Intellicenter only sort of communicates with intelliflo VSF

[poolfusq]

I just had my intellitouch upgraded to an intellicenter by a Pentair authorized/certified company. Right before that, the intellitouch and one of the intelliflo pumps started malfunctioning and not usable after a lightning storm. The malfunctioning intelliflo's drive was replaced (it powers the PV3 and deck jets), and it is working fine. The other one (main filter pump) was never a problem and I've been running it manually while the intellicenter install was pending, with no problems.

The pump addresses are correctly set (1 and 2). Both pumps' displays say display not active (ie the intellicenter is in control). However the filter pump, pump 1, has an alert on the intellicenter that it lost communication. What's weird is that it turns on, starts priming, drops RPMs down to the program RPM (I can hear it go from 3450 to 2600) and then about 30 seconds later the pump just turns off. Then if I put it in spa mode, the valves will all turn, that same pump will fire up again, heater fires up, and again 30 seconds after reaching the programmed speed, again it just shuts off. The display on the pump still says display not active. The PV3 pump 2 has no issues at all.

I put pump 2's 485 cable on to pump 1 (unfortunately pump 1's 485 doesn't reach pump 2). The electrician that originally wired it had the 485 cable's spliced together. I undid the splice for testing, put one 485 each on the J4 & J5 comm ports on the intellicenter board. Then I swapped them. Pump 2 works always. Still no luck with pump 1. Neither of the two pumps have 3.03 or 3.04 firmware. They have 2.x (probably the original one they shipped with).

I called pentair trying to get validation that the drive is messed up on pump 1 but they do not believe so. They gave some suggestions and then said wait for the tech to come back out. But I'm not that patient

Any ideas?

Here is a picture of the wiring:

 

[ajw22]

It sounds like pump 1 power is wired to the LOAD side of the filter pump relay. It should be wired to the LINE side and get continuous power.

Put the IntelliCenter in SERVICE mode and tell us what you see on the pump 1 display.

 

[poolfusq]

When I put it in service mode, I can control Pump 1 in its manual mode (operates as it should I believe).

I'm seeing and learning this for the first time-- but the filter pump relay has no high voltage wires connected to it at all. But its wire is connected to the corresponding port on the intellicenter. I don't believe the pool tech messed with the wiring from the initial install in 2020 that the electrician did (which has been in use by the intellitouch). Not sure if that means anything.

 

[ajw22]

Show us what you speed settings are for pump 1...

 

[poolfusq]

Here it is from my cell phone app in local connect mode (another story that I'm not yet prioritizing is that the intellicenter is reporting as offline despite the panel saying connection to internet was successful).

I did read some posts about the pool pump being set at RPM 0. But if that were my case, it should still not give a warning for loss of connection, right?

 

[ajw22]

Here it is from my cell phone app in local connect mode (another story that I'm not yet prioritizing is that the intellicenter is reporting as offline despite the panel saying connection to internet was successful).

Did you Login to Existing Account to connect your panel to the Pentair server for remote connection?

I did read some posts about the pool pump being set at RPM 0. But if that were my case, it should still not give a warning for loss of connection, right?

Loss of connection is due to either the pump not getting continuous 240V power or problem with the RS485 line.

What do you see on the pump display when you have the Loss of Connection message?

It is not clear to me if you have one problem or two different problems.

 

[ajw22]

What is your SPA setting?

 

[poolfusq]

When the loss of connection occurs-- the pump display still says display not active.

The SPA rpm is set at 3450.

 

[ajw22]

When the loss of connection occurs-- the pump display still says display not active.

Show me the Loss of Connection message.

 

[poolfusq]

OK I did that login to existing account on the panel and now I can login at www.intellicenter.com, thank you. I did get the upgrade notification in the app to start using Pentair Home app, and I setup a new account in there with the same email address and a different password. That new different password is not accepted at the panel, and the old password is still accepted (is that to intellicenter2 app or to the panel login itself independent of the app and I just happen to have them be the same?). TO make it a bit more complicated the tech set it up with a typo in my email address, which I fixed. So i potentially have 3 accounts out there. I did email pentair about this and am awaiting a response.

Anyways, here's the screen shot of the error message.

 

[poolfusq]

Here is the proper screen shot from the web app

 

[ajw22]

I did get the upgrade notification in the app to start using Pentair Home app, and I setup a new account in there with the same email address and a different password.

You should not have done that. It has really confused things.

That new different password is not accepted at the panel, and the old password is still accepted (is that to intellicenter2 app or to the panel login itself independent of the app and I just happen to have them be the same?). TO make it a bit more complicated the tech set it up with a typo in my email address, which I fixed. So i potentially have 3 accounts out there. I did email pentair about this and am awaiting a response.

Did you setup the Pentair Home account with your email type address or email good address?

 

[ajw22]

Here is the proper screen shot from the web app

Good you got connected to IntelliCenter2.com.

Show me your Home page....

 

[poolfusq]

Pentair 800# told me to go into the panel and add a new user with the correct email address (ie without the typo). I did that. Later that evening I got the alert from intellicenter2 app that the upgrade to pentair home app is ready. I tried logging in with the existing password, it didn't take it, so then I did a forgot password and changed the password and I login with that to the home app, but it doesn't auto-see my pool, and if I click on add device, there's a lot of devices but none intellicenter. But if I click on login to local network device then it finds my pool and I can control it like that.

 

[poolfusq]

Here is the home screen on intellicenter2.com

 

[ajw22]

Also show me POOLS...

 

[poolfusq]

Here's home with the schedules expanded (not done setting that up yet). Curious on yours and 3 minute air blower on the spa?

 

[poolfusq]

Here's the Pools

 

[ajw22]

Everything looks good with the IntelliCenter setup for pump 1.

While you pump says Display Not Active the IntelliCenter is complaining about Lost Connection. That says there is not the correct RS-485 communication between the pump and IntelliCenter. That is either a problem in the pump or with the RS-485 wiring. You seem to have tested the wiring when you swapped it with pump 2.

Given the history with the lightning that blew out pump 2 I think it may have damaged something in the RS-485 comm of pump 1.

 

[poolfusq]

To keep the pool going, I've been operating the pump 1 manually, by disconnecting the 485 cable. Just to experiment I plugged it in now. It immediately says display not active. Still the intellicenter doesn't have any comms with it, still reports RPM 0 nothing. I hit spa mode. The pump ramps up to 3450 RPM (the SPA setting). But then about 30-60s later it drops down to some unknown RPM. It hasn't shut off yet but I'm sure it will any second.