Intellicenter Design Help

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Topfox

Well-known member
Jul 2, 2018
78
VA
Hey everyone,

Any Intellicenter experts out there who can help me understand what equipment I need to add automation to my pool? Other than my solar heat having a value that turns on and off based on water temp and thermostats, I’m a completely manual pool today with chrono timers. I have the following today.

  1. Auto cover (Automatic Pool Covers) (not looking to try to automate this, just mentioning for completeness)
  2. 1 Booster pump for a polaris vacuum (Hayward)
  3. 1 Superflo High Performance pump 2.0hp (Would like to upgrade to Variable speed)
  4. 1 Intellichlor SWG
  5. 1 skimmer valve (manual Jandy)
  6. 1 drain valve (manual Jandy)
  7. 1 solar collector valve (Hayward GVA-24)
  8. 1 solar heat controller Hayward Goldline
  9. 2 Pentair Colored lights
  10. Filtration is Clean and Clear Plus (again just for completeness)
Ideally I’d like to be able to control everything about the pool equipment through Intellicenter. Percentage of the valve opening for Skimmer and Drain, on/off for Booster pump that used by the pool vaccum, SWG percentage, pump settings, scheduling, color light control, solar heat control with nocturnal cooling.
 
Top,

Since you have no Spa, then the i5P version IntelliCenter would work for you.

This would give you 5 relays for external device control.. Pump/Filter relay plus 4 Aux relays.

At this time no automation system, including the IntelliCenter can provide "percentage" openings for valve actuators.. they are either open or closed.

You will need to continue to use your External SWCG power Center, or you can buy an IntelliCenter that comes with an Internal SWCG power center and a salt cell.

A 30K pool really needs a 60K cell, but in your location a 40K cell can get by.

Here is a link to the various IntelliCenter configurations.


Ask more questions and we can provide better answers..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Thanks Jim! So the Intellicenter can do the solar control without issue as well? I’d definitely like to be able to set that remotely through a single interface.

Good to know on the valves.

With the SWCG, if using the power center that I currently have would I still be able to control it through Intellicenter. Like setting the percentage it should be generating.
 
Top,

SWCG wise, the Power Center MUST be wired to the load side of the pump filter relay.. This prevents the cell from getting any AC power unless the pump is supposed to be running. You would also run a small 4-wire cable from the SWCG Power Center to the IntelliCenter's com port.

Personally, if your cell is about used up, or even if it isn't, I'd think about buying the IntelliCenter with the Internal Power Center.. It is just a cleaner look and it comes with a Salt cell.. Yes, it costs more, but you are going to have to replace the cell down the road at some point.. Most cells last 5 to 7 years before running out of the ability to generate chlorine. How old is your cell??

A solar controller is built into the IntelliCenter.. Your current Solar actuator should work with the IntelliCenter.

Keep in mind valve actuators only work on Jandy style valves.. They will not work on any PVC ball valves. The stock IntelliCenter can only control two valve actuators and that includes your current Solar valve..

Kind of a chicken and egg thing... Automation really revolves around having a VS pump... If this were my pool, and I could only have one thing, I would install a VS pump before an automation system. Well, that was really a lie.. I'd install both... :mrgreen:

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Got it. Yeah doing actuators on the other two valves I thing only makes sense if I can modify the % open remotely. Otherwise not really worth it. Good to know I’d be limited at 2.

Yeah my cell is 5 years old now. It has had zero issues though, but definitely something to consider.

As for the pump, yeah I think that is the big thing. With that said though don’t I need automation with the variable speed pump when I have the solar to ensure it’s pumping with enough power when the solar heat is on?

Any recommendations on the pump? I haven’t pulled up the charts yet to see true measurements but in looks like the inlets on the Intelliflo are higher than the inlet on my existing superflo, which if that is the case I’d have some plumbing work to do as well.

With the Intellicenter my existing breakers get moved over to the Intellicenter right?
 
Top,

In my mind it makes sense to power the IntelliCenter from your house circuit breaker panel and then have all your pool related breakers in the IntelliCenter's load center.. That said... it really depends on what you have now and where things are located. It is much harder to install an automation system after the pool is built..

I have a rent house pool that is a good example.. I installed an EasyTouch, with SWCG, and 3 HP IntelliFlo pump, which works great, but I could not easily connect the pool light to the automation, because the pool light junction box, and light switch, are on the opposite side of the pool. The cost and effort to connect the light to the automation was just not worth it.

When it come to VS pumps, bigger is always better.. :) I only recommend larger (3 HP ) VS pumps, as the bigger the pump the slower you can run it and still move a lot of water. The slower you can run it the quieter it is.. My 3 HP IntelliFlo runs 24/7, mostly at 1200 RPM and that costs me less than $20 bucks a month.

If you are going with the Pentair IntelliCenter then it only makes sense to use a Pentair pump, so the two units can 'talk' to one another. Kind of the whole point of having an automation system.

As an example.. If my pump is running at 1200 RPM, and I turn on my waterfall, the pump will increase speed to 2800 RPM, so that the waterfall looks the way I like. Or if the wife and I want to use our pool floats, the automation changes speed so that we get that lazy river kind of waterflow.. etc.

I suspect that your current pump is hard plumbed into place.. this means that no matter what replacement pump you use, you will almost always have to do some plumbing re-configuration..

