Intellicenter Freeze Protect Mode Malfunctioning

[markdpratt]

Hello All, I need some advice. My freeze protect on my Intellicenter seems to be malfunctioning. It worked through the sub-freezing night but this morning, I noticed my bubblers and scuppers were not runnng.

Both my remote app and main outside panel say the “Freeze Protect Active” mode is on. I have manually activated my bubbler and scupper water feature pumps from their individual pump panels and everything comes on and runs, but once I turn those off, the Freeze Protect does not run the pumps periodically even though the current temp is 26 degrees.

Suggestions on what I can do to get the Freeze Protect back active as we have another sub-freezing night forecast for tonight.

Thank you.

 

[ajw22]

Reboot the IntelliCenter panel to reset things.

Your water feature pumps should run the entire time Freeze Protection is on, not periodically during that time.

 

[markdpratt]

Allen, I rebooted the panel and that did not help. We had two power blips last night - maybe that upset things? I also reset the panel with no change. I also checked for the latest firmware and I am up to date.

Other suggestions?

 

[Newdude]

It seems that there are a couple of freeze protect blips this year. Whether it's power issues or software hiccups, I'd feel more comfortable manually running all night. At worst I'd be out some electricity and I wouldn't have any busted pipes.

 

[ajw22]

Your IntelliCenter says freeze mode is active.

Is the IC turning on your filter pump in freeze mode?

Did you check that Freeze Mode is enabled for both feature pump circuits?

 

[markdpratt]

Thanks for the help guys. I actually normally run my filter pump 24 hours per day but, today, the IC has turned the filter pump off several times I’ve noticed.

Is there an easy way to turn off the Freeze Protect and, like Newdude suggested, just run all 3 pumps all night long?

 

[ajw22]

You need to go through the configuration and disable freeze protection for the circuits.

 

[markdpratt]

Thanks. I just did that and disabled Freeze Protection on all 3 pumps and have them running full time until after the freezing weather.

By the way, all 3 had Freeze Protection enabled before I disabled them. Any ideas of what I can do after the freezing weather to troubleshoot? If not, I’ll call my pool maintenance guys.

 

[Newdude]

Any ideas of what I can do after the freezing weather to troubleshoot?

I built a simple pool so I am my own intellicenter.

*It is a 'dumb device'

*I disable it with Miller Lites.

 

[ajw22]

By the way, all 3 had Freeze Protection enabled before I disabled them. Any ideas of what I can do after the freezing weather to troubleshoot? If not, I’ll call my pool maintenance guys.

Freeze Protection is a black box that Pentair does not explain how it works other than enable it and let it do its thing.

Your pool maintenance guys will be of no help.

If you want to dig into it call Pentair Support directly and talk with them and open up a case and escalate it as necessary until you get satisfaction.

 

[markdpratt]

Good idea Newdude on me being my own intellicenter! Allen, I really have no desire to spend hours on the phone or on-line with Pentair.

My concern was, when out of town for days or a week at a time in the winter, being protected. And we have very few sub-freezing days here in south Louisiana. I just realized (duh!) that I can change all the pump settings on-line through my Intellicenter app on my iPhone or iPad. So I will be the freeze protection and have someone come by every few days to empty the skimmers, etc. when we are out of town,

Thanks again for the help.

 

[markdpratt]

Good idea Newdude on me being my own intellicenter! Allen, I really have no desire to spend hours on the phone or on-line with Pentair.

My concern was, when out of town for days or a week at a time in the winter, being protected. And we have very few sub-freezing days here in south Louisiana. I just realized (duh!) that I can change all the pump settings on-line through my Intellicenter app on my iPhone or iPad. So I will be the freeze protection and have someone come by every few days to empty the skimmers, etc. when we are out of town,

Thanks again for the help.

Guys, I’m still having issues with my Intellicenter automation system. As mentioned earlier, I disabled Freeze Protection on my filter pump and both of my
water feature pumps (bubbler and scuppers) and ran all 3 pumps all night.

I was up early this morning and noticed my bubblers were off (even though showing they were “ON” on my Intellicenter app).

I rebooted the panel and the only way I could get the feature pumps to come on was at their respective pump panels.

I can turn the filter pump ON and OFF from my app with no problems and can turn the two feature pumps OFF with the app but cannot turn them back ON. I have to go out to their respective pump panels to turn them back ON.

Any suggestions to how to correct this issue?

 

[ajw22]

Are the feature pumps wired to continuous power?

Do the pump control panels show “Display Not Active”?

If the pump control panel turns the pump on then you lost the RS-485 control to the pump.

 

[ajw22]

There seem to be enough reports here of Superflo VS pumps stopping in the cold that I am concluding the pump electronics have issues when it gets cold soaked.

Pentair Superflo VS stops operating in freezing temps

I've noticed a few times now that my Pentair Superflo VS will quit operating during freezing temperatures. There's no external freeze protector type of hardware and the pump is wired directly to the equipment pad subpanel (no automation center, etc.). During previous freezes, I've only noticed...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[markdpratt]

I must have lost RS-485 power to both pumps. I cannot start the pumps remotely by the app or by the main panel. When I press the main panel button for each feature, I hear “clicks” but the pumps don’t start but the pump panel lights come on. I can then go to the pump panels and press one of the preset speed buttons and the pump (s) will come on. When I then stop the pumps using either the main panel or the iPhone app, the pump panels go completely blank after a few seconds and I have to repeat the process above to activate the pumps. (see photos) Also note the “External Control Only” led is not lit on either pump which, I assume, shows the loss of the RS-485 control?

 

[ajw22]

If the pump display goes blank when you turn the pump off in the IntelliCenter it says the pump power is connected through a relay and is not continuous power. That should be changed so the pump is always powered and controlled by the RS-485 commands only.

 

[markdpratt]

If the pump display goes blank when you turn the pump off in the IntelliCenter it says the pump power is connected through a relay and is not continuous power. That should be changed so the pump is always powered and controlled by the RS-485 commands only.

How easy is it to change the wiring so that the pump is always powered and controlled by the RS-485 commands only? I can do basic wiring but that’s about it. If I ask my PB service technician to do this, should he understand what I mean?
This is the first time I’ve had this issue. You think the cold weather triggered it? We did have the power blink two nights ago but never lost power. Thanks.

 

[ajw22]

If you know how to put wires under screws or wirenut wires together then it is pretty easy.

I have no idea what your pool guy understands.

Open up your panel and show us the high voltage wiring.

Identify the pump wiring and which AUX relay it is wired to.

 

[markdpratt]

Here are the photos of the high voltage wiring and the opened up Control Panel. The breakers for the bubbler and the scupper water feature are the second and third breaker from the top. Does this provide what you need?

 

[ajw22]

Connect each of the two circled wires together either by putting two wires under one screw or removing the wires and wire nutting them together to free up the relay.

You could also connect the pump wires on the LOAD screws directly to the CBs and remove the other wire.

Turn off all CBs before working in the panel.