Best way to install Intelliflo VS with an older Polaris EOS?

[cjmrdm]

I have a Whisperflo WFE-4 single speed that I am swapping out with a new Intelliflo VS. I have a Polaris EOS 3 automation system. From what I have been told I am not able to run this pump through the automation system since it is so old. This is fine since I do not have a remote anyways. So, in calling repair people, I have heard all kinds of variations to installing this. Most everyone states they have done pool repairs for decades and have only seen this system a handful of times. I have some people state they would wire it through the Polaris system ( I imagine for power) and then have it set to on 24/7 on the Polaris. Then the pump itself would have the timer schedule set.


Another person said he would "hot wire" it (if I am saying that correctly). He said he would not go through the Polaris system at all.

I know it technically does not even need to be connected to the Polaris since it won't work through their anyway. I just think the technician I plan to have do it feels this is the simplest way to handle it rather than re-wiring etc. He said there will be no issues but I am concerned by the fact I have been told different things from others, no one seems to be familiar with Polaris automation systems and that the actual tech looked a bit bewildered when he was out here last about how he planned to install it.

So, I am wondering if either way is okay to do? Are there any issues with either install?

THANKS SO MUCH IN ADVANCE!

 

[JasonLion]

Re: Best way to install Intelliflo VS with an older Polaris

You have lots of options. You can wire it any of several different ways, and control it either through the Polaris or using the on pump timer. The only limitation is that if wired through and controlled by the Polaris you only get one speed and off. It can be any speed you want, plus off, but you can only change the speed from the pump. There are even more options if you get the IntelliComm II, which allows you to get one speed for every relay you allocate on the Polaris.

The simplest thing with reasonable flexibility is to wire it up using the existing wire coming from the Polaris, and program the Polaris to leave the pump on 24/7, and then program the pump from it's own control panel. With a small additional effort, you could wire the pump directly to a circuit breaker, bypassing the Polaris, and avoid any strange interactions that could occur if the Polaris decided to turn the pump off for some reason. Another whole approach is to let the polaris turn the pump on and off and set a single speed manually on the pump.

Some things to consider that will help narrow down the field include: Do you have a SWG? If so it is best not to use the timer inside the pump. Is your existing pump circuit breaker large enough to run the IntelliFlo (20 amps)? If not you can't use the existing pump wiring and might as well wire it directly to a new circuit breaker. Are there other options controlled by the Polaris that you want to keep in sync with pump run time? If so, it might be simpler to turn the pump on and off from the Polaris. And finally, do you have any specific need for more than one speed? If so, best to use the timer in the pump.

 

[cjmrdm]

Re: Best way to install Intelliflo VS with an older Polaris

So, you agree the easiest option is to wire it through the Polaris and keep the pool on 24/7. Yes, i do have things that the Polaris runs that need to synch witht the pool pump. I have a heater and a spa that spills into my pool. I do not have a salt system anymore so that is not an issue. My question is with the spa. Right now I have the pool and spa on a schedule. For 1 hour a day the spa spills into the pool. So, if the pool is "on" 24/7 how will it do the spill mode daily?

Also, if I want to get in the spa and turn it on I turn it on on the Polaris panel. If the pool is in the on position I will have to turn it off to turn the spa on. I can only chose one function at a time (pool/spa/spill). So, unless there is some function I am unaware of, how is the pool going to be on 24/and these other functions run?

Yes, the whole reason I got the variable speed is to use multiple speeds.

I have 2 large curcuit breakers that both say pool pump. One has 20 on the handle part and the other has a 15 on the handle. So, I assume this is the amps.

This sounds like a mess.

 

[JasonLion]

Re: Best way to install Intelliflo VS with an older Polaris

It can get very confusing because there are some many different ways to set it up, each with it's own pros and cons. To have complete control over everything from one place, you either need several (most likely 3) free relays in the Polaris and an IntelliComm II, or you need to replace the Polaris with something that knows how to talk to the pump over a data cable.

Do you have a separate spa pump? Or does the spa share the main pump?

 

[cjmrdm]

Re: Best way to install Intelliflo VS with an older Polaris

We plan to get a whole new automation system someday but not until it needs to be or we have extra money to throw into it.

I have a separate pump for the spa .

 

[JasonLion]

Re: Best way to install Intelliflo VS with an older Polaris

With a separate spa pump it is not too bad to have the main pump set to a single speed all the time. You setup the variable speed to be ideal for low speed circulation/filtering and you can manually over-ride it if something comes up that needs some other speed. With a setup like that, having the Polaris turn the pump on/off makes a lot of sense, and is usually worth the limitation of having only a single speed.

 

[cjmrdm]

Re: Best way to install Intelliflo VS with an older Polaris

I don't want it to operate at only one speed. I got a variable speed so I could use it at different speeds. So, at the very least, I want it o run at the lowest speed to run the barracuda. Then the lowest speed to circulate the water.
So, how do I hook up the pump so I can run the pump at variable speeds?
If I hook it up through the Polaris and have it on 24/7 how will that affect the spa spill schedule on the Polaris?
OR, how do I hook it up so the spa still spills on schedule through the Polaris?
(I imagine this spill feature is going to be the only complication becasue if I need to manually turn on the spa I can just turn it on and then turn it back to pool on 24/7)

 

[JasonLion]

Re: Best way to install Intelliflo VS with an older Polaris

Spill or not might simply be a valve turn. You might also want to change motor speed, but I doubt that will be required. Assuming that it is just a valve turn, you don't need to sync the Polaris to the pump and everything will work as long as the pump is running at least some of the time in spillover and non-spillover mode.

 

[cjmrdm]

Re: Best way to install Intelliflo VS with an older Polaris

I know changing the speed is not required but it is the entire reason I am switching to a variable speed. I hope to save on energy cost.

Oh, I see....so if the pool pump is set on the Polaris to run 24/7 and the pump itself is set to a schedule to run daily from 10 pm to 4 am. If I set the spill schedule on the Polaris to run from 3-4 am then I should be fine?

Will this schedule interfere with the 24/7 pool position? I seem to recall manually turning on the pool or spa before and it turning itself off automatically without me manually turning it back off. I never understood why it did that but now it might matter. I am also concerned that spill schedule itself might switch off the pool from the 24/7 position.

So, is wiring the pump to the Polaris a better option than not going through the Polaris?

 

[JasonLion]

Re: Best way to install Intelliflo VS with an older Polaris

If you are using the timer on the pump, then the best choice is to wire the pump directly to the circuit breaker.

You seem to have figured it out, the pump runs for a long time that includes the spillover time. As long as the two clocks don't drift completely out of sync, it doesn't matter if they don't match by ten or fifteen minutes.

 

[cjmrdm]

Re: Best way to install Intelliflo VS with an older Polaris

If I wire it directly to the circuit breaker so I need a separate timer or any other devices?

If they decide to wire it to the Polaris, will that be an issue or will it still work?

 

[JasonLion]

Re: Best way to install Intelliflo VS with an older Polaris

The only reason not to wire directly to a circuit breaker is if you need the Polaris to turn the pump on and off at a single speed, or if your situation is such that it is significantly more expensive to wire it that way (which seems unlikely). Wiring it through the Polaris but using the pumps internal timer means you need to figure out a way to get the Polaris to leave the pump on 24/7. That can be done, it just takes some programming, but simpler to avoid that issue if you can.