Intellicomm II --> Compool 3600

[SoCalGuy]

Hello all,

Anybody have experience with an Intellicomm II and a Compool controller?

I'm having trouble understanding how to connect the Intellicomm relays to the controller. The instructions aren't clear.

By way of background, we bought and installed an Intelliflo filter pump a couple of months ago after our trusty 15 year-old Whisperflo kicked the bucket. The filter is for both the pool and an attached spillover spa.

After buying the Intelliflo pump, I found out that they can't be operated remotely without an "Intellicom II" adapter.

I've now installed the Intellicomm II adapter. It powers up. I'm just having trouble figuring out how to connect the relays. It comes with four sets of 2-pin wires to connect to the Compool power board. The Compool power board has six connections. They all have 2-pin connectors already in them. One is labeled "FILTER", the rest just say "AUX".

Seems clear enough ... but if I substitute the Intellicom 2-pin wire for the existing wire to the "FILTER", the filter doesn't work.

What gives?

And my more basic question is: Why is the Intellicomm thing even needed? Can't I just program the Compool controller so that the filter is "ON" all the time, then separately program a cleaning schedule into the Intelliflo filter?

Pools. Sheesh. Thanks in advance.

 

[Jimrahbe]

SCG,

Most automation systems are designed to only use their brand of pumps... So, the IntelliFlo was designed to be operated from an EasyTouch, etc..

The adapter takes discrete inputs from your controller and lets you select one preprogrammed pump speed for each relay that you use.

I assume the CompPool has relays that normally control things like the pool light, etc. So if you want to use AUX1 to control one speed, then instead of plugging the Aux1 relay into your main CompPool PCB, you would plug in one of the four relay inputs from adapter.

The adapter takes your discrete inputs and sends a command to the IntelliFlo to run a preset speed that you have programmed into the pump.

I agree that it is a poor work around and just one reason why we always recommend using the same brand of pump as your automation if at all possible.

You do not have to use all four inputs to the adapter.

A lot of people just run the pump using the internal controller and don't try to control it with automation.

I'm puzzled by your comment that if you use the CompPool output marked "filter" that your filter will no longer works. That output has nothing to do with the actual filter itself, it just turns on the "Filter pump" which is now your IntelliFlo.

I'm not familiar with the CompPool system, but most automation systems have one relay that is called the Pump/Filter relay and then a number of Aux relays, AUX1, Aux2, etc.

Not sure that I helped at all, but that is about the best I can do..

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[CA92807]

I control my Intellifow with my 20+ year old Jandy Ji8000 and an IntelliComm II interface. Works great.

I wanted 3 pump speeds for:


Normal filtering
High speed for backwash
The PoolCleaner suction cleaner


The Ji8000 has both Hi & Low speed modes for a conventional pump, so I wired the 220 volt side of these relays in parallel so either mode will power on the pump. I checked with Pentair and they confirmed no problem with removing the power to the pump to shut it down. The only loss is freeze protection, not an issue for me.

The pump's RS485 interface connects to the IntelliComm II. I wired the low voltage side of the Ji8000 relay connectors (Hi, Low and Cleaner) to three of the Intellicomm ports. When a relay goes active, the pump receives 220V power and an activation for one of the pump’s presets. In the end I only used Hi & Low speeds and now set the cleaner’s flow rate using the Jandy 2440 valve actuator cams, with the pump in high-speed.

I mounted the IntelliComm inside my Ji8000 controller box and only needed to add a packaged power supply connected to the existing transformer. I’ve installed this in July 2014 and can’t believe how well the pump works and how much I’ve saved. Hope this helps.

 

[SoCalGuy]

Thanks for the quick response Jim.

SCG,

The adapter takes discrete inputs from your controller and lets you select one preprogrammed pump speed for each relay that you use.

Ok stop right there... lol... you're over my head already.

My wife just wants to be able to push the button on the controller that says ''SPA' - like she used to - and have it start the pump, activate the valves, and turn on the heater - like it used to back before we had this super "intelligent" pump.

I assume the CompPool has relays that normally control things like the pool light, etc.

Right, the Compool remote has the following buttons:

"SPA" (actuates valves that isolate the spa from pool, starts the filter pump, and turns on heater - if selected)
"POOL" (starts filter pump & turns on heater - if selected)
"WATER FEATURE" (starts a separate pump that creates a waterfall)
"JETS" (starts a separate pump that operates the spa jets)
"POOL LIGHT" (lights pool)
"SPA LIGHT" (lights spa)
"YARD LIGHTS" (lights yard)

So if you want to use AUX1 to control one speed, then instead of plugging the Aux1 relay into your main CompPool PCB, you would plug in one of the four relay inputs from adapter. The adapter takes your discrete inputs and sends a command to the IntelliFlo to run a preset speed that you have programmed into the pump.

