I have a Jandy VS epump that is connected to the iaqualink. My pool was just installed this past May. Over the past 2 months, at least once a week (if not twice a week) the light/auto cover gfci breaker in sub panel trips, causing the VS pump to also not work. I reset the light/auto cover gfci breaker and go into my iaqualink app to see that the pump is “online” now and I can start the pump again. When it tripped again yesterday, I tried to do the same procedure, but the iaqualink does not come “online” for the pump to run. The indicator lights in the iaqualink panel are on and the aqua pure indicators are on. Any thoughts why light/auto cover gfci breaker will not let pump operate when tripped, and why now it will not turn on at all now? Also, thoughts why this breaker is tripping so often? Thanks.
Light Breaker keeps tripping causing pump to not run
- Thread starter quantase
- Start date
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,206
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Quant,
The gfci breaker is tripping because you have leakage to ground in the wiring on one of the circuits. Not good, especially for such a new installation. Your installation should be within the warranty period and I would have the installer come out to fix it. Could be the frequent trips have caused the breaker to fail but that's a long-shot on such a new installation and you still have to fix the cause of trips occurred in the first place. But if it was me I wouldn't mess with it and risk the warranty.
As to the "iAqualink not coming on" you need to find out if there's power to the iAqualink antenna or there is power to the antenna but no connection to your wifi. Check the 3 LED lights on the side of the box. If the red one is on there is power to the antenna. Power to the antenna comes from the control board in your power center. So when your board is powered up the antenna should be powered. It would seem this problem is related to the trips. But if the connection has been intermittent from the start, you may just have a weak wifi signal at the antenna connection. Usually you can just add a wifi extender but your technician should not have left the unit with less than 3 bars of wifi signal. Check this with your phone at the antenna box. How strong is your wifi signal at the box? If this isn't the issue I'd call the service tech rather than mess with it yourself. If you do, you risk they will say you caused the problem so they won't warranty it. You can call tech support and they may try a remote reset for you but based on the other issues they will very likely tell you to call your service tech.
If for some reason you don't have a warranty let us know. We have several automation guru's that can help.
I hope this helps.
Chris
The gfci breaker is tripping because you have leakage to ground in the wiring on one of the circuits. Not good, especially for such a new installation. Your installation should be within the warranty period and I would have the installer come out to fix it. Could be the frequent trips have caused the breaker to fail but that's a long-shot on such a new installation and you still have to fix the cause of trips occurred in the first place. But if it was me I wouldn't mess with it and risk the warranty.
As to the "iAqualink not coming on" you need to find out if there's power to the iAqualink antenna or there is power to the antenna but no connection to your wifi. Check the 3 LED lights on the side of the box. If the red one is on there is power to the antenna. Power to the antenna comes from the control board in your power center. So when your board is powered up the antenna should be powered. It would seem this problem is related to the trips. But if the connection has been intermittent from the start, you may just have a weak wifi signal at the antenna connection. Usually you can just add a wifi extender but your technician should not have left the unit with less than 3 bars of wifi signal. Check this with your phone at the antenna box. How strong is your wifi signal at the box? If this isn't the issue I'd call the service tech rather than mess with it yourself. If you do, you risk they will say you caused the problem so they won't warranty it. You can call tech support and they may try a remote reset for you but based on the other issues they will very likely tell you to call your service tech.
If for some reason you don't have a warranty let us know. We have several automation guru's that can help.
I hope this helps.
Chris
Chris,
Thanks for the helpful info. I did a quick troubleshoot by turning all breakers off at the sub panel, then turned each one on one by one, and noticed that the light/ auto cover breaker also controls the iaqualink automation to come on. This may explains why when that breaker trips, even if the pump breaker has not trip, the pump still doesn’t come on since it is connected to the iaqualink. Once all breakers were on, I put it in service mode and the pump started then. I then checked my iaqualink antennae and all 3 lights were on. I checked the iaqualink app and it showed service mode, so I know that it is getting connectivity. Then I took it out of service mode, and just tried to see if iaqualink would allow me to start the pump, and this time the indicator light on the app turned Green and allowed me to turn on the pump. I’m not sure why having to go to service mode and through those steps somehow got it to work again. Any ideas?
It still doesn’t really explain why the light/auto cover breaker is tripping frequently. Good point that you made. I will call the installer so that they can look at it since it should still be in warranty. Any other ideas about the frequent tripping breaker for case the installer comes back saying it is out of warranty for some unknown reason? Thanks!
