Hayward Ecostar VSP pump stalled

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VinceL

VinceL

LifeTime Supporter
Apr 28, 2012
298
Newton, NC
My Hayward Ecostar VSP pump is stalled. If I do a reset, it clicks a couple of times and then displays the stall message.

I drained the pump and pulled the basket out and then (after shutting off the power) I put my hand in the pump and was able to reach the impeller. I've read that it should "spin freely." My definition of spin freely is that, like a fan, if you give a push to a blade, the fan will spin several times. My impeller does not do that. I can push the blades and they move. I manually pushed the blades about 3/4 of a revolution. I don't know if this means the impeller is jammed or not. :confused:

I have tried cutting power to the pump for several minutes thinking the control circuit might need to reboot. I took off the cover that protects the wiring and things looked good (and dry). The display shows no sign of water leakage. I tried starting it at various speeds. I rerouted the pump output to a drain-to-waste pipe to make sure something upstream wasn't creating a lot of backpressure. I've tried switching the pump between the pool and the spa. I don't know what else to try.

From posts I have found here and elsewhere, it sounds like the 2 common problems with this pump are the motor and the drive. I am not much of a handyman when it comes to something like disassembling and reassembling a pump. The pump is 3 1/2 years old. If it is not something relatively easy to fix, I am thinking it may be best to just replace it.

Would appreciate feedback from the experts here.
 
If you can turn the impeller with your fingers, it is free. It won't quite spin like a fan blade.

This is assuming you built the pool and installed all the noted equipment at the same time...My recommendation would be to call Hayward and see if you can get them to send a warranty tech out. Technically, you would have had a three year warranty, but they will make exceptions from time to time.

IMO, if you can't get them to help you with the pump, replace it. Not that it isn't easy, it just isn't cheap.
 
Sounds like my ecostar that died about a month ago. From what I could determine from the trouble shooting that Hayward recommends it’s the drive unit that died. I’ve seen a few photos of some units that have had drive unit die and I have noticed a little burn spot right above the circle next to where the power wires connect and it says “mains”. My pump was about 4 years old. Here is a photo of mine.
 

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mikespoolfl said:
Sounds like my ecostar that died about a month ago. From what I could determine from the trouble shooting that Hayward recommends it’s the drive unit that died. I’ve seen a few photos of some units that have had drive unit die and I have noticed a little burn spot right above the circle next to where the power wires connect and it says “mains”. My pump was about 4 years old. Here is a photo of mine.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that info on your pump and the photo. I'll check mine. Did you replace the drive unit or replace the whole pump? I have read that the drive unit costs about $800 (and I have no idea what warranty you get with it).
 
Just curious but did both of you install surge protection for the pump drive? If not, it is something to think about for protecting your investment.
 
I have one on the main panel for the house and one one the sub panel for the pool.

- - - Updated - - -

Forgot about the one on the meter.
The software seemed to work ok from what I could see on the display. I also checked the impendence on the motor leads and they were either .6 or .7 ohms and no shorts to ground.
 
It's not by chance the dreaded "E64" on a hayward controller is it? (On mine, that code is a "short") - I managed to get mine running by taking the fan cover off and spinning the fan a couple times with the power turned on. The controller thought about it for a second then kicked on. They use a very simple sensorless motor control circuit on the BLDC variable speed pumps, and from what I could deduce in my lab at work is that it's only 2 wire feedback instead of all 3 legs - which can cause it to get stuck in between phases. This could theoretically cause an over-current situation. If someone can get a picture of the resistor on the ecostar BEFORE it's blown, I can tell you how to fix it.

I'd love to see some pictures of other motor controllers for the various VSP (I mean, circuit boards and the components) to see who's got the most robust setup.
 
I'm reviving this month old thread to give an update on my quest to have an operational EcoStar pump.

I contacted Hayward support and explained the symptoms. They agreed that it sounded like a problem with the drive. Even though the pump was about 5 months out of warranty, Hayward offered to ship a free replacement drive to a local Hayward service center, and I would have to pay the installation charge. Very nice of them. :D

About a week later, the local Hayward Service Center called to schedule a time to come out and replace the drive. The service tech installed the new drive, and there was a problem. The pump would start and in about 1-2 seconds it would trip the breaker. I also noticed that the configuration menu was missing at least one selection that my previous drive had and was still listed in the documentation. The missing menu choice was to set the MAX speed. The service tech called Hayward and after a long conversation, they said they would ship another drive.