So are you saying the existing 2-pin connectors that run from the remote to the controller power board should be moved into ports on the adapter? If so, how to know which controls what? Trial and error?

I agree that it is a poor work around and just one reason why we always recommend using the same brand of pump as your automation if at all possible.

Well too late now. To our pool builder's credit, this was before "intelligent" pumps... and the rest of the system has been fairly trouble free.

You do not have to use all four inputs to the adapter.

A lot of people just run the pump using the internal controller and don't try to control it with automation.

Can you explain this a bit? I'm perfectly happy with the pump just coming on once a day, and just running at one speed. As mentioned, wife doesn't want to have to walk outside and fiddle around with valves when the kids want to use the spa.

I'm puzzled by your comment that if you use the CompPool output marked "filter" that your filter will no longer works. That output has nothing to do with the actual filter itself, it just turns on the "Filter pump" which is now your IntelliFlo.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. The Intelliflo pump doesn't operate at all when we connect one of the 2-pin wires that came with the Intellicomm from "PORT 1" on the Intellicomm to the output on the Compool power board marked "FILTER". With the old 2-pin wire running from the remote plugged in to that output on the power board, the pump works, so I assume it's for the pump.

I'm not familiar with the CompPool system, but most automation systems have one relay that is called the Pump/Filter relay and then a number of Aux relays, AUX1, Aux2, etc.

On ours it just says "FILTER".

Not sure that I helped at all, but that is about the best I can do..

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

Thanks, it did help a lot. With a little clarification things just may click...

 

[Jimrahbe]

SCG,

I'm going to the Byron Nelson this morning. I'll provide some feedback late this afternoon..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Jimrahbe]

SCG,

Ok... it appears to me that your CompPool 3600 has 7 relays as follows.

SPA
FLTR
AUX1 - In use
AUX2 - In use
AUX3 - In use
AUX4 - In use
AUX5 - In use

You are using Aux1 thru 5 for your Water feature pump, your Jet pump, pool light, Spa light, and Yard light.

You should be able to connect the SPA relay output to adapter input pins 5 and 6... Let's call this "Spa Speed" - This speed needs to be programmed in the pump under External Control Program 2 - Let's set it at 3,000 RPM
Then connect the FLTR relay output to the adapter input pins 3 and 4... Let's call this "Pool Speed" - This speed needs to be programmed in the pump under External Control Program 1 - Let's set it at 2,000 RPM

Adapter pins 1 and 2 are connected to the adapter power supply

Adapter pin 11 + Data (yellow) wire from the cable going to the IntelliFlo
Adapter pin 12 - Data (Green) wire from the cable going to the IntelliFlo

It appears to me, that the pump has to be in the "Running Schedules Mode" before it will accept an external control input.

So, I recommend that you set up a schedule for the pump to run at 1,000 RPM from 8 am until 8 pm.. (You can change this later if you want, but we have to have somewhere to start.)

I believe that if you configure your pump and adapter as outlined above, that you should be able to go into your pool mode and the pump should go ramp up to 2,000 RPM and if you select Spa mode it should ramp up to 3,000 RPM.

A couple of questions for you..

1. Are you using the IntelliFlo at all now?
2. Do you have the manual which will walk you through adding a schedule and adding external speed programs, etc?
3. What questions do you have for me?

Keep in mind I'm just looking at the manuals and this is how I would try it if it were my system, but I don't have an CompPool or adapter, so I may have missed something. But, we won't know until we try it out.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[SoCalGuy]

Thanks a million Jim, we got it working. It only required a single 2-pin connection between the Intellicomm and the Compool control board relay.

Here's what we did, in case this issue comes up for anyone in the future:

We connected the control board relay for "SPA" to "PORT 1" on the Intellicomm. We then programmed the pump "Ext. Control 1" to run at 3200rpm.

Now when "SPA" is selected on the Compool remote, the pump comes on and runs at 3200rpm.

We left other relays as is. As suggested, we just programmed the Compool to run power to "POOL" from 8am to 8pm, so the pump has power 12 hrs a day. That allows our super smart Intelliflo pump to run as long as we want at whatever speeds we program it to run - currently 2500rpm for six hours during the day.

Thanks again. Happy swimming!