Intellicenter + Intelliflo3. Everything works, but I don't believe it's wired correctly

dandannoodles

Active member
Jun 30, 2020
44
Southern California
Pool Size
11000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I went to connect my IC40 SWG today and was confused when I saw the wiring from the PB/electrician. It took me awhile to figure everything out and for the most part it seems to make sense except for how the Intelliflo3 pump is wired to the relay. I attached an image showing the wiring of the relay for the main filter pump. Unfortunately the electrician used red wire for everything. He also has my booster pump on my main filter relay (not his fault, the booster pump was originally going to be used as my filter pump and we switched it mid job.)

But for some reason, the electrician has the breaker powering the LOAD terminals (#2 and #4) on the relay. The Intellicenter article here says this is a common mistake, but doesn't really expand on this. Terminals #1 and #3, which would typically be energized are NOT connected to the breaker. I That said, everything works. I can turn the pump on and off, I have control of the Intelliflo, pool lights all work (aux #1-3), landscape lighting (aux #6 and 7) also works and can be controlled by the Intellicenter.

Can someone advise me what to do next? Since everything is working, should I not mess with it? Can someone explain WHY the electrician wired it this way? Finally, will my IC40 work the way it is wired? It seems to me that the line and load terminals on the relay are reversed, and indeed, you can see in the photo below that the yellow and white wires from the SWG transformer are going to the LINE side terminals (where they should typically go to the LOAD side terminals, #2 and #4.) So, should I just connect the 4 pin SWG power cable and give it a shot? Or do I need to fix this wiring before firing up the SWG?

Thanks!
 

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Your electrician did not use GFCI CBs as the NEC requires for your pumps and gas heater.

You should use the Siemens QPF220AP or Pentair GFCI CB that does not false trip with VS pumps.


Electrically it makes no difference which screws are LINE or LOAD. It just becomes confusing when you go to work on a panel that was not wired following standards. Your panel will work fine wired this way.

I would be more concerned about the lack of GFCI protection then the unconventional wiring and relay sequence.
 
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Your electrician did not use GFCI CBs as the NEC requires for your pumps and gas heater.

You should use the Siemens QPF220AP or Pentair GFCI CB that does not false trip with VS pumps.


Electrically it makes no difference which screws are LINE or LOAD. It just becomes confusing when you go to work on a panel that was not wired following standards. Your panel will work fine wired this way.

I would be more concerned about the lack of GFCI protection then the unconventional wiring and relay sequence.
Ok thanks for that. I can swap out the breakers for GFCI ones. Both double pole breakers. The others are hooked up to GFCI outlets for the low voltage, so those breakers are ok, yes?
 

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I don’t see the GFCI for the lights you are asking about.
 
I don’t see the GFCI for the lights you are asking about.
It looks like what I presume are the light relays are powered off of the gfci outlet below the load center. The white from the transformer whip appears to go to the wire nut with other neutrals that then loops back down into the conduit headed to the outlet and it looks like the red from said conduit lands on the #2 relay with a loop to #3 and #4 and load side going back to the transformer whip. Why you'd do that when you could have installed the convenience outlet in the load center I don't know.
 
Yeah, I was looking for a GFCI outlet on the lower right side of the cabinet.

That electrician did his own thing and ignored the Pentair conventions.
 

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The receptacles the relays are wired to are GFCI, right?
I can’t say what the receptacles are wired to without seeing and tracing the wires.

Get a GFCI outlet tester and you can test if the receptacle is properly wired.
 
I can’t say what the receptacles are wired to without seeing and tracing the wires.

Get a GFCI outlet tester and you can test if the receptacle is properly wired.

 
I asked him why he wasn't using the punch out in the panel and he just said he preferred not to 🤷‍♂️
I would have told him the person paying his bill prefers things are done the way Pentair intended them to be done.
 
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I have not connected to power to the SWG yet... Wondering if I should just connect it and see what happens
Hard to tell which relay they wired as the Pump/Filter relay. But the SWCG transformer should be wired to its Load side. The diagram on the door is what should be followed.
 
Hard to tell which relay they wired as the Pump/Filter relay. But the SWCG transformer should be wired to its Load side. The diagram on the door is what should be followed.
He can change the wiring or change the diagram to reflect what the rogue electrician did.
 
He can change the wiring or change the diagram to reflect what the rogue electrician did.
Scary thing is, looking at the relays, the only thing consistent is the inconsistencies 😳

Edit - looking closer, it appears only the relay with the swg transformer has line and load reversed from conventions.
 

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