Intelliflo VSF losing prime

[chazas]

The Intelliflo VSF on my new pool reprimes itself every once in awhile - no idea how often, I just catch it once in awhile. This morning it was retrying to re-prime and failing over and over. Even though the water level was above the skimmer weir, it wasn't high enough to keep air from being sucked in during the priming process. I added a couple of inches of water.

I have never had this issue before with two pools, but never had a variable speed pump before. Wondering if I should change any setting? Currently the flow is set at 30 GPM, wondering if that's not enough to clear air that accumulates in the system. Should the priming speed somehow be adjusted down? I don't think it would be as likely to clear out the skimmer of water and suck air, but I'm guessing that could also be counterproductive.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Chaz,

I never recommend using the GPM or flow part of the VSF pump.. Just makes things more complex than they need to be.. I suggest that you just use VS (RPM) side of the pump.

I have never seen a pump re-prime while still running, unless it has the SVRS options and I assume you do not have this option.

Does the pump just re-prime after it was scheduled to be off, or is the pump running and then shuts off by itself and then immediately tries to restart???

What happens to the water in the pump basket when the pump shuts off? It should stay in the basket, it should not drain back into the pool.

When running are there large bubbles under the pump lid? Do the bubbles get bigger and bigger as the pump is running?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[chazas]

Switched to RPM. No SVRS. It's running 24/7, so not scheduled to be off. It shuts itself off and primes. The water stays in the pump basket. Yes, there are some bubbles. I'm assuming they get bigger, otherwise the pump wouldn't prime itself...

Not a lot of "blips" in the screenlogic pump history. I can't tell exactly the last time I caught it priming, I just noticed because it was odd. This morning the skimmer basket was pretty clogged, that may have had something to do with it.

Chaz,

I never recommend using the GPM or flow part of the VSF pump.. Just makes things more complex than they need to be.. I suggest that you just use VS (RPM) side of the pump.

I have never seen a pump re-prime while still running, unless it has the SVRS options and I assume you do not have this option.

Does the pump just re-prime after it was scheduled to be off, or is the pump running and then shuts off by itself and then immediately tries to restart???

What happens to the water in the pump basket when the pump shuts off? It should stay in the basket, it should not drain back into the pool.

When running are there large bubbles under the pump lid? Do the bubbles get bigger and bigger as the pump is running?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Chas,

I run my pump 24/7 and have never seen it turn off and then back on by itself...

Do you have any automated valves? If so and you have the "shut off the pump before moving the valves" set to on, then that would be one thing that would shut the pump off... I can't think of anything else that would shut the pump off if scheduled to run 24/7..

You might check your egg-timer... I have my Pool Circuit set to "Don't stop" because if you manually turn off something that is scheduled on or off at the right (wrong) time, the system can get confused and skip the next scheduled event. If the Egg-timer is set to the default of 12 hours, it is possible for the pump to run for 12 hours and shut off and then not come back on until the next on schedule.. Not saying that is the problem, just something to look at.

I would run for a few days as a VS pump and see if the problem continues..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[chazas]

Thanks. Egg timer is set for pool circuit at "don't stop" and the only valves are those for the bubblers, which shift the pressure side flow from the returns to the bubblers. Those are only on rarely. I'm assuming it's not priming because it's shutting off and then turning on again, but because it's losing prime for some other reason. Who knows.