Which solar controller and a sweep question.

[Vic Damone]

I have a 15'x35' rectangular, 4' 6' 4' deep, 20,000 gallon gunite in ground pool with a single story solar system located in Northern California. I'm about to replace a Sta-Rite Max-E-Pro pump with an Inteliflo VS pump.

I'm looking for a suggestion for a programable solar controller to replace my current basic controller? Ease of programing in conjunction with the Inteliflo pump would be nice.

Also, I'm using a one season old Hayward Navigator vacuum pool sweep. The pressure gauge atop the filter reads 23 lb. as it always has yet the vacuum pressure seems much less than when originally installed and the sweep is barely moving about. The pump I'm about to replace is seven years old. Would a worn pump account for such a drastic drop in pressure or might there be an obstruction within the return plumbing to the pump? Is there a way to check this or somehow snake the return?

 

[duraleigh]

If your psi has stayed constant for years, your flow and suction should be constant as well. Does the gauge go to ZERO when you turn the pump off?

 

[JasonLion]

The Pentair Sun Touch is probably the least expensive solar controller that integrates well with the IntelliFlo pump.

For the most part pumps either work or they don't work. Some plumbing blockage or an air leak on the suction side of the pluming could result is a loss of pressure, but an old pump wouldn't cause that.

 

[Vic Damone]

Yes, the gauge goes to zero.
An air leak. I have noticed air bubbles in all the water return jets. Is there a way to check for a blockage within the plumbing?

Are there other solar controllers that will work with the Inteliflo I should look at?

 

[kevreh]

The Pentair Sun Touch is probably the least expensive solar controller that integrates well with the IntelliFlo pump.

For the most part pumps either work or they don't work. Some plumbing blockage or an air leak on the suction side of the pluming could result is a loss of pressure, but an old pump wouldn't cause that.

Jason- thank you for pointing out the suntouch(!). So, if I have a pump, booster pump, heater, and solar panels it sounds like it can control all of those? I was looking at the intellitouch but can't spend the @$1000 now. Looks like suntouch will be about half that.

 

[JasonLion]

Yep, the SunTouch can handle all of that and have a little room for later expansion.