How to set up Pentair app for new Intelliflo3?

[djdonte]

I got my 3hp Intelliflo all hooked up. Really cool how I can control it thru wifi without automation. I have my SWG wired to the relay board as well.

Anyway, for pump speed the app only has flow (gpm) and percent speed, no RPM. I frequently see people on here refer to RPM for pump speed. What are you guys running it at? I was thinking 20 percent 24 hours a day? My SWG still sees flow at 10 percent but not sure which direction to go.

I still have a suction cleaner, so I'm going to have it ramp up to 100 percent 1-2 hours a day until I fork up for a robot. My MX-8 seems to only run reliably at full speed so far. I also have my RJ-30 set at 35 percent for now, as that should give me the same FC as running my old pump for 8 hours at 75 percent. Right now chlorine demand is not high, but once it gets hotter I need about 4 FC per day.

Lastly, is it normal for the pump basket to not be full when its running low speed? It runs full speed when starting up to prime I presume, but I went back there after a while at 10 percent speed the pump was not all the way full of water up to the plastic cover. I dont have any suction leaks that I know of. My 20 year old Jandy valve before the pump was a little touchy so I replaced all the O rings while doing the pump install.

 

[PoolStored]

Lastly, is it normal for the pump basket to not be full when its running low speed?

Yes, but not that much. You could have a suction side leak.
Bubble will grow faster with a dirty filter. (Clean your filter).
Run high for a short period a day to clear the bubble.

Anyway, air in the pump basket on low speed is usually caused by one of two issues.

1) Pump lid leak. Sometimes pump basket lids will seal better at higher RPM than lower RPM because the pressure in the pump basket is lower at higher RPM.

2) Outgassing. The pressure in the pump basket is lower than atmospheric so dissolved gasses in the water can come out of solution. The lower the pressure, the more outgassing that will occur. However, at higher RPM/flow rates, any dissolved air that comes out of solution will quickly get taken out of the pump basket because of the higher flow rate. If the RPM is low enough so the flow rate is lower than the rate at which air rises in the pump basket, the air will remain in the pump basket.

There is nothing you can do about #2 but for #1, lubing the pump lid seals and drain plug gaskets can sometimes improve the problem. Use a silicone LUBRICANT, like Magic Lube II.

Did you lube them when you installed?

 

[djdonte]

The filter cartridges are brand new and I did lube the union and lid gaskets with magic lube. I just installed the pump last night, but I'll keep an eye on it and maybe set the program to ramp up speed every once in a while. Thanks for the insight.

What speed do you suggest I run the pump at 24/7?

 

[PoolStored]

What speed do you suggest I run the pump at 24/7?

Lower the RPM until the no-flow light comes on. Add at least 200 RPM. Check your skimming action. If it is good, run there. If you need more skimming, then raise RPM until you get good skimming and run there. Or run 200RPM over flow light for the most of the day, then run it up for an hour or two to get enough skimming.

I have a solar cover, so skimming isn't really a thing for me, 1400 works great 24/7 to filter and make FC.

Lots of ways to run.

 

[ajw22]

For whatever reason Pentair choose to dumb things down thinking customers cannot deal with big numbers. It must be part of the new math teaching.

Maximum RPM of the Intelliflo3 is 3450 RPM. Call it 3500 and 1% is 35 RPM.

50% is 1750 RPM.

You can calculate your % when you hear RPM references.

There is no energy saving running below about 1200 RPM or 35% to you.

 

[djdonte]

The app doesnt give RPM, only percent speed and flow rate. The SWG flow switch works at 10 percent.

Ok so I'll do 35 percent all day I guess. Dumb question but how do I check skimmer action? Just look to see if debris are actively getting stuck in there?

 

[ajw22]

Dumb question but how do I check skimmer action? Just look to see if debris are actively getting stuck in there?

Yup. My pump runs at 1400 RPM and my cleaner runs at 2400 RPM for two hours a day which gets my skimmers working well.

 

[HermanTX]

The app doesnt give RPM, only percent speed and flow rate. The SWG flow switch works at 10 percent.

Ok so I'll do 35 percent all day I guess. Dumb question but how do I check skimmer action? Just look to see if debris are actively getting stuck in there?

Quick reference for you on % Setting to get RPM
3450 100%
3105 90%
2760 80%
2415 70%
2070 60%
1725 50%
1380 40%
1035 30%
690 20%
345. 10%

I run at minimum speed to activate my SWCG then once a day I ramp up for skimming speed. BTW, I have a skimmer robot (Betta) so I do not need to run that often at a higher speed to skim.

 

[djdonte]

Thanks. I guess I do have a suction leak. The pump fills with air after 30-40 min running at 35 percent. I re lubed the strainer o ring and the drain plugs. I also ran water from a hose all over the plumbing to see if the bubbles stopped but nothing. I’m at a loss. The pump doesn’t fill with air at full speed. Maybe I always had a leak but it’s only apparent now that I have a pump running at lower speed? Any ideas? This is what the pump looks like at full speed.

