Pentair Intelliflo Pump Priming Alarm
- Thread starter mred1
- Start date
Clean the tank with a little ScotchBrite, I have an FNS 60 and it has a band rusting. Not quite as bad as yours but I have cleaned it up.
Even stainless will rust a little under the influence of chlorinated water. Actually as long as it's completely submerged it won't rust. It's the sitting over the winter empty when it rusts. Your's is pretty bad but it doesn't look structurally compromised. I'd clean it up and put it all back together.
[attachment=0:ck4bfusj]Repipe cuts 4-20.jpg[/attachment:ck4bfusj]Thanks! Couldn't I reuse the slide valve if I cut it after those tight elbows? Do I need to change the Orings in that since it is 6 years old? So I can cut out the Jandy, ozonator, venturi and just connect to bottom return? Sorry but wasn't quite clear on if capping in the enclosed pic was okay. I know you said to leave the caretaker check valve in tact.
Also, it would be a lot easier to use the flex pipe. I know it doesn't last as long but if it fails I could put in plain old schedule 40. I was reading that you have to have the angles almost perfect with the stiff pipe so was wondering if that would be difficult for a rookie. Lastly, can I cut out the old with a hack saw or do I need to shell out for a PVC cutter? Please check the pic again if cutting out the yellow is okay. Cuts are green.
BTW...why are you against the inline chlorinator? Ty.
Also, it would be a lot easier to use the flex pipe. I know it doesn't last as long but if it fails I could put in plain old schedule 40. I was reading that you have to have the angles almost perfect with the stiff pipe so was wondering if that would be difficult for a rookie. Lastly, can I cut out the old with a hack saw or do I need to shell out for a PVC cutter? Please check the pic again if cutting out the yellow is okay. Cuts are green.
BTW...why are you against the inline chlorinator? Ty.
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If you can get enough pipe to glue the new pipe to then you can use the slide valve but it doesn't look like you can. You can however, buy inside pipe couplings and glue them in the existing 90º ells and plumb from there. It'll reduce the pipe a little but that short a distance won't hurt anything. Besides removing all that other stuff will help a lot more than the couplings will hurt.
Yeah, just cut all that out and plumb from the bottom of the slide valve to the pipe that goes underground to the Caretaker.
You can use flex if you want to. It used all the time I just don't prefer it.
The tablets in the chlorinator add CYA as they add FC so you wind up building up too much CYA and that makes your FC ineffective. Then you have to drain and refill the pool. There are better ways of adding FC that don't also add CYA. Bleach is one of them.
Yeah, just cut all that out and plumb from the bottom of the slide valve to the pipe that goes underground to the Caretaker.
You can use flex if you want to. It used all the time I just don't prefer it.
The tablets in the chlorinator add CYA as they add FC so you wind up building up too much CYA and that makes your FC ineffective. Then you have to drain and refill the pool. There are better ways of adding FC that don't also add CYA. Bleach is one of them.
Just a hacksaw works fine. In fact most any type saw will do. I've used circular, hand, keyhole, coping, sawsall, etc on it. Even used a chainsaw once, of course I wasn't planning on putting it back together. :-D
Would you advise replacing that slide valve since it is 6 years old? I guess I could just replace the orings inside. Because of the leak situation maybe it would be better to eliminate that as a suspect. Thanks!
It would be fine to rebuild it, but if you replace it you'll have a clean slate to work with.
tsunami
0
Your filter has a push pull valve. It can be used on both a DE filter and a sand filter. A side mounted sand filter's inlet and outlet ports are opposite those of the DE filter's ports. So the ports must be plumbed accordingly for the filter to work properly. The Quad DE's inlet and outlet ports are the same as a sand filter's are, with the inlet on the top and the outlet on the bottom. So if used on a Quad DE, the push pull must be plumbed as a sand filter.
The middle port on a push pull valve is where the pump's output goes to on both types of filters (DE and Sand). On a DE filter the top port returns to the pool and the bottom port goes to waste. But on a sand filter the top port goes to waste and the bottom port returns to the pool.
According to your pictures, it looks like the plumber had plumbed it as a DE filter with the waste coming out of the bottom port and the return going to the pool on the top port. But since you have a Quad DE, your waste should be like a sand filter coming out of the top port of the push pull valve, and your return to your pool should be coming out the very bottom where your backwash hose is attatched to now.
Please verify this by looking at the installation manual of pentair's push pull valve:
http://www.pentairpool.com/pool-pro/man ... n.php?s=51
The middle port on a push pull valve is where the pump's output goes to on both types of filters (DE and Sand). On a DE filter the top port returns to the pool and the bottom port goes to waste. But on a sand filter the top port goes to waste and the bottom port returns to the pool.
According to your pictures, it looks like the plumber had plumbed it as a DE filter with the waste coming out of the bottom port and the return going to the pool on the top port. But since you have a Quad DE, your waste should be like a sand filter coming out of the top port of the push pull valve, and your return to your pool should be coming out the very bottom where your backwash hose is attatched to now.
Please verify this by looking at the installation manual of pentair's push pull valve:
http://www.pentairpool.com/pool-pro/man ... n.php?s=51
tsunami said:
Thanks! Looks like I replumbed it wrong over the weekend. Attached 3 pics
1. Replumbed wrongly
2. Correct Way
3. Without slide valve
Could you check them out please? Heard the slide valve make a popping sound upon restart and I can hardly move the slider. I usually take out the cartridges to clean them anyway. RE: 320 Chlorinator...hose broke on it.