The service tech mentioned that the circuit breaker (20 amp GFCI) could be going bad. I bought a replacement breaker and installed it. Same problem. :(

Fast forward to early last week. The service tech came out with another drive and installed it. Same problem with it tripping the breaker after 1-2 seconds. And, the MAX speed menu option was missing on this drive as well.

The service tech has arranged for a Hayward representative to accompany him when he comes out to my house with the next replacement drive. They are supposed to be here tomorrow.
 

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Yesterday the pool technician was at my house along with an electrician.

The electrician temporarily connected the pump to another 20 amp GFI breaker in the box (for our second pump) and had the same problem with the breaker tripping right after the pump started. He then installed a circuit breaker with no GFI and the pump ran fine. He was able to verify that the wiring from the box to the pump was not the problem. It would appear that the problem is somewhere in the motor wiring.

The service tech took the pump back to the shop and will contact Hayward for a new motor. Hopefully, Hayward will be as nice about slightly extending the warranty on the motor as they were on the drive. I am hopeful that we will have an operational pump by the end of next week.

Meanwhile, the pool continues to get greener and next week's temps are supposed to be in the 80's. :( We have stockpiled several cases of bleach. So, as soon as the pump is working we will be ready to shock.
 
The nightmare continues:mad:...

Hayward was nice enough to supply a replacement motor for our Ecostar pump. The pool technician installed the new motor and the 2nd replacement drive on the pump. He hooked it up at our pool, and we still have the same problem. :brickwall: The pump starts up and within 1-2 seconds the breaker trips. The electrician was here today. Between his first visit and today, we have tried 4 20 amp GFI breakers and they all trip. The electrician used an ammeter to measure the current. The breaker is tripping before the current gets above a couple of amps. The pump runs fine with a non-GFI breaker. So, it must be a GFI problem with voltage leaking somewhere.

The electrician ran separate wires from the GFI breaker directly to the pump, and the breaker tripped. He disconnected the remote control cable from the pump so that it was running in standalone mode with no electrical connection to the ProLogic panel, and the breaker tripped. We have a Hayward Superpump for our waterslide. It works fine with the GFI breaker that trips with the Ecostar pump.

Everything points to the problem being with the pump. It now has its second replacement drive and a new motor. I will have the pool technician see about getting a third replacement drive based on the unlikely chance that we got 2 defective replacement drives. Anybody have suggestions on what else could be the problem?

I really like the convenience of the integration of the Ecostar pump with the Prologic. But, I am close to dumping this pump. I see that Hayward has other variable speed pumps. Do they integrate with the Prologic just like the Ecostar? Are they the same size as the Ecostar (as far as connecting the pipes)? Do they have a more reliable track record than the Ecostar?
 
What are the brands of the GFCI breakers they have tried? Have they tried a Siemens QF220P?

It's the only brand that worked for me, and looks suspiciously like the Pentair branded ones they sell for use with their pumps. I passed the info to my own electrician and he has also finally resolved a similar issue with a treadmill popping all other GFCI breakers. Since it's supposedly caused by harmonics in a VSP the treadmill with same issue makes sense. Here's the thread on my original issue:

New Hayward SP3400VSP tripping GFCI breaker
 
The original breaker was a Cutler-Hammer GFCB220 which worked for 3 years with no problems. I bought a replacement breaker (same one), and it wouldn't work with the "repaired" pump. There was another CH GFCB220 breaker in the panel that is used for a Hayward Super Pump. He tested that one with the Ecostar, and it tripped. He also had a spare breaker (same CH one), and it didn't work.

So, to answer your question, all testing has been done with the CH breakers. I really don't see why the CH breaker that had worked with the Ecostar for 3 years would not work with the repaired Ecostar. And, as I mentioned, we've tried 3 other breakers.

I have sent an email to Hayward technical support about all these issues, and I did ask if there has been a design change to the Drive that would now cause GFI problems.