 

[ajw22]

The pump basket does not stay full at low speeds with VS pumps.

You are fine as long as the pump does not lose prime at low speeds and the air bubble is cleared at high speeds.

Schedule the pump to run for about 20 minutes at a high speed daily to purge the pump basket bubble.

 

[PoolStored]

I did lube the union and lid gaskets with magic lube

Did you lube the drain plug o-rings?

It also may be time to rebuild your diverters on the suction side...oh, yeah, lube them if you rebuild them...and don't use a drill driver on the screws...manual screwdriver only...

Amazon.com

 

[djdonte]

Yes I did remove and lube the drain plugs. One of my Jandy valves is only a few years old, maybe I should rebuild it too? The very old one before my pump, I did rebuild it. It does have some cracking at the screw holes from someone using power tools on it, but as far as I can tell its not leaking. I ran a hose all over the place and did not see a change in the pump basket. Not sure how else to track down a suction leak.

I thought about replacing the older valve body when doing the pump install, but would be a massive undertaking, likely requiring me to dig pipe up since the PB left me no spare room.

 

[ajw22]

Yes I did remove and lube the drain plugs. One of my Jandy valves is only a few years old, maybe I should rebuild it too? The very old one before my pump, I did rebuild it. It does have some cracking at the screw holes from someone using power tools on it, but as far as I can tell its not leaking. I ran a hose all over the place and did not see a change in the pump basket. Not sure how else to track down a suction leak.

I thought about replacing the older valve body when doing the pump install, but would be a massive undertaking, likely requiring me to dig pipe up since the PB left me no spare room.

Wrap the valves with Saran Wrap that will seal any suction leak.

If you get less bubbles in the pump then unwrap one valve at a time to find the problem.

 

[djdonte]

Here’s some videos of what my pump looks like. Pay attention to the three way valve before the pump. I’m getting some small bubbles out of one of the returns.

Is this normal? This is my first experience with a VS pump. I did not have these problems with my single speed and do not have problems with my pump on full speed so I’m confused. Look at the middle video how the bubbles come real bad when I divert suction to my robot with the 3 way valve.

I ran the hose all over everything on the suction side again and couldn’t see any change in the bubbles.

 

[ajw22]

They all look normal to me.

As long as the pump is not running dry then it is ok.

You may have a small air leak somewhere, but you can live with it, and many systems are not perfect.

 

[djdonte]

Thanks for the reply. When you say air leak, you mean suction side? So the bubbles aren’t a huge deal? When I got those with a single speed it meant my pump was losing prime.

The only thing I have tried is removing the suction cleaner. When the hoses get old you can hear them leaking at the connectors, but these hoses are all OEM and new. The Amazon knock off zodiac hoses all leaked.
EDIT - Haven’t tried I meant.

 

[ajw22]

When you say air leak, you mean suction side?

Yup

So the bubbles aren’t a huge deal?

Correct.

When I got those with a single speed it meant my pump was losing prime.

Either the pump loses prime, or it doesn't. Losing prime means the pump is sucking air, not water.

The only thing I have tried is removing the suction cleaner. When the hoses get old you can hear them leaking at the connectors, but these hoses are all OEM and new. The Amazon knock off zodiac hoses all leaked.

That could be the source of the air. I don't use a suction cleaner.

 

[djdonte]

I should add the only time my single speed lost prime was a clogged skimmer or a suction cleaner hose that came loose. In 5 years it’s never had issues about air without an outside factor like that. Wierd. Thanks for the help. I’m going to keep an eye on it and see about find any leaks. I have it running full speed 1 hour a day for the suction cleaner until I get a robot.

 

[HermanTX]

Look at the middle video how the bubbles come real bad when I divert suction to my robot with the 3 way valve.

I think you answered your own question. If the most air comes when you closed off the pool skimmer/drain and opened up the suction side cleaner, then there is either air in the hoses that has not cleared or there is a hole or slit somewhere in the hoses connected to the robot cleaner. If the pump basket is not completely filled with air then there is no damage to the pump.
You may want to completely move to full open suction on the cleaner and see if clears after some time or if you run at a slightly higher speed does that reduce the amount of bubbles.

 

[djdonte]

The bubbles get bad like that no matter which way I turn that 3 way and the pumps gets louder, so I am wondering if I am restricting the flow too much. I am going to try running it with the cleaner off and all the suction diverted to the skimmers.

I woke up today to check the amount of air in the strainer and the pump was off, yet the program should have had it running. I had a “manual” program running per the app, yet the pump was not running. Shouldn't a manual program just keep going forever until I stop it? If not will a scheduled program 12A to 12P 7 days a week have my pump running 24/7?