Questions:
1. Can I eliminate slide valve and plumb directly? (Pic #3)
2. If so, what plumbing do I need to attache to filter?
3. If not, should I just replace the whole valve? (Pic #2)
4. Should I eliminate the Pentair 320 inline chlorinator? The other guy says he would.[attachment=2:34um7up1]Plumbedwrong4-23-12.jpg[/attachment:34um7up1][attachment=1:34um7up1]Replumb pic 2 without slide valve 4-23-12.jpg[/attachment:34um7up1][attachment=0:34um7up1]REPLUBM 3 OPTION 4-23-12.jpg[/attachment:34um7up1]
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tsunami
0
I have a friend who says that his Quad DE is plumbed directly to the filter. He has no way to backwash the filter, but he doesn't care since he always breaks it down for cleaning.
The fittings attached to the filter are called bulkheads. The nuts attached to the valve are called bulkhead unions. They are 2" diameter.
The o-rings on the slide valve should be lubed periodically. My slide valve is not quite 3 yrs. old and it's already getting hard to operate.
The fittings attached to the filter are called bulkheads. The nuts attached to the valve are called bulkhead unions. They are 2" diameter.
The o-rings on the slide valve should be lubed periodically. My slide valve is not quite 3 yrs. old and it's already getting hard to operate.
Hello-Got the filter replumbed but the guy used 1.5" from the pump to the filter instead of the recommended 2". He said it wasn't an issue unless it was on the suction side going into the pump.
He also installed a new Pentair slide valve for the Quad DE Filter. 4 new cartridges in filter so I think interior is okay.Also, when checking the backwash function on the slide valve the hose came off and soaked the pump.Added prescribed DE in a slurry through skimmer but hardly any suction or pool circulation. Now, I notice air blowing out hard from the top plate with 4 screws (Drive assembly and electronics enclosure) which wasn't happening before (please see picture).
The pump seemed to prime after adding a ton of water as it went into "Cycle 1, which I don't know how to disable BTW) but ran over 1500 rpms for 10 hours so I shut it off. Filter and caretaker gauges were at 40 psi for the duration.
Seem to be sucking air because the basket doesn't fill when running and when I take the lid off, no water rushes out. Saw a video that air bubbles out of the jets can be due to an air leak on old intake pipe going into the pump.
Today, a union hairline crack (going to caretaker) sprang a big leak. Tried to seal it and the pipe connections into the pump.
Questions please?
1. Does the 1.5" discharge pipe from pump to filter need to be upgraded to 2"? Does it impact Intelliflo performance (pressure sensitive)? Please see pic.
2. Since the new slide valve was plumbed, will the whole valve have to be replaced to install 2" pipe into filter or can it be cut before the last elbow and downsized into filter?Please see pic.
3. Is the air blowing from the pump just "exhaust" or a "leak" that needs repair?Please see pic.
4. Should the pump intake pipe be replaced (old) and possible connection leak at connections be replaced with a new fittings?Please see pic.
5. Why won't the pump strainer basket fill properly? Is this due to pump area plumbing or a clog somewhere because hardly any circulation even when running?
It is plumbed correctly but I read that you are supposed to use the largest pipe you can for the 2" intake and discharge so it appears the 1.5" may be causing the pump to run hot.
He also installed a new Pentair slide valve for the Quad DE Filter. 4 new cartridges in filter so I think interior is okay.Also, when checking the backwash function on the slide valve the hose came off and soaked the pump.Added prescribed DE in a slurry through skimmer but hardly any suction or pool circulation. Now, I notice air blowing out hard from the top plate with 4 screws (Drive assembly and electronics enclosure) which wasn't happening before (please see picture).
The pump seemed to prime after adding a ton of water as it went into "Cycle 1, which I don't know how to disable BTW) but ran over 1500 rpms for 10 hours so I shut it off. Filter and caretaker gauges were at 40 psi for the duration.
Seem to be sucking air because the basket doesn't fill when running and when I take the lid off, no water rushes out. Saw a video that air bubbles out of the jets can be due to an air leak on old intake pipe going into the pump.
Today, a union hairline crack (going to caretaker) sprang a big leak. Tried to seal it and the pipe connections into the pump.
Questions please?
1. Does the 1.5" discharge pipe from pump to filter need to be upgraded to 2"? Does it impact Intelliflo performance (pressure sensitive)? Please see pic.
2. Since the new slide valve was plumbed, will the whole valve have to be replaced to install 2" pipe into filter or can it be cut before the last elbow and downsized into filter?Please see pic.
3. Is the air blowing from the pump just "exhaust" or a "leak" that needs repair?Please see pic.
4. Should the pump intake pipe be replaced (old) and possible connection leak at connections be replaced with a new fittings?Please see pic.
5. Why won't the pump strainer basket fill properly? Is this due to pump area plumbing or a clog somewhere because hardly any circulation even when running?
It is plumbed correctly but I read that you are supposed to use the largest pipe you can for the 2" intake and discharge so it appears the 1.5" may be causing the pump to run hot.
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1) It would be nice to have 2" but 1-1/2" is fine for that short a run. If you're replacing it anyway I'd go with