Pump wiring and who to hire..

[Tony P]

HI all. I have had a pool for the past few years or so and have had pretty good luck up until the end of last season. My pump seized up and the filer cracked. How ever my house is 20 years old and the pump and filter are original to the house so I guess I got my moneys worth out of them. So this year I had the pump replaced with the intelliflo with entrapment protection and a Quad DE 100 sq foot filter. My pool is 20x40 vinyl with an 8 foot deep end so hopefully this will suffice. I was told by research on here to get the biggest one I could afford, That was the biggest DE filter I could find so I guess thats that.

How ever the guys who installed said they are not electricians and cant wire it due to liability. I was ok with that but have no idea at all who to call for wiring. Im an electrician and am confused. I asked around work today and nobody really new as the wires im used to working with are Black white and green Hot, Neutral and ground. But the wires for the pool are just L1 and L2 and then a bonding wire on the exterior and a ground on the wiring panel. And the wires from my house are red, blue, and green. No idea what goes where (aside from ground and bonding which are both green). Im comfortible working with it, but can understand if I cant get advice due to liability about hooking it up from here so my question is who can I call to hook it up. I have a rusty old timer that I would love to bypass as well and possibly upgrade to a more automated system. I have two neighbors both using different pool companies to install their new pools and have half of mind to just walk up and offer a few hundred bucks to wire it all up for me and worry about the timer later. But dont know whether they sub out or have their own. As I say no idea where to go at this point, and it would be comforting that if something was wrong I had a guy who knew more and how to fix what might have broken.

Also They didn't leave me any filter media, What type of DE and how much should I get? also how do I fill the filter with DE? And any tips on setting up the intelliflow? My old set up was a simple swith on switch off pump and a simple back wash every week sand filter so needless to say im quite new to all this. My pool is a toxic waste dump and already hit 70 degrees so I know unless I get moving quickly, its going to be a PITA to get clear. When I took the cover off it was only 45 degrees.

thanks for helping a newbie out.

 

[melissab]

I'm a newbie here so I may not be much help but I'll try. We hired a commerical electrican who was a friend of a friend to do the electric around my pool, it was a nightmare but I'll spare you the details. What I later learned is that pools are different from many other hook ups. I ended up using a website, Service Magic, where you can find pros in your area for the specific job you want performed. You give a brief description of what you need and qualified people will contact you, you can read reviews on people before you select them to call you. I found an electrician who finished the botched job at a fair price. I've also used the site to find a landscaper and roofer and was happy everytime.

Another option would be to ask the pool store who they recommend. This is probably what I should have done to start out with, my local pool store doesn't handle electric for above ground pools they just give the name of a few people they recommend. I regretted not going this route from the beginning. I've heard these guys do good work in hopes of continued referrals from the pool store.

 

[Tony P]

I'm a newbie here so I may not be much help but I'll try. We hired a commerical electrican who was a friend of a friend to do the electric around my pool, it was a nightmare but I'll spare you the details. What I later learned is that pools are different from many other hook ups. I ended up using a website, Service Magic, where you can find pros in your area for the specific job you want performed. You give a brief description of what you need and qualified people will contact you, you can read reviews on people before you select them to call you. I found an electrician who finished the botched job at a fair price. I've also used the site to find a landscaper and roofer and was happy everytime.

Another option would be to ask the pool store who they recommend. This is probably what I should have done to start out with, my local pool store doesn't handle electric for above ground pools they just give the name of a few people they recommend. I regretted not going this route from the beginning. I've heard these guys do good work in hopes of continued referrals from the pool store.

Hey neat site. I need a land scaper too! I was a little disappointed when he said he is all done but cant hook up the electricity. Which erked me abit as the company I hired builds new pools. Which is why im reluctant to go ask my neighbors pool builders. But will do some more searching on that site.

 

[JamesW]

Note: You should have an electrician who works with pools wire this for you. Do not wire this yourself unless you are sure that you know what to do. I am not an electrician, so do not consider what I write below to be a full or proper explanation.

Im an electrician and am confused. I asked around work today and nobody really new as the wires im used to working with are Black white and green Hot, Neutral and ground. But the wires for the pool are just L1 and L2 and then a bonding wire on the exterior and a ground on the wiring panel. And the wires from my house are red, blue, and green. No idea what goes where (aside from ground and bonding which are both green).

Are you a licensed practicing electrician by trade? I'm not sure why electricians would not know this.

