Wiring for Intelliflo VS + RS Aqualink + booster pump

[generessler]

Hi all. Need help with the right way to improve wiring of my new VSP. The story...

With great help here, I replaced our old 1.5 hp Whisperflo with Intelliflo VS. In the RS Aqualink box, the old pump was wired with a single 20A GFCI breaker and relay for the Whisperflo, the SWG, and the Polaris cleaner booster pump. (The booster has a second relay in series.) So all three were on the same breaker.

That worked fine for 2 years with the Whisperflo. Because the Intelliflo needs continuous power, I just moved its feed wires from the load side of the relay to the supply side and left everything else the same. I configured the max speed of the Intelliflo so it should never draw more power than the old setup.

All was perfect for almost a month. Then while on vacation far, far away, the breaker tripped. I could see this with the iAquaLink app. About 3 weeks after we got back, it tripped again. Both seemed completely random. The second time when I was around to see it, the booster pump wasn't running. The SWG was on a 20% cycle. The VSP was drawing 950W. At 220v that's under 5A. (The Whisperflow data plate says 9.8A.)

So I'm thinking it's not a current problem. GFCI is doing the tripping. (Is there a way to tell for sure?)

Since then I found TFP articles saying weird GCFI tripping is a known issue with a few Intelliflo installations. One advice is to use the special Pentaire breaker ($120; yikes). Another is put the VSP on its own breaker, though the Intelliflo manual says keep the SWG on the same one.

Okay. I gritted my teeth and sprang for the Pentair breaker.

So my question is whether to keep the current wiring and just swap the new breaker in. Or find a way to add the new breaker, alongside the old one, and split the feeds somehow.

Splitting seemed like a good idea until I tried to work out the details. Both SWG and booster pump will fry if the VSP breaker ever trips again, while their own breaker doesn't (why should it?), and the automation doesn't turn them off (again, why should it?).

Well... The SWG might be okay because it has a flow sensor. But this guy's booster did burn up.

So here I am again looking for any and all advice and ideas.

At present I'm thinking just do the swap and see if the problem goes away, but I'm not sure. I would really like to not have another vacation with visions of the pool turning green dancing in my head... Cheers.

 

[ajw22]

Most foolproof way is to leave all three devices on one CB.

However I don’t like two pumps on one CB. CBs are not digital devices and inductive loads from motors is not as simple as adding up amps and saying it is good.

The Aqualink should see that the RS-485 communication with the pump disappeared if the
IntelliFlo pump CB trips and not turn on the CLEANER circuit. But I don’t know if Jandy was that smart.

I think your choices are to replace the breaker with your existing wiring.

Or put in the new breaker with the IntelliFlo and SWG and put the booster pump on a separate breaker. Then test what the Aqualink does if you flip the IntelliFlo breaker off. Will it turn on the CLEANER circuit and booster pump?

 

[generessler]

Thanks! Yes I totally get the point about inductive loads and not wanting two pumps on the same breaker. Of course the SWG has a big transformer. That's also inductive, but probably better-behaved than a motor.

Great point on AquaLink maybe knowing how to deal with this. I think I can check to see if "Jandy was that smart" without wiring a separate breaker. Just turn off the current pump breaker and see if the booster pump relay is still closed. If not, we're in business.

 

[1poolman1]

A booster and filter pump are regularly used on a single 20a double-pole breaker, even a GFCB, with no issue. No, the Aqualink is not that smart. May want to put the SWG on its own breaker.

 

[generessler]

I'm thinking that I can use separate breakers for the two pumps by adding a relay something like this with the controlling side powered by the filter pump circuit and the controlled side in series with the normal booster pump relay.

This relay is the same form factor as all the others in the box. A couple are unused. I'd remove one to make a space.

What do you guys think?

 

[generessler]

Okay. That relay was back-ordered everywhere since June. This form factor matches the existing ones perfectly. I have one AUX slot not being used, so have been hoping to put it there.

I did finally find the same relay except with push-on instead of screw terminals.

Here's the kicker. The pump ran fine for 6 weeks. Then out of the blue it tripped again. Reset, and a week later we had a 5 second outage and it tripped again.

So time to get this done. Here is the way it looks now. 220vac is entering at the upper left.



Here is what I think ought to work. Same except the booster has its own breaker, and the middle relay - the new one - won't let the booster run unless the filter pump has juice.

Does this look right to you all? THANKS as always...

 

[ajw22]

Looks good.

Do you have a link to the relay you ended up using?

 

[generessler]

Thanks for having a look. I actually got two. This one has correct base mount to match the other relays, but the wrong terminal type. This other has the right terminals but a different base. (The picture is not right.) Sigh.... I'll make one work and send the other back.

 

[generessler]

I finally got to do this work. The original diagram left out the heater, which is just in parallel with the SWG, so not a big difference.

For reference in case anyone else is contemplating something similar....


Turned out there was a blank space for the new relay. Bottom row, second from left. I got to clean up the box a little. Now it only looks like half a rat's nest . The only unplanned item was that the super-special $130 Penataire VSP breaker is a giant and would not go in the spot I planned because the neutral bar interfered. So it's upper right instead of left.



If any eagle eyes see problems, please lmk, but it seems working as intended. That is, everything is the same. If I trip the new pump breaker and the booster is running, both of them turn off.

Thanks as always for the help.