Replacing motor with dual speed and wiring into EasyTouch controller - wiring help

[jimmychuck]

Hello all,

My filter pump motor has been making increasing noises and trips my breaker periodically. The pool was built in 2010 and the builder used a Sta-rite P6E6G-208L pump for the filter pump which also runs the spa-jets when in spa mode. It's got a 2-HP motor (true HP 2.6) and it's a single speed.

Unless someone offers compelling reasons to the contrary, I plan on replacing the motor which seems to be nearing failure. In an effort to make running the pool a bit more economical, I am considering replacing the existing single-speed motor with the dual-speed equivalent.

Current motor - K48N2PA105 (SQ1202 on Inyopools)
Replacement motor - K48N2PA109B1 (SQS1202R on Inyopools)

Reviewing the wiring instructions I can find for the EasyTouch controller, it's my understanding I'll need to add the two-speed relay to my control box and run an extra cable from the control box to the pump itself.

If you can all help guide me with respect to the following I would be very appreciative:

1. Is replacing the single-speed motor with the dual-speed motor the right way to go? (I feel I can replace a motor but don't feel comfortable replacing a whole pump to go to a variable speed model)
2. Have I identified the correct dual-speed motor for my pump?
3. What exactly is the two-speed relay I need to purchase? It's not clear on the Pentair manual.
4. Can anyone share a wiring diagram I can base myself off?
5. What gauge wire do I need to use from control box to motor?

Lastly, assuming I get the dual-speed pump wired up correctly, can someone help me with the programming I'll need to do on the EasyTouch to take advantage of it? I basically want to run it on low speed for general filter use and on high speed for spa operations.

FWIW the filter pump was running for 8 hours during the day and I recently changed it to run overnight. I was thinking that the heat of the Houston summer was adding to the problem.

Thanks in advance for your help. This is my first pool and the result of a house purchase last summer.

Santiago

 

[Jimrahbe]

Santiago,

Welcome to TFP.. You will love it here.

1. I personally like the flexibility that you get with a VS pump, but there are many people here that think a 2-speed is the better option.
2. Sorry, but I can't help with this one.
3. A 2-speed motor generally has a mechanical switch on the back of the motor that you turn on and off to change from low speed to high speed. The Pentair two-speed relay replaces the mechanical switch so that the EasyTouch can tell the pump to run at the low speed or at the high speed.
4. I'm sure we can supply you with a simple wiring diagram. It would be handy to have a couple of pics of your new pump and the inside of your EasyTouch panel first.
5. I suspect the 12 gage wire should work just fine. I would use whatever size wire is going to your current pump.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[kadavis]

http://www.pentairpool.com/pdfs/2SpeedRelayIG.pdf, http://www.pentairpool.com/pdfs/easytouch8and4UG.pdf

 

[kadavis]

Hope this helps

 

[jimmychuck]

Thank you both, this is very helpful.

I think the wiring diagram from kadavis should get me there.

Jim thanks for the thoughts on VS versus dualie. My setup (I'll work on an improved signature) includes another two pumps, one for the cleaner and one for the weeping wall. I think the dual speed *should* work out.

 

[barnnns1]

Thank you both, this is very helpful.

I think the wiring diagram from kadavis should get me there.

Jim thanks for the thoughts on VS versus dualie. My setup (I'll work on an improved signature) includes another two pumps, one for the cleaner and one for the weeping wall. I think the dual speed *should* work out.

I'm only curious when I ask if you thought about going vs and eliminate the wall pump. That's what I plan on doing with my water feature that is on its own pump. I just have to save for the controller and actuator

 

[jimmychuck]

I'm only curious when I ask if you thought about going vs and eliminate the wall pump. That's what I plan on doing with my water feature that is on its own pump. I just have to save for the controller and actuator

I hadn't really thought about it. The setup seems to work well as is and with the EasyTouch controller it's all scheduled out and pretty easy to control so I don't really have much in the way of issues, other than the soon-to-fail-forever filter pump motor.

While I consider myself handy enough to replace the motor without too much trouble, I don't really want to start messing with all the plumbing involved in changing out the pumps and valves and all that.

- - - Updated - - -

Parts on order and should be arriving next week. Will post back with results.

Thanks for the help and guidance.

 

[jimmychuck]

Just wanted to provide an update on the motor replacement.

Was able to work on it this morning and all went off without a hitch.

Installed the 2-speed relay into the EasyTouch control box. Ran two new wires to the pump since the existing two wire run (not counting ground) used same colored wires. Ended up replacing one of them and adding a new wire for a total of three, different color, wires plus ground.

The motor replacement itself was fine but when I was mounting the motor back onto the wet end, the clamp o-ring keep falling off as I was trying to push things together. Was able to get everything assembled in the end.

I then programmed the controller so that the pump runs on high when the spa is on since the filter pump doubles as the spa jet pump. For regular pool filtering it runs on low.

Thanks for the guidance and tips.

 

[El_Jefe]

I know this is old, sorry. I'm looking to do the same thing.
Current pump is a Whisperflo WFE-8. Motor (2HP EE FR 3750RPM 230VAC 56Y SQFL) is dead.
Understand I need a relay and another wire from the Pentair automation panel.
Any change to the impeller necessary?

Any regrets 3 years later?

 

[Dssmaster]

I'v had it with the two-speed pump motors that come with the built-in timers. This is the third one I had replaced in a 5 year period, and it's about to die on me due to the cheaply made timer going bad. I want to go with a two-speed motor and relay option so I can just have it programmed with my Pentair Easy-Touch control panel. Can someone up-load the wiring plans again, the links that kadavis posted are dead. Thanks in advance.

This is what I have. Try to save myself the trouble of having to install a relay and adding extra wiring, but in the end, I suggest to people not to bother with this type of dual speed motors with integrated timers, because once the timers go bad, the motor down't work at all.