Filter pump won’t turn on Schedule/App

[AA_DFW]

Hello everyone,

My filter pump won’t turn on as scheduled or through the ScreenLogic app. My pool cleaner and all other functions work fine on schedule and through the app. It’s just the filter pump. The salt generator also comes on at the scheduled filter pump time. It’s just the filter pump that is off. I also have “Display Not Active” on the filter pump as I’m in Auto mode.

I can turn it on in service mode.

I’ve read a few threads but couldn’t figure out the issue. I was also helped by Jim to wire the pump directly to power and not through the relays which solved my power out failures.

This new problem was intermittent but since the last time I had the pool company over (and I deleted and reinstalled the schedule), the pump hasn’t been on the last two days. The pool company also had pentair go in and review everything from their side. There were no conflicting schedules etc.

Also, a month ago when the pool company was over, they said the comms wire was barely attached to the board. The reattached it. Pool company wants to now replace the board on the Intellicenter, which is $1400. Before I spend that sort of cash, I thought I’d get a second opinion here.



My setup is as follows:

- Pentair Easy Touch Control System
- Pentair Intelliflow Variable Speed Pump
- Pentair Intellichlor Salt Chlorine Generator

I am adding screenshot of the pump tab on the ScreenLogic app. I turned it on in Service mode this morning. Also a pic of the circuit board, in case that helps.

Aux 1 in the schedule pic is the pool cleaner

 

[ajw22]

Pool company wants to now replace the board on the Intellicenter, which is $1400.

You mean replace the EasyTouch board with the IntelliCenter upgrade?

Move the pump data lines to one of the other comm blocks.

 

[Jimrahbe]

AA,


The first thing to do is put the system into Service mode and then using the pump's display, check what Firmware is in the control head.

Some IntelliFlo pumps were built with a faulty F/W version.. If you have 3.03 or 3.04, that is the bad F/W.

Second... Go into ScreenLogic and look at the egg-timer page.. Post a screenshot or tell me how many egg-timers you have that are NOT set to the default of 12 hours.


View media item 1966

Third... If this were my system, I would removed the pump's com cable from the main card, and connect it to one of the empty com ports on the surge card mounted to the back wall of your EasyTouch. This is better because each device has only one connection. When you try to connect more than one device to the same connector, it is possible that not all the wires are making contact. Note the pump's com cable on has two wires and yellow and a green wire.

Fourth... As a test, use ScreenLogic to turn on a pool light.. Confirm ScreenLogic shows the light on, and then go an visually make sure the light is on at the pool. Use the EasyTouch and turn off the pool light and visually confirm that the light is off, and then confirm that ScreenLogic shows the light as off.. If this test work, then the com port on main card is working fine.


Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[AA_DFW]

Not the intellicenter upgrade. Just the board replacement. In their quote they referenced board part 520659. From the pic it looks like 520657.

 

[ajw22]

Not the intellicenter upgrade. Just the board replacement. In their quote they referenced board part 520659. From the pic it looks like 520657.

If you need a new board I would not spend money on the obsolete EasyTouch and do the IntelliCenter upgrade.

Eventually EasyTouch parts will not be available and you will be forced to upgrade to .IntelliCenter.

 

[AA_DFW]

Jim, thank you as always.

1. I tried the menu on the pump to access the firmware page. No luck. I went through the menu tree in the manual that I found online and it has no option to find the firmware. I am stumped. Happy to take instructions or suggestions.

2. Attached

3. I am very happy to do this. Just want to make sure I am understanding the instructions. I do see a card on the back wall. There is a wire that connects that card to the main card. So technically the surge card com port isn’t empty, it’s apprently connecting the surge card to the main card- if I’m observing the correct cards.

4. Confirmed.

 

[ajw22]

What model IntelliFlo pump do you have?

You do not have signature information telling us your equipment.

 

[AA_DFW]

Intelliflo variable speed.

I believe model is 011018. Posted a pic.

 

[ajw22]

Intelliflo variable speed.

I believe model is 011018. Posted a pic.

011018 is an Intelliflo1 pump.

Bad firmware is found in the IntelliFlo2 pumps.

 

[Jimrahbe]

AA,

The surge card on the back wall has three identical 4 pin connections.. Does not matter which one is which.. One is connected by a 4 wire cable to J20 on the main card... One is most likely being used to connect your ScreenLogic antenna, and it appears to me your third one is empty.. If it is empty, then move the two wire pump cable from the main card to the Surge card.. You do this with All the Power OFF. It will not shock you, but you can 'shock' it if the power is on.

I agree on the pump F/W.. I had assumed you had a newer pump.

I would go take a look at the com cable where it connects to the pump. Remove the connector and make sure the pins on both sides look ok. We have seen a couple of times where the pins were badly corroded. Do this with all power off.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[AA_DFW]

Will do so tmrw and report back.

 

[AA_DFW]

Just did the following with no luck.

1. Moved the comm cable to the Surge Card.

2. Checked the comm cable on the pump. It looks fine.

Filter pump will still not turn on. The cleaner turned on per schedule but not the filter pump.All other functions can be controlled by app.

I went in Service mode and the filter pump did turn on manually.

 

[Jimrahbe]

AA,

The IntelliFlo pump needs the following to run...

1. System needs to be in Auto..
2. The automation needs to have at least one Circuit scheduled to be on.. (Usually this is the Pool Circuit) (You should see Auto and Pool on LCD)
3. That Circuit must have a pump speed assigned on the speed page. (Usually the Pool Circuit is assigned a pump speed)
4. The IntelliFlo must be controlled by the Automation (Usually this is indicated by the pump's display showing "Display not active")

It sounds like you have met all of the above conditions, so not sure why the pump is not running.. Here are a couple of things to check..

With the system in the Service mode, use the pump's control panel and check the pump's address. This is the com address that is inside the pump, so that if you have two pumps, the automation knows which pump is which.. If you only have one pump, make sure it is set to address #1..

The com port transmits to the pump and then receives info back from the pump.. It is possible for the pump to receive info (this turns on the "Display not active" screen, but at the same time not be able to transmit back to the EasyTouch. Unfortunately, this would be a bad pump..

As a last desperate gasp, you can disconnect the connector that goes from your surge card to the outside ScreenLogic antenna and see if the EasyTouch can then turn on the pump.. I doubt this will make any difference, but for the cost of a new pump, it would be worth a shot.

And... I 'assume' you have checked the clock time to make sure it is roughly correct..

Sorry, but I can't think of anything else that would cause the pump not to run..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[AA_DFW]

Jim,

1. I’ve met all four conditions.

2. Pump is 1 and there is a speed associated with it as well

3. The antenna disconnection simply disabled the app. Didn’t do much else to help.

4. Clock on Pump and IntelliCenter are aligned.

I am stumped. I can’t turn off the pump from the app either. I can’t help but think this problem was exacerbated when the pool guy came in last week and I deleted and reinstalled the schedule- not implying anything negative towards the pool guy/company.

I can’t find any other thread with a similar issue either.

I am just wondering if I should replace the comm cable, even though there is nothing on the contacts indicating a problem?

 

[AA_DFW]

Correction:

I was able to turn OFF the pump via the app. But I can’t turn it back on the same way. That jives with the pump staying on when I turn it on through Service mode and then set it to Auto- it will turn off per schedule.

Weird

 

[Jimrahbe]

AA,

The operation of the pump in Auto and the Service mode are two totally different things..

In AUTO the pump is being controlled by the EasyTouch.. It only runs because of what the EasyTouch tells it to run.. In the Service mode, the pump is run from the pump's control panel, nothing you can do from the EasyTouch will control the pump, as long as you are in the Service mode.

That jives with the pump staying on when I turn it on through Service mode and then set it to Auto- it will turn off per schedule.

That makes no sense to me??? Can you explain exactly what you are doing, step by step?

Normally when you go into the Service mode, the pump stops running, because the EasyTouch shuts off the RS-485.. If you look at the pump, the display will show an RPM display with zero RPM.. (It can take a minute or more for the "Display Not Active" to go away and the RPM display to show up.)

Are you saying you can get the pump to run in the Service mode without using the pump's display???

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[AA_DFW]

No.

What I mean is if the pump isn’t on

1. I put the Easy touch in Service mode

2. Once the see the pump display the 0RPM, I will turn the pump on manually using the co trips on the Pump.

3. Once the pump is running, I will then flip the Easytouch back to Auto.

4. If the time is between 8am and 5pm, the pump will continue to run.

5. At 5pm, the pump turns off.

Today, I followed the above mentioned steps, 1-4, at 3pm. At 3.05pm, I used the app to turn off the pump. It did. At 3.07pm, I tried to turn it On, it wouldn’t.

What I wanted to explain is that I am able to turn the pump off (when it’s running) but not turn it ON. The pump will turn off at 5pm, if running per schedule. It is not turning On at 8am or whenever I try to turn it On via the app.

Hope the above helps.

 

[Jimrahbe]

AA,

Under normal conditions, if you are in the Service mode, pump running or not, switching back to AUTO should start the pump or keep the pump running..

Under normal conditions, turning off the pump via the app should shut off the pump...

The puzzle is why the pump does not start on its own, when told to by the EasyTouch.. I have no idea...

I have zero answers other than the pump or the cable has to be the problem.

Something else to try...

Set your Pool Schedule from 8 am until 8 am.. in theory this will run the pump 24/7..

See if it starts at 8 am tomorrow and then see if it runs 24/7 for a couple of days.

Just want to make sure that you looked in the pump for find the pump address of #1 and that you did not look at the EasyTouch which shows "pump #1" which has nothing to do with the pump's com port address... What did you do??

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Jimrahbe]

AA,

What pump type do you have selected??? VS or VSF???

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[AA_DFW]

Jim

To answer your questions

1. I did look on the pump display to check for Pump 1

2. Pump type selection was checked on the Easytouch, it reads as VSF