Intellicenter Freeze Protect Mode Malfunctioning

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Also your SWG is miswired and is always powered on even when your filter pump is off.

The filter pump power should be connected to the filter pump relay LINE screws, the pump also connected to the LINE screws, and the SWG transformer connected to the LOAD screws.

Also NEC requires all pumps to have GFCI CBs for safety. You have none.

Electrical GFCI - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Whoever installed your panel did not read the and follow the Installation Manual.
 
Thanks Allen. I’ll have the GFCI and SWG issues addressed in the next few days.

I’ve done the wiring you suggested by wirenutting the wires together but the control for those two pumps is still at the pump panels. How do I disable the control panels at the two pumps and switch to the RS-485 external controls?
 

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What is the manufacturing date of your Superflo VS pumps? There is a label on the front of the pump with the date.

You may not have RS-485 control which was why your pumps were wired that way.

The SuperFlo VS, Supermax VS, and WhisperFlo VST pumps manufactured after 11/20/2020 with RS-485 communication can digitally communicate with IntelliCenter, IntelliSync, EasyTouch, and IntelliTouch systems.

The SuperFlo VS pumps manufactured before 11/20/2020 can connect to automation systems using an external low voltage control and a relay for each speed.

Pentair Superflo VS Pumps - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
ajw22 said:
What is the manufacturing date of your Superflo VS pumps? There is a label on the front of the pump with the date.

You may not have RS-485 control which was why your pumps were wired that way.

The SuperFlo VS, Supermax VS, and WhisperFlo VST pumps manufactured after 11/20/2020 with RS-485 communication can digitally communicate with IntelliCenter, IntelliSync, EasyTouch, and IntelliTouch systems.

The SuperFlo VS pumps manufactured before 11/20/2020 can connect to automation systems using an external low voltage control and a relay for each speed.

Pentair Superflo VS Pumps - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...
Both pumps’s manufacturing date was 10/20/2021. How can I tell if they have RS-485 control?
 
ajw22 said:
Page 5 in https://www.pentair.com/content/dam...-pumps/superflovs/supervs-install-english.pdf

Confirm you have the Com Port on the pump with a cable connected to the IntelliCenter.

Confirm the pump controls are setup as directed…

View attachment 550402
Click to expand...
See photo. The Pump Com Ports are not connected on either pump so I guess the PB used another means to externally connect? Should I return the wires back to the relays and have the PB service techs troubleshoot the issue? Should I request they use the RS-485 method to allow external connection?
I still have external control of the main filter pump.
 

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They really hosed up your installation.

Yeah, hook up the power wires back to the relays.

So what is the pump control setup for in SPEED1,2,3 for duration and RPM? Because every time you turn on the pump it begins following SPEED1. See page 8.

Normally you don’t run your water features for a long time and likely cycle through the pump speed controls. But with trying to run the pumps continuously you ran off the end of Speed3 and the pump shutoff.

I would use the IntelliCenter capabilities and hookup the RS-485. Especially for future Freeze Protection.
 
ajw22 said:
They really hosed up your installation.

Yeah, hook up the power wires back to the relays.

So what is the pump control setup for in SPEED1,2,3 for duration and RPM? Because every time you turn on the pump it begins following SPEED1. See page 8.

Normally you don’t run your water features for a long time and likely cycle through the pump speed controls. But with trying to run the pumps continuously you ran off the end of Speed3 and the pump shutoff.

I would use the IntelliCenter capabilities and hookup the RS-485. Especially for future Freeze Protection.
Click to expand...
Got it. I only normally run the water feature pumps 30 minutes per day at low speeds to ensure the piping stays chlorinated. As you can probably see, my Intellicenter installation was one of my PB’s first installations of that type and it shows! They had it rigged up some other way that allowed me to externally control those pumps using the Intellicenter and phone app. It worked fine until this freeze. Hopefully the RS-485 hookup will be more robust.
Thanks for all the guidance and advice - now to transfer that to the PB! I now know what to ask for and what to ensure gets done.
Regards, Mark
 
