The pump does not really show actual flow on the pump itself unless you are setting flow (GPM) as opposed to RPM and even then it just shows what you set it to. You can SET a flow rate which it will eventually get to and you can then see the actual RPM and wattage. Or you can set an RPM, but you will not be able to know the actual flow rate by looking at the pump (in spite of an Actual Flow item in the U.I.). The only way you can see the measured flow rate is from the remote control, such as a wired control in your house connected through IntelliTouch (but then you can't be in service mode so have to not be in manual mode and instead in filter mode).
In Manual Mode, the Pentair Intelliflo VF manual says:
• Power Menu (Watts): Displays current power to the motor shaft in continuous watts
• Actual Speed (RPM): Displays RPM speed when flow and RPM control is used
• Actual Flow (GPM): Displays actual flow when using flow control
• Set Speed (RPM): Set IntelliFlo to run at a continuous speed
• Set Flow (GPM): Set IntelliFlo in flow control to allow the pump to change speed to manage the flow rate based on system changes
Note that the "Actual Flow" displays only
when using flow control; that is, when explicitly setting a flow, not when setting a speed. This is unlike the "Actual Speed" that displays when either flow or speed control are used. Nevertheless, it's always appeared to me that this Actual Flow is just what you set and not a real actual flow measurement.
However, in the previous section under "Metering the System" they say:
The first step to operating and programming IntelliFlo is to know what is being used in the
pool system. After the devices are selected you can then set valves for the appropriate
features and use the “Manual†mode to measure flow rates for the types or series of
devices that require flow. When an appropriate flow rate or rates are found for a device
or series of devices, you should note that flow rate for programming later.
The above is not really true, at least not by looking only at the pump. You can set various flow rates to see how things go, but if you adjust via the speed (RPM), then you can't figure out the flow (GPM) at the pump. I don't know why Pentair did this, but it's really annoying. The actual flow during normal operation is able to be seen at a control connected to IntelliTouch and I've seen that vary and "approach" the desired flow rate over time.
What I have done is either set a flow rate (GPM) and then wait about a minutes for the flow to settle (by seeing that the actual RPM or wattage stabilize) and then look at the PSI and assume the flow rate has been achieved. The other thing I've done is adjust the desired flow rate from the control panel in the house in filtering mode by adjusting the pool size and filtering time and then seen when the actual flow has stabilized. It's a pain in the rear!
The other thing that the pump does not do, yet used to be advertised that it did, was to shut off when the desired number of turnovers was achieved early due to higher flow features being turned on (such as solar panels). Part of the advertised savings from the pump was its supposed ability to keep track of the cumulative volume of water based on integrated flow and to turn off filtering early if a feature turns off and the number of turnovers has been achieved. This no longer happens -- Pentair changed the programming so that the pump is
always on during the entire designated filtering time regardless of features that flow more water than filtering alone. So, the pool size, turnover rate, and filtering time settings do nothing more than calculate a flow rate to be used during the filtering time when no other features are on. When I asked Pentair about that they said that customers complained that the full filtering time wasn't being done so they changed the programming to no longer stop early. I suggested that they make this a parameter that the user can decide which mode they would prefer -- stop early if turnovers achieved or always keep the pump on for the entire filtering time.
Richard