Pool Pump Possibly Dead?

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lasvegas1976

Gold Supporter
Oct 19, 2022
98
Las Vegas
I happened to go by the backyard earlier and noticed that all of the pool equipment was off.

I went to the main breaker box and noticed the pool equipment pool breaker was flipped.

I flipped it back on, everything went back on except for the pump. The display is off - a Pentair Intelliflo VS pump.

I had it installed around 2016-2017 and already had the panel replaced, under warranty, a few years back when something in there burned out.

The breaker by the pump itself I think is fine, because the pool light is also connected to that breaker and the pool light turns on and off with no issues.

How to determine if the panel need replacing, motor or the entire pump itself?

I checked my cameras and the pump went on this morning as scheduled (the rover and jets were moving), but everything stopped moving after 15 minutes, which is probably when everything shorted.

Obviously have to get a pro out here to take a look, but I don't want to get told to get a brand new pump if it's not necessary.
 
You said the breaker was "flipped".
Do you mean "tripped"?

With my crew, we use the term flipped to designate when someone turned it off on purpose, and tripped to mean an unexpected event.

Assuming you meant tripped, the next thing we need to know is if you have an automation panel or if it's a basic timer with breakers.

We need to know how far the high voltage is getting. Where the power stops, the problem starts.

If you confirm voltage is arriving at the pump, it is possible your drive has failed. This can happen for many reasons, usually due to poor contact with the terminals inside the drive causing arcing and melting the contacts.

Do you have a multimeter? Proving voltage at your pump is easy if you have this tool.
 
bradgray said:
You said the breaker was "flipped".
Do you mean "tripped"?

With my crew, we use the term flipped to designate when someone turned it off on purpose, and tripped to mean an unexpected event.

Assuming you meant tripped, the next thing we need to know is if you have an automation panel or if it's a basic timer with breakers.

We need to know how far the high voltage is getting. Where the power stops, the problem starts.

If you confirm voltage is arriving at the pump, it is possible your drive has failed. This can happen for many reasons, usually due to poor contact with the terminals inside the drive causing arcing and melting the contacts.

Do you have a multimeter? Proving voltage at your pump is easy if you have this tool.
Click to expand...

I meant to say tripped. The main breaker in the box was tripped. The breaker box with timer, by the pump, seems to be fine because the pool light is connected to that and the pool light turns on and off. When I put the main breaker back on, everything came back on, like the pool heater, but the pump had zero display.

Back in 2019 I had to replace that entire panel because something in there shorted and some of wiring was actually melted inside. Luckily warranty covered it, but won't be the case this time.
 
Jimrahbe said:
1976,

Is your IntelliFlo VS pump, a standalone pump, or is it being controlled by an automation system?

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
This is what it looks like out here. The timer box is ticking away so I know it has power, and that bottom breaker also controls the pool light, which has power. I called an electrician that I use and he said "without looking at it, I think your problem is with the pump."
 

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1976,

Ok, based on the pics your pump is not being controlled by an automation system...

What is the timer for???

Most likely the pump's control panel is bad...

But... the IntelliFlo uses 240 Volts AC.. It is possible that you have lost one phase of the 240, giving you only 120 Volts AC. Your lights would work, but the pump would not.

I'd certainly want to know the voltage right at the pump, before I would even think about replacing the pump, or the pump's control panel. Worth the 10 minutes it would take to make sure the pump is actually getting 240 Volts AC.

Keep in mind that you always need to test between the two hot leads (L1 and L2) when testing for 240, you never test L1 to ground and then L2 to ground as that can give you a false reading.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
1976,

Ok, based on the pics your pump is not being controlled by an automation system...

What is the timer for???

Most likely the pump's control panel is bad...

But... the IntelliFlo uses 240 Volts AC.. It is possible that you have lost one phase of the 240, giving you only 120 Volts AC. Your lights would work, but the pump would not.

I'd certainly want to know the voltage right at the pump, before I would even think about replacing the pump, or the pump's control panel. Worth the 10 minutes it would take to make sure the pump is actually getting 240 Volts AC.

Keep in mind that you always need to test between the two hot leads (L1 and L2) when testing for 240, you never test L1 to ground and then L2 to ground as that can give you a false reading.

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
I'm not entirely sure what that timer is for. But I know when I turned the breaker off to the pool pump (when I did a remodel earlier this year), that timer turned the breaker back and the pump back on. I had to shut off the pool's breaker at the main box to turn it off.

Do most pool techs who replace these pumps have the tools to test the voltage first, to narrow down the problem?

If it did lose the voltage, would that cause the main pool breaker to trip? I would assume it would just turn the pump off, no?
 
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1976,

No telling what caused the breaker to trip, but when you turn the breaker back on, it is possible that only half of the breaker reset.

My guess is the pump is bad, but there is a slight chance the pump is only getting 120 instead of 240.

