool is about 25000 gallons, so I went with 1800 RPM most of the day, but I can reevaluate further and bring that down some more.

If your pool has a main drain, consider valving it 80-90%+ off. Then lower RPM's until you don't see sufficient skimming. It's not an exact science, but your weir door should bounce a little and you should still see small debris pulled into skimmer. Not a pressing issue now - but excess pump speed is only burning more $$, it actually provides almost zero benefit.

 

[mikef612]

Mike,

The key is that when the pump sees two or more speeds it will always run the fastest one.

Using your RPMs, this is how it should work...

Pool = 1800
Pool2 = 2000
Pool3 = 2600

Schedule Pool for the entire time you want the pump to run. Let's just use 8 am until 8 pm

When the pump starts at 8 am it will run at 1800 RPM and the pump/filter relay is closed.

If you also turn on Pool2 at 10 am, then at 10 am the pump speed will increase to 2000

If you then turn on Pool3 at noon, then at noon the pump will run at 2600

If you shut off Pool 2 at 1 pm, nothing will change as Pool3 is still on so the pump will continue to run at 2600.

If you then shut off Pool 2 at 2 pm the pump will slow down to 1800 RPM.

Please let me know if this makes sense. It seems to me you already had it figured out.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks Jim. I was going down the path you suggested, just seemed strange to have pool run the pump on two different speeds at the same time. So essentially, I want to run Pool (the relay circuit) all the time and then run pool 2 or pool 3 on top of that (I actually only run pool and pool3).

 

[mikef612]

Mike,

Pool volume has nothing to do with what speed you want your pump to run..

Thanks,

Jim R.

Understood. I only mentioned that because I used it in my calculations for water turn over to arrive at the 1800 RPM. I think I was targeting about a 3x turnover per day.

 

[mikef612]

If your pool has a main drain, consider valving it 80-90%+ off. Then lower RPM's until you don't see sufficient skimming. It's not an exact science, but your weir door should bounce a little and you should still see small debris pulled into skimmer. Not a pressing issue now - but excess pump speed is only burning more $$, it actually provides almost zero benefit.

Thanks. I will play with it some more. This is my first pool and I have a lot to learn . I do have a in floor cleaning system with a large bottom drain. The floor cleaning system has it's own pump, but I that that I might need to run the pump at higher speed while the cleaning system runs so that it can pull more debris into the floor drain. Is that not needed?

 

[Jimrahbe]

I only mentioned that because I used it in my calculations for water turn over to arrive at the 1800 RPM. I think I was targeting about a 3x turnover per day.

Mike,

The idea that you have to "turnover' X amount of water per day to prevent algae, is a myth and just not true. Chemicals keep your pool clear, sanitized and algae free, not the number times water passes through your filter. Pool filter do not prevent algae, their job is to capture all the junk that falls into your pool each day. By the time your filter sees algae, you have already lost the war...

Thanks,

Jim R.