Integrating new Intelliflo pump w/ Aquarite system

[chiefwej]

I just installed a new Intelliflo pump. Since the pump is now controlled by its own on-board timer system, the old timer is now bypassed. This means the Aquarite control box is powered up at all times. The only thing that turns the cell on or off now is the flow switch. Should the flow switch fail in the closed position the system would continue to generate chlorine with no water flow (a very bad situation). I don't see many other options. What are others doing with a VS pump in a salt pool?

My understanding was the flow switch is there only as a safety device and not to be used for the primary control of the system.

 

[mas985]

The Aquarite can turn the pump on and off (as well as itself) via an internal timer. You can then just use the internal timers of the Intelliflo to change speeds if necessary between the Aquarite run time schedule.

 

[chiefwej]

The Aquarite I have has no timer. It is just a control box for the SWG. I have no automation system, just a basic timer that used to turn both the SWG and the pump on and off at preset times. Now, since the pump has its own control system it now has power at all times (as does the SWG control box).

 

[mas985]

So put both the pump and the SWG on the original timer. You will still be able to use the Intelliflo timers to change speeds.

 

[chiefwej]

Don't you think it would be better to bypass the timer for the pump and have it switch only the SWG? Since the pump has its own timer and switching should it not have power at all times and use it's own switch for pump control. Then I can set the SWG timer to have it on or off as I chose, based on my chlorine needs. It would, of course, be set to be on only at a time the pump was also set to run.

 

[mas985]

The Intelliflo does not need power all the time. It is designed to be used on external timer as well as other methods.

Otherwise, having two timers means that they can lose sync.

 

[jblizzle]

Isn't this a case where a current sensing relay could turn on power to the SWG?

 

[chiefwej]

Considering how cheap it is to run my new pump at a low speed (only 100 watts at 1,000 rpm), I may want to run the pump more time than I will want to run my SWG. If both the pump and SWG are on the timer I can't run the pump without power to the SWG.

 

[jblizzle]

Why would you not lower the SWG % output if you increase pump run time? I don't see the need to only run the pump unless your SWG output is already very low.

 

[chiefwej]

I have found that at low speeds the pump does not always reliably trip the flow sensor on the SWG. So the actual run time on my SWG becomes variable, making it difficult to control actual output.

My thought was to run the SWG only during the one hour morning cleaning cycle where the pump is at a relatively high rpm and then continuing for a few more hours after, while the pump is in a mid range. Then in the afternoon until evening the pump switched to a very low setting with the SWG switched off.

If power is supplied to the SWG during that low speed time, it may or may not generate depending on the flow sensor. Then in the evening after the pump has finished it's run cycle for the day, the only thing that would keep the SWG from generating with the pump off would be the flow switch. I don't like using the flow sensor, which is designed as a safety device, as the primary switch controlling the SWG.

So my solution is put only the SWG on the old timer, set it to come on as the pump starts its morning run and shut off before the pump drops to the low setting in the afternoon. That way even if the timer failed or got out of sync the flow switch is still there as a safety, (which is what it was designed for), and I can control both the SWG run time and percentage settings.

Does this make sense?

 

[mas985]

You may need only a few extra RPM to get the flow switch to trip reliably which to me is a better solution.

 

[chiefwej]

But the SWG would still remain powered up at all times, relying on the flow sensor as it's main switching.

 

[ping]

Find out at what speed the SWG turns off due to a lack of flow and then set the lowest pump speed a little above that amount. You can then run them together from the same timer and adjust the SWG% down to accommodate the longer run time. If you are not saving enough on electrical use at that minimum speed then you might be stuck using two separate timers, but that is not ideal.

 

[chiefwej]

The timer on the pump is built-in so if keep the old timer before the pump (to control the SWG), I would still have two timers (which could still get out of sync). The only difference is should the pump timer be direct powered or after the old timer. If before, the pump can run without the SWG, if after I would be powering the SWG anytime the pump is getting power, even if the pump wasn't running (pump timer off). Also if I chose to run the pump 24/7 at a very low speed, the SWG would also be on 24/7.

Feeding power to a pump timer through another timer just seems counter productive, and the pump running without the SWG being switched on presents no real problem. It's only the SWG running without the pump that could be an issue, and the only thing that prevents that in any wiring scenario is the flow switch. So what would be the purpose of daisy chaining two timers?

An automation system would probably be the best solution but then there's the cost and additional complexity.

 

[TXPool007]

The Aquarite and the Intelliflo are controllable over its RS-485 port. Depending on your pool controller, it might just be a matter of hooking it up and programming. I am running an Intelliflo VF, Aquarite (rev 1.59) on a Jandy Aqualink RS8 (rev R), and can program them all to turn on at the right time. My Aquarite is permanently energized, but I am considering to connect it to the switched side of the relay (pump is always energized).

 

[chiefwej]

I don't have a "pool controller", just a simple timer that used to turn the old pump and the SWG on and off. I don't have any automation system of any kind.