Pool guy diagnoses my ever running solar pump as being caused by a bad Heliomatic solar controller (sensors are fine). He wants $200 in labor to hook up a new controller but I swear it just looks like some simple wiring to screw terminals on a replacement controller. Am I missing something? Is it more complicated than just mimicking the attachemt of the old controller?
I thik I am being taken advantage of..
- Thread starter btolley
- Start date
As long as the new controller is the same model as the old model, it's simply the matter of swaping the wiring to the new one. I do caution, that you should be familiar with working around electricity before attempting to DIY it.
Thanks Bama, I can shut off the electricity and replace a light switch. This doesn't look any more difficult than that. So I will give it a shot. Are there any post replacement adjustments that I need to worry about?
I think the only thing that could go wrong is switching the wires running to the actuator so it was in the opposite position. But that is easily solved by either switching the wires, or just flipping the switch on the actuator itself.
Doesn't even have an actuator currently. It seems like it would just run at the same time the main pump runs (provided the thermostat was calling for heat). Brings up another question: if both the main 1.5hp whisperflo and the 3/4hp solar booster are running at the same time, am I getting more GPH filtered?
Ah, sorry mis-read that you have a separate pump for the solar.
How is the solar plumbed? If the suction is before the filter and the return after the filter, then no it would not add any filtration.
I do have to ask, with a 1.5 HP Whisperflo, why do you need a booster for the solar? That is a much bigger pump than I use for solar ... and other use a 3/4HP pump with solar on a 2 story house. Seems like you could eliminate the power consumption of the solar pump and just use a typical solar valve setup to divert the water to the solar.
How is the solar plumbed? If the suction is before the filter and the return after the filter, then no it would not add any filtration.
I do have to ask, with a 1.5 HP Whisperflo, why do you need a booster for the solar? That is a much bigger pump than I use for solar ... and other use a 3/4HP pump with solar on a 2 story house. Seems like you could eliminate the power consumption of the solar pump and just use a typical solar valve setup to divert the water to the solar.
I guess the previous owner was pump happy. There is also a a booster for the polaris 360 and a separate water feature pump. And a really big electric bill. It looks to me like suction is before filter and return after the filter.
Pool Clown
In The Industry
Have not worked on one of those in years. I'm pretty sure i have not seen the particular application where the controller controls a pump. I would check if there is a relay that might be sticking that is causing your problem. I'm guessing said relay wouldn't be on (attached to) the controller board so you wouldn't need a new board(box), just the relay.
Solar booster with its suction before the filter inlet is bad! Any debris that get taken by the solar pump will get sent to the panels where it more than likely wont pass through and get trapped. Confirm with your pool guy and if it is like that, it should be re plumbed to after the filter.
Solar booster with its suction before the filter inlet is bad! Any debris that get taken by the solar pump will get sent to the panels where it more than likely wont pass through and get trapped. Confirm with your pool guy and if it is like that, it should be re plumbed to after the filter.