L1 and L2 mean Line 1 and Line 2. You connect your 230 volt supply to these points. You should have 230 volts between the red and the blue. If you do, then one goes to L1 and the other goes to L2. It does not matter if the red or the blue go to L1 or L2.

Black, white and green are for 115 volt service.

The motor needs to be grounded with the green wire. The motor also needs to be bonded to the pool with a solid No. 8 AWG or larger conductor.

See the manual for more information.

Your Quad DE takes 10 pounds of DE. You can get DE at any place that sells pool supplies.

You should have an electrician who works with pools wire this for you. Do not wire this yourself unless you are sure that you know what to do. I am not an electrician, so do not consider what I wrote above to be a full or proper explanation.

 

[JasonLion]

There are only really two kinds of DE, pool DE and gardening DE. Gardening DE won't work at all well in the filter. Pool DE is available at essentially all pool stores and the pool departments of many big box hardware and department stores. There is also a substitute for DE called things like fiber clear, zeo fiber, and purifiber. All of these are made out of cellulose and while slightly more expensive are a little better for the environment.

 

[Tony P]

Note: You should have an electrician who works with pools wire this for you. Do not wire this yourself unless you are sure that you know what to do. I am not an electrician, so do not consider what I write below to be a full or proper explanation.

Im an electrician and am confused. I asked around work today and nobody really new as the wires im used to working with are Black white and green Hot, Neutral and ground. But the wires for the pool are just L1 and L2 and then a bonding wire on the exterior and a ground on the wiring panel. And the wires from my house are red, blue, and green. No idea what goes where (aside from ground and bonding which are both green).

Are you a licensed practicing electrician by trade? I'm not sure why electricians would not know this.

L1 and L2 mean Line 1 and Line 2. You connect your 230 volt supply to these points. You should have 230 volts between the red and the blue. If you do, then one goes to L1 and the other goes to L2. It does not matter if the red or the blue go to L1 or L2.

Black, white and green are for 115 volt service.

The motor needs to be grounded with the green wire. The motor also needs to be bonded to the pool with a solid No. 8 AWG or larger conductor.

See the manual for more information.

Your Quad DE takes 10 pounds of DE. You can get DE at any place that sells pool supplies.

You should have an electrician who works with pools wire this for you. Do not wire this yourself unless you are sure that you know what to do. I am not an electrician, so do not consider what I wrote above to be a full or proper explanation.

Yes been out for about 8 years now. Like I said. I work on homes, not pools. Never seen a blue and red wire together for wires (really never seen a blue wire at all) Red is normally what would control a light fixture on its own switch when you want a ceiling fan and light to be Independent.

Can I just wrap the copper around the L1 and L2 screwes? Or do they need to be fastioned in another way?

 

[Tony P]

There are only really two kinds of DE, pool DE and gardening DE. Gardening DE won't work at all well in the filter. Pool DE is available at essentially all pool stores and the pool departments of many big box hardware and department stores. There is also a substitute for DE called things like fiber clear, zeo fiber, and purifiber. All of these are made out of cellulose and while slightly more expensive are a little better for the environment.

OK great. I will run out and buy DE at leslies tomorrow then. Next question is can I just dump it in the skimmer? Or does it need to be mixed? Also when its time to backwash Since its a cartridge and DE hybrid, Do I need to treat it like a cartridge filter and hose those off as well?

 

[Just-a-PB]

Yes that is the best way to connect them.
There is a green screw for the ground, and the Bond wire goes to a terminal on the outside of the pump.

And no offense, but you were a house wireman not an Electrician.
I was a union electrician for quite some time prior to building pools, and I taught in our Apprenticeship for many years. There is a lot a person needs to learn to call them self an Electrician.

 

[JamesW]

The DE goes into the skimmer while the pump is on. Just pour it in the skimmer slowly with the skimmer basket in.

The Quad DE can be backwashed, or the cartridges can be removed and cleaned. Some DE filters backwash well and others don't. You can try backwashing and if the pressure does not go back to normal, then you can remove the cartridges and clean them.

At least once a year, you should remove the cartridges and clean them.

 

[zea3]

Pentair recommmends you pre-mix the DE with water to form a slurry before pouring it into the skimmer.

 

[Tony P]

Ok I was able to get a wiring diagram from pentair and got it going last night. I just ran it on recirculate to make sure everything was working ok and boy does this thing PUMP! Just gotta start cleaning my mucky mess. Not gunna mess with the filter until im finished vacuuming to waste.