Solar wise, most all VS pumps have the ability to receive external input that make them change speeds when told to do so by the solar system... but I agree that it is best that the VS pump and automaton systems be integrated together, for seamless control..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Thanks. Luckily everything is maybe 6 or so feet away from each other, minus the actual light switch for the lights. That’s over by the pool about 25ft away, although the circuit breaker for the lights is with all the other pool stuff.

See attached photos.
 

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Top,

It appears that you have a WhisperFlo pump end and your pump is connected with Unions..

This means that any standard IntelliFlo pump would just drop right in. Well, except for that pipe that comes back over the top of the motor. That pipe would be in the way of the normal control screen mounted on top of the motor.. :(

The key to the lights thing is.. Where is the pool light junction box.. Basically where does the cable from the light get its power???

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
nah is a SuperFlo High Peformance 2HP motor. So the stick says :)

That breaker box supplies the power to the lights. The junction point to where those power lines hit the lights is about 20ft or so away, but for the most part it’s a conduit that is a straight shot for the existing power wire. I ran a common wire previous through the conduit after the fact to be able to replace the regular on/off switch to a smart switch that I could program with the on/off sequences for changing the colors. So while I would absolutely like everything all in one I do currently have an automation workaround at least for the lights, but even with that said I could pretty easily run even a new conduit with new wires back to the panel/pump location.
 

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Jimrahbe said:
Top,

The wet end of your pump looks like a WhisperFlo to me... But I've been wrong plenty of times before.. just today... :mrgreen:

Let's see what @JamesW has to say..

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
One last question for now….i think.

If I get the Intelliflo3 and the Intellicenter, do I even need the touchscreen and expansion board on the Intelliflo? I’m guess no since I’d be doing everything from Intellicenter.
 
Topfox said:
f I get the Intelliflo3 and the Intellicenter, do I even need the touchscreen and expansion board on the Intelliflo? I’m guess no since I’d be doing everything from Intellicenter.
Click to expand...

You don't need the expansion board.

The touchscreen is nice to have when the IntelliCenter is in SERVICE mode and you want to operate the pump. Otherwise you control the pump using the Pentair HOME app on your phone and become dependent on having your phone. And if you have any other people servicing your system who don't have the app to connect the touchscreen can be used.

Also if your IntelliCenter has problems the touchscreen lets you run your pump without the IntelliCenter until you get things fixed.

I would never own a pump without a control panel that lets it be controlled independently.
 
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top,

The IntelliFlo3 has different plumbing connections than the Standard IntelliFlo VSF.. Not that it matters much, but some replumbing will have to be done.

My IntelliFlo is over 10 years old and I have never run it via the control panel.. It is SVRS version of the IntelliFlo, so I've had to hit the reset button many times.. The IntelliFlo3 can also be controlled by an app, so I don't think the display is a major issue, like it might be on other pumps. And for sure you do not need the relay card.

When my current pump dies, my plan today is to replace it with the IntelliFlo3... No display or relay card..

Thanks,

Jim R
 
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Jimrahbe said:
top,

The IntelliFlo3 has different plumbing connections than the Standard IntelliFlo VSF.. Not that it matters much, but some replumbing will have to be done.

My IntelliFlo is over 10 years old and I have never run it via the control panel.. It is SVRS version of the IntelliFlo, so I've had to hit the reset button many times.. The IntelliFlo3 can also be controlled by an app, so I don't think the display is a major issue, like it might be on other pumps. And for sure you do not need the relay card.

When my current pump dies, my plan today is to replace it with the IntelliFlo3... No display or relay card..

Thanks,

Jim R
Click to expand...
Just to update folks. Near term I unfortunately ran into another project with my deck that I wasn’t expecting. So at a minimum I’ve decided to take advantage on some offseason discounts to have my pump swapped out with the Intelliflo 3, which also gets me a $300 rebate from my electric company.

My pool company is not super familiar with the Goldline solar I currently have in my setup and wiring it up. I’d like to wire it to this new pump so that whenever the solar is working (whether heating during the day or nocturnal cooling at night) it will turn on the pump if it’s off and run it at the right speed until the solar turns off or if the pump is on run the pump at the right speed if the pump is already on. Can anyone tell me how to wire that part up?

Today in my existing setup my gold line is setup to support both heat and nocturnal cooling, but has no tie into the pump at all. So while the solar works and changes the actuator appropriately the pump doesn’t auto come on. No booster pump in the solar setup, although I do have a booster pump for the pool vacuum hooked to it’s own chrono timer.
 
Topfox said:
My pool company is not super familiar with the Goldline solar I currently have in my setup and wiring it up. I’d like to wire it to this new pump so that whenever the solar is working (whether heating during the day or nocturnal cooling at night) it will turn on the pump if it’s off and run it at the right speed until the solar turns off or if the pump is on run the pump at the right speed if the pump is already on. Can anyone tell me how to wire that part up?

Today in my existing setup my gold line is setup to support both heat and nocturnal cooling, but has no tie into the pump at all. So while the solar works and changes the actuator appropriately the pump doesn’t auto come on. No booster pump in the solar setup, although I do have a booster pump for the pool vacuum hooked to it’s own chrono timer.
Click to expand...

I am not sure your Goldline solar can tie into the Intelliflo3 any more then your existing pump.

Exactly what model "Goldline solar" box is it or show us a picture of the control panel and labels?
 

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