Thanks for the helpful info. I did a quick troubleshoot by turning all breakers off at the sub panel, then turned each one on one by one, and noticed that the light/ auto cover breaker also controls the iaqualink automation to come on. This may explains why when that breaker trips, even if the pump breaker has not trip, the pump still doesn’t come on since it is connected to the iaqualink. Once all breakers were on, I put it in service mode and the pump started then. I then checked my iaqualink antennae and all 3 lights were on. I checked the iaqualink app and it showed service mode, so I know that it is getting connectivity. Then I took it out of service mode, and just tried to see if iaqualink would allow me to start the pump, and this time the indicator light on the app turned Green and allowed me to turn on the pump. I’m not sure why having to go to service mode and through those steps somehow got it to work again. Any ideas?
It still doesn’t really explain why the light/auto cover breaker is tripping frequently. Good point that you made. I will call the installer so that they can look at it since it should still be in warranty. Any other ideas about the frequent tripping breaker for case the installer comes back saying it is out of warranty for some unknown reason? Thanks!
Q,
Pool lights should really be on their own GFCI... Having more than just the lights makes troubleshooting any problems much harder... Of all the things in a pool build most likely to trip a GFCI, the lights are the main one.. Especially as things get older.
I suggest you ask your pool builder to wire the Lights and autocover to separate GFCI breakers or outlets, even if you have to pay a few bucks to make it happen.. I would also not want the automation to be connected to a GFCI at all, or at least not one shared by other equipment..
Thanks,
Jim R.
Pool lights should really be on their own GFCI... Having more than just the lights makes troubleshooting any problems much harder... Of all the things in a pool build most likely to trip a GFCI, the lights are the main one.. Especially as things get older.
I suggest you ask your pool builder to wire the Lights and autocover to separate GFCI breakers or outlets, even if you have to pay a few bucks to make it happen.. I would also not want the automation to be connected to a GFCI at all, or at least not one shared by other equipment..
Thanks,
Jim R.
Do people have separate breakers in the subpanel for each component (inground pool lights, heater, pump, automation box, salt generator, main disconnect, etc.) of their pool or are there components that can be combined on some breakers? I have a heater, main disconnect, and pump on separate breakers, but my lights, auto cover, and my iaqualink automation box are on one breaker?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,467
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
That is typical. Heater and pump are 220V and are on separate CBs.
Lights, auto cover, and iaqualink automation box are 120V low amp draw and can share a breaker.
As Jim suggested the lights should be on its own GFCI breaker and the autocover motor should be on a separate breaker.
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,206
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Quant,
I believe the code in most jurisdictions requires a separate breaker for a pool pump. I have a separate breaker for my pool lights as Jim recommends. I also have a separate breaker for my heater, automation, and I supply power to my irrigation control/well pump in the sub panel.
I hope this helps.
Chris
I believe the code in most jurisdictions requires a separate breaker for a pool pump. I have a separate breaker for my pool lights as Jim recommends. I also have a separate breaker for my heater, automation, and I supply power to my irrigation control/well pump in the sub panel.
I hope this helps.
Chris
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,467
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
That is current NEC code. Many people have older pools that are grandfathered into codes that didn't require it at the time their pool was built.
The electricians came and placed the heater, water pump, and auto cover on separate breakers. The lights/outlets and automation system share one gfci breaker. They would have placed the lights/outlets on a different breaker from the automation system, but there were no more slots available in the subpanel. I hope this will fix the tripping of the breakers. If not, then they may have to install a larger subpanel in order to fix the issue. Anyone ran into issues in the breaker configuration that I just shared above? Thanks!
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,467
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Post pics of your breakers.
The OmniLogic has 12 breaker slots. A 220V breaker takes two slots. I can’t see filling all 12 breaker slots with the equipment you have listed.
The OmniLogic has 12 breaker slots. A 220V breaker takes two slots. I can’t see filling all 12 breaker slots with the equipment you have listed.
I doubt the breaker was popping because all the circuits were together, but having them on different breakers will allow you, or your electrician, to know which circuit is having the fault.
Thanks,
Jim R.
Thanks,
Jim R.
This subpanel has only 8 slots. The heater, main disconnect, and water pump are double pole breakers, which then only left 2 free slots.
The electrician did say they had issues before when autocover shared breaker with lights, hopefully this will solve issue. Cross your fingers!
The electrician did say they had issues before when autocover shared breaker with lights, hopefully this will solve issue. Cross your fingers!
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,206
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Quant,
There are only 3 reasons I know of that cause breakers to trip:
I hope this helps.
Chris
There are only 3 reasons I know of that cause breakers to trip:
- Current exceeds the capacity of the breaker
- Leakage to ground for a gfci breaker
- Old breaker that is worn out and trips prematurely
I hope this helps.
Chris