I just bought a home in Florida and it came with a AutoPilot Pool Pilot soft touch system. The unit itself looks pretty dated. Im assuming it is one of the first models. My problem is that the service light is flashing and the flow light is not on. i checked out a soft touch troubleshooting manual and saw that the one flash coming from the service light means that there is a flow problem. I have cleaned all of the baskets/skimmers and the manifold strainer screen but still having the light. Im not positive but the check valve doesn't look like its doing anything with the pump on or off. Not sure if that is the problem or not. The jets in the pool are jetting water out very poorly so maybe I have a clogged pipe? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Auto Pilot Flow Problem
- Thread starter jouatt
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!
It doesn't sound like this has anything to do with the AutoPilot unit. Rather it is something interfering with water flow. The AutoPilot is correctly reporting that you don't have enough water flow, as confirmed by the return jets not working very well.
Have you cleaned/backwashed the filter? Also, check to make sure all of the appropriate valves are open, and that there aren't any winterizing plugs installed anywhere.
It doesn't sound like this has anything to do with the AutoPilot unit. Rather it is something interfering with water flow. The AutoPilot is correctly reporting that you don't have enough water flow, as confirmed by the return jets not working very well.
Have you cleaned/backwashed the filter? Also, check to make sure all of the appropriate valves are open, and that there aren't any winterizing plugs installed anywhere.
Thanks for the welcome 
I had a feeling the problem didn't lay with the AutoPilot unit. I did my best when I cleaned the filter but the filter looks old and didn't get very clean. How would I backwash it? Maybe I need a new filter. Ill check again to see if there are valves closed and no winterizing plugs. Any idea where to check for the plugs? Thanks.
I had a feeling the problem didn't lay with the AutoPilot unit. I did my best when I cleaned the filter but the filter looks old and didn't get very clean. How would I backwash it? Maybe I need a new filter. Ill check again to see if there are valves closed and no winterizing plugs. Any idea where to check for the plugs? Thanks.
What kind of filter do you have? Some kinds of filters need to be opened up and cleaned out, while others get backwashed, and yet others can be cleaned either way.
A few other things to check. Is there a lot of air in the pump strainer basket? What is your filter pressure? Is the pool water at least half way up the skimmer opening?
A few other things to check. Is there a lot of air in the pump strainer basket? What is your filter pressure? Is the pool water at least half way up the skimmer opening?
I have just a regular cartridge filter. Im assuming you just hose wash the cartridge and cant back wash right? There does seem to be air in the basket and bubbles are coming from the pool jets. The filter pressure is around 16 psi and the water level is at lest half way up the skimmer opening.
Air in the pump basket and bubbles from the returns mean you are getting air into the system somewhere. Air in the system could easily cause the low flow rates. A couple of places air might be getting in are the lid of the pump strainer basket might not be sealing correctly, the water level in the skimmer might be low enough that air is getting pulled down the vortex, there might be a leak in the suction side plumbing.
It would make sense. The pipes are all taped up and look in bad shape. I'm guessing the owner before did the plumbing himself. I guess ill call in a pool guy and see what he thinks. Thanks for all your help