Any decent tech will have a voltmeter, so they can test the AC power going to the pump.

I guess my point is that if you can't test it yourself, then ask the tech to test it while you watch...

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
My guess is the pump is bad, but there is a slight chance the pump is only getting 120 instead of 240.
Jimrahbe said:
1976,

No telling what caused the breaker to trip, but when you turn the breaker back on, it is possible that only half of the breaker reset.

My guess is the pump is bad, but there is a slight chance the pump is only getting 120 instead of 240.

Any decent tech will have a voltmeter, so they can test the AC power going to the pump.

I guess my point is that if you can't test it yourself, then ask the tech to test it while you watch...

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
I have the same feeling. The panel was fried in 2019. No breaker tripping but the same issue where it never turned on and display was blank. Pentair sent a tech who opened panel and saw that it was fried with melted wires inside. Warranty paid for the damage that time around. I believe my pool guy has the pump set to run around 7-8 hours a day, is that too much? That's how it's been running since the April remodel, but before that it was running 12 hours a day due to water issues (prior homeowner was painting the pool instead of replastering and it made water cloudy unless extra pump use). I wonder if it just wore out.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
1976,

I have three pools and each pool has an IntelliFlo..

They all run 24/7 at 1200 RPM, most of the time..

The oldest pump is over 11 years old the the newest is over 9 years old..

They all work today just like the day I bought them...

So no, I don't think you wore your pump out... :mrgreen:

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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You can also just remove those 4 corner screws on the drive (what you call a panel) and take a quick look at the terminals inside.

If they are melted, you know you need a new drive. No testing necessary.

If however, everything appears normal, then the voltage test is needed to confirm you have 240 across both phases like Jim said.

If the drive has failed, you're better off with a new pump. Drives are around $1K.
 
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A tech came by, the tested the electric and that appeared to be fine.

They then removed the front panel and everything inside seemed fine, so they connected a brand new panel and it still refused to turn on (nothing on the display). All of the other pool equipment works fine.

As @bradgray stated above, they told me it's likely the drive and they advised me that it's cheaper just to get a whole new pump instead of replacing the drive.

They want to go with a high-end Jandy instead of another Pentrair, not sure what everyone's thoughts are on the Jandy. I know Jandy has an extra year of warranty, so that's a plus.
 
1976,

The Pentair IntelliFlo is considered to be the Gold Standard of pool pumps... Many Jandy systems use the IntelliFlo pumps instead of their own.

I suspect your installer gets 'credits' for Jandy sales.. I doubt he is thinking of you.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
lasvegas1976 said:
A tech came by, the tested the electric and that appeared to be fine.

They then removed the front panel and everything inside seemed fine, so they connected a brand new panel and it still refused to turn on (nothing on the display). All of the other pool equipment works fine.

As @bradgray stated above, they told me it's likely the drive and they advised me that it's cheaper just to get a whole new pump instead of replacing the drive.

They want to go with a high-end Jandy instead of another Pentrair, not sure what everyone's thoughts are on the Jandy. I know Jandy has an extra year of warranty, so that's a plus.
Click to expand...
I am not a fan of Jandy equipment. Reasons abound.

My advice is to stick with Pentair. You can go with a cheaper Whisperflo VS and it would be a drop-in. Or you can find an IntellifloVSF which is what you currently have. Both can be purchased online.
Your tech is likely to provide you with an Intelliflo3 if you have him do it, because that's what his supply house will carry. This model will require you to install the Pentair Home app, which is actually well-designed compared to previous Pentair apps. You could also theoretically add components like a salt system etc onto this pump with the I/O add-ons etc. So upgrade options exist in the future if you wanted that option.
 
bradgray said:
I am not a fan of Jandy equipment. Reasons abound.

My advice is to stick with Pentair. You can go with a cheaper Whisperflo VS and it would be a drop-in. Or you can find an IntellifloVSF which is what you currently have. Both can be purchased online.
Your tech is likely to provide you with an Intelliflo3 if you have him do it, because that's what his supply house will carry. This model will require you to install the Pentair Home app, which is actually well-designed compared to previous Pentair apps. You could also theoretically add components like a salt system etc onto this pump with the I/O add-ons etc. So upgrade options exist in the future if you wanted that option.
Click to expand...
This is the one that was pitched - although they said it would be an upgraded dealer version that has 2.85 HP

Jandy Variable Speed Pump 2.7 HP: Most Powerful Pool Pump | Jandy

Looking for a Jandy Variable Speed Pump 2.7 HP? This is the Most Powerful Pool Pump to bring the Perfect Pool Experience. Buy Now w/ a Pool Pro Near you!
www.jandy.com www.jandy.com
 
New pump installed. IntelliFlo3 VSF.

Touch screen, app that allows me to control with phone, bluetooth.

I'm a very impressed with the tech improvement from the last one.
 

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