Pump only runs on backwash, fails / trips when pumping normally

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C

charlieTX

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LifeTime Supporter
Apr 22, 2013
68
Houston, Texas
I upgraded to a new Pentair Easy Touch board on Saturday, pretty straight forward, copied the connections from my old 3800 and the pump and heater worked first time and ran without issue for several hours on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I don't have the control panel set up in the house yet so am controlling it manually from the easy touch outside.

On Monday night something changed, and the pump started "tripping", like its trying to trip / fail, but attempting to stay on. So it goes in to a crazy cycle of start stop start stop every second until I kill the power at the breaker or disconnect the power from the board (can't turn off pump from control board in this sequence) and when I restart power, it goes back in to the failing cycle. If I leave it off for several minutes it will reset.

I've made sure the system is primed and purged air from the filter, water starts to flow initially and the problem persisted whether I used spa or pool returns, and skimmer or main drain.

I changed out the run capacitor on the pump, no difference.

I randomly tried the backwash, and the pump runs perfectly for several minutes.

So am I right to think that rules out a blockage somewhere if it backwashes ok?

Have I made a mistake on the circuit board? But it ran ok all weekend....

Thanks for the help, guys!
 
I checked the impeller for debris and found a two inch piece of bamboo, so I was very happy, thinking my problems were over and I could get on with the rest of my life.....

However, that didn't change anything.

I'm perplexed by the backwash function working fine, and the normal pump function failing.....

Does this mean it's a pressure problem, a blockage in the lines from the pool / spa to the pump?

Or is the pump motor not pulling enough water and needs to be replaced?

Thanks!!!!
 
Thanks for the rely, duraleigh.

The PSI was good, I have a 60sq ft DE filter so the PSI starts around 20.

I have backwashed and added 50 % new DE about a week ago, I sprayed the filters down in May.... I did just open the filter to see if there was anything clumped or stuck and they look pretty good, cleaner than normal....

It does look like the flow of water to the pump is slow initially, while it's priming, then the basket fills with water and starts to "gush" and then it trips and tries to restart. When it trips and the pressure drops, I do hear water gushing throughout the system....

Is there possibly too much pressure?

I've bled all the air from the filter, and when I open the air valve it runs for an extra second, so maybe there isn't enough pressure?

Which makes me think it's either a clogged line from pool / skimmer / spa (have flushed them all in both directions) or the pump motor doesn't have the power?

Or an obstruction between the pump and the filter or return lines that causes the pump to quit? But that doesn't sound plausible to me....

Although, to say it again, it backwashes no problem.....
 
Sounds like a programming issue, I don't see where you state that you completed the set-up. I've seen a couple instances where the new in box board had residual programs left on it from the factory which were never reset. Do you have your on/off problems in auto mode while backwashing in service mode? Does the pump act right in service mode? If so I'd suggest utilizing the "erase eeprom" option under the settings menu and see if that takes care of the problem. You'll need to reprogram the board again and set your schedules but this should clear out whatever is causing the issue.

GL!

EDIT: You did swap out the air/water sensors hopefully because the Compool sensors aren't compatible with the EZ-Touch board. Just a thought.
 
Thanks for the reply. I have been operating it manually in service mode because I don't have the control panel installed in the house yet. So it was working on Saturday and Sunday in SERVICE mode, and suddenly on Monday night the pump started to fail in service mode.

I'll try and erase it, thanks!

And yes I did install the new sensors.
 
Erasing the eeprom didn't change the issue. I had wondered if it was failing was caused by overriding a heat sensor issue, but as soon as I started the pump after erasing it tried to run for ten seconds, couldn't prime and then started surging and tripping.

Thanks
 
Ok, I have established it's an issue with he new EASY TOUCH CIRCUIT BOARD.

I reinstalled the old Pentair board and the pump pulls water and works no problem....

So either the new board is bad, or it is sensing air and tripping.

Feel a bit stupid for not swapping the boards back out straight away, but it had worked flawlessly all weekend.

On the upside, I've cleaned, flushed and lubed the whole system!
 
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