markdpratt said:
Got it. I only normally run the water feature pumps 30 minutes per day at low speeds to ensure the piping stays chlorinated. As you can probably see, my Intellicenter installation was one of my PB’s first installations of that type and it shows! They had it rigged up some other way that allowed me to externally control those pumps using the Intellicenter and phone app. It worked fine until this freeze. Hopefully the RS-485 hookup will be more robust.
Thanks for all the guidance and advice - now to transfer that to the PB! I now know what to ask for and what to ensure gets done.
Regards, Mark
Click to expand...
Allen, I‘m getting all my “horses in a row” before calling my PB who installed my pool in 2022. I want to clearly point out everything they did wrong on my Intellicenter wiring based preferably on Pentair requirements and also NEC wiring requirements. As mentioned earlier, I think mine was one of the first Intellicenters they installed and I had to direct them to install a SWCG - as they normally don’t install them.
Besides the non-installation of GFCI’s for the CB’s, the mis-wiring of the SWCG, and the non-use of the RS-485 communication cabling, do you see any other obvious errors from the photos I included earlier?
Thanks again for all your help.
 

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I will take a look later today after my golf game. If you don’t hear from me then remind me tomorrow.
 
Let’s talk about your MasterTemp heater.

Is it wired to the gas heater relay on the board or using RS-485? it should be RS-485.

Is your heater set in the IntelliCenter as HEATER or MASTERTEMP?

Read Pentair MasterTemp Heaters - Further Reading

Do you have a Heater Bypass as specified by Pentair? Read Pentair MasterTemp Heaters - Further Reading

Which CB is the Mastertemp powered by? It is not labeled on the panel. NEC requires a GFCI CB for the heater.
 
Can you tell me what each relay has connected to it?

The top right relay is?

The two lower right relays are?

It looks like the two lower left relays are unused.

There is a panel label on the inside of the door. Is the use of each relay marked on the label?That label should be used to document how each relay is wires, its use, and what AUX number it is plugged into on the PCB.
 
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Each of the conduits on the bottom of the panel with wires coming in should have what they feed written next to it using a Sharpie .
 
markdpratt said:
Thanks. I’m away from home for 3 weeks and will investigate and respond to your questions when I return.
Click to expand...
I am back home after being away for several weeks and want to have the installation errors corrected for my Intellicenter, Intellichlor SWCG, and related pumps and heater.

You asked above what each relay is attached to:
- top left 3 relays (Filter Pump, AUX 1, AUX 2) are empty
- top right relay (AUX 3): connected to Pool Lights via a 20 amp GFCI single-pole breaker
- bottom left relay slot empty; AUX 5 & 6 relays empty; AUX 7 wired to the Glacier Chiller; 4th relay (AUX 8) is empty
- of course they are not labeled!

Based on your previous recommendations, here is my plan:
  • replace non-GFCI CB’s with Pentair PA220GF GFCI double-pole CB’s
  • re-wire the Intellichlor transformer to the load side of the filter pump relay
  • connect both of my water feature pumps (SuperFlo VST’s manufactured after 10/15/20) via the RS-485 Automation Wiring Kits (P/N 356324Z-Black)
  • I’ve confirmed my MasterTemp Heater was manufactured on 2/2/21 (before 5/7/21) and has the older 5 button key pad - therefore not RS-485 controllable) and must be connected using the 2-wire fireman’s switch (I assume that’s how it’s presently set up?)
  • the MasterTemp Heater is powered by a non-GFCI CB, so I will have it changed to a GFCI (any particular brand spec for that?)
  • anything else you recommend?
Thanks, Mark
 
Heater needs a standard GFCI CB. Any GFCI CB that fits the panel is fine for the heater.

CB should only have one wire connection under a screw. I see three places that have two wires. Electrician should have wire nutted the two wires to a light tail that connects to the CB.
 
ajw22 said:
Heater needs a standard GFCI CB. Any GFCI CB that fits the panel is fine for the heater.

CB should only have one wire connection under a screw. I see three places that have two wires. Electrician should have wire nutted the two wires to a light tail that connects to the CB.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I will make those CB and wiring changes.

If I buy the RS-485 wiring kits for both Superflo VST feature pumps, are there any tricks in wiring those into the Intellicenter to allow the Intellicenter to program and control those pumps and allow remote access?
 
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