In case I do have to switch breakers, does the Siemens QF220P fit in the panel to replace a CH GFCB220?
 
It fits my Hayward controller distribution center so I would assume it should fit yours. It IS physically longer than others though and if on the left side will cover part of your neutral bar.

I agree though, what you had worked, but VSP are known to be sensitive and your old drive may have just got along better. Can also Google VSP and GFCI and find a lot. Pentair simply sells a breaker, which really, really looks like a rebranded Seimens. Probably worth a shot if at your local big box store and can return it if no improvement. They are a little more expensive. 10-20 more if I recall.

Edit: My heat pump and booster pump also have no issues, just the VSP. I reused my old breakers for those where I could. It seems to only be a VSP thing, and the harmonics/noise they generate.
 
Thanks for all of your feedback, NeedMoreSun.

I figure that first I'm going to try a Square-D breaker and see how it works. It is the same size as the CH breaker and won't cover the neutral bar. I just ordered one from Home Depot...nobody around here seems to stock them.

My pool is getting so disgusting that I have to do something. I just got back from Lowes where I bought a non-GFI breaker for $9. I will install it tomorrow so we can start circulating water and shocking to kill all the nasty algae. I should have the Square-D breaker by Friday, and I'll see how it works.

I usually get a response from Hayward support within 48 hours of sending them an email. So, I'll see what they say. I said they should really send someone out to my house to see the problem and get it resolved. I live only about an hour away from Hayward's tech support center.
 
The pool clean-up has begun. :D

I installed the non-GFI breaker and the pump runs fine. Unfortunately, the pool tech reversed the wires on the remote connector to the Prologic so I was getting a VSP Comm Error. A simple reverse of the wires solved that problem.

We dumped 8 1/2 bottles of bleach in the pool and a 1/2 bottle in the spa. I ran the spa to circulate the bleach and to allow the acid pump to lower the pH (it was 9.4 when I started pumping water). I have switched the pump over to the pool. It is starting with a pH of 9.5 so that acid pump is going to be busy for a while.

We are about to get hammered with a thunderstorm so I don't know if I'll get back to the pool today to check chlorine levels.

Today I received an email from Hayward tech support. After dealing with the same guy for almost 8 weeks, today he says that Hayward has found that the Siemens and Homeline breakers work best with the Ecostar because "the noise in the variable speed drive" causes other GFI breakers to trip. REALLY? He waits until now to mention this? :hammer:

If you look at the Prologic manual or inside the panel, there is a table of recommended breakers. The first one in the table is Cutler-Hammer.

I sent a reply asking if Hayward issues technical service bulletins. It would seem that if they know the breaker listed first in their documentation doesn't work, they would issue some kind of notice to dealers, installers, and service techs.

I haven't received a bill from the pool tech or electrician yet. You can be sure that I will be looking to get Hayward to cover all costs. :mad:
 
Yeah, you would think they would put it right in their manual. I found reference to it in another older post here. I then also found it on the Mike Holt electrical forums and that one stated that after weeks of going in circles Hayward support recommended the Seimens. Some VSP seem to be fine, but with known issues it seems easier to just make it clear. At least Pentair offers one under their own brand known to work.

I hope the different breaker actually works for you though, and not some other undiscovered issue!

Edit: I also wouldn't expect the documentation for their controllers to specify it. They only list what fits in the load center. However, the documentation for the Ecostar itself should at the least have a note about it.
 
I received the Homeline (Square D) GFI breaker today. I installed it, and the pump runs fine. I was a bit surprised when I opened the box and discovered that the Homeline breaker is larger than the dimensions listed on the Home Depot website. I guess it is the same size as the Siemens since it is longer than the CH breaker and does extend over the neutral bar.

All in all it has been a very disappointing experience. Hayward could have easily sorted the problem a lot sooner if they had just asked the pool tech what brand of breaker was being used. I haven't heard from the pool tech or electrician for 5 days. The last info they had was that the pump was still not working. So much for good customer follow-up. :grrrr: After getting the pump working, I had to find a properly-sized screw to attach the bonding wire to the pump since the pool tech apparently lost the screw and didn't bother to connect the bonding wire.
 

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