Install intelliflo vsf

aaron_w_o · Jun 28, 2018

Hi- am upgrading from old superflo to intelliflo vsf. Installer alerted me to likelihood of changes on my panel.(easytouch).

Presently superflo and heater are ganged together on the pump relay.

They said the new pump will need to be taken off the relay and wired direct to the breaker. Ok-I guess they are right?!

So do I need a new breaker? Do I somehow move the heater off this relay now too? I thought the reason to have heater and pump on same relay was to ensure synchronization in operation.

Would I just perhaps pigtail the 2 load feeds off the breaker so they run direct to pump (240v) and then continue to feed heater in relay as is?

The new pump is apparently totally controlled via data cable.

What is the common or preferred way to do this?

Jimrahbe · Jun 28, 2018

aaron,

In theory the pump should be fed from its own 20 amp GFCI breaker (CB) directly to the pump and nowhere else.

The new pump and the Pump/Filter relay are still synced together even though the pump is not actually connected to the relay.

The reason that you don't want anything else to share power from the pump's CB is to prevent noise from feeding back into the pump and GFCI. It helps prevent random GFCI trips...

Most systems don't have a problem, so you can just try one CB and see if you start tripping the GFCI... I recommend you do it right, but it is up to you...

Thanks,

Jim R.

aaron_w_o · Jun 28, 2018

Sounds like I need a new breaker for the pump, and the cb presently switching the pump and heater relay will only be for the heater.

Sound right?

Jimrahbe · Jun 28, 2018

aaron_w_o said:
Sounds like I need a new breaker for the pump, and the cb presently switching the pump and heater relay will only be for the heater.

Sound right?

Aaron,

That is what I would do...

Jim R.

aaron_w_o · Jun 29, 2018

ok, the installer agrees.
however, he also thinks i should take my heater off the pump relay and wire it direct to its own breaker.
if i do that, the easytouch 240v relay will not control anything!

i guess it's because data cables (discrete) will control the pump and heater.

installer is proposing i change heater wiring while he is doing pump swap.
he also said he would upgrade my easytouch firmware to 2.1.6 while he is here. he said it takes an hour?!? i thought the firmware upload takes 5 mins

Jimrahbe · Jun 30, 2018

aaron,

I would let him do it... all...

There is no reason to run the heater off of the pump/filter relay.. It can be controlled by the RS-485 or even by the fireman's switch.

Sounds to me like you have an installer that knows what he is doing... I would just get out of his way and let him do it...

Thanks,

Jim R.

aaron_w_o · Jun 30, 2018

yea, i tend to agree - this firm that is selling me the pump are not builders either. just installers of parts (mostly spas).
anyway, they were terribly annoyed when i told them the existing wiring. i had to laugh- it wasnt me who did it that way- it was the builder.

i guess the argument is putting the heater on the pump relay ensures it nevers runs sans circulation?
anyway, the easytouch programming controls that.

the only downside to this is I need to go get a new breaker.
they arent cheap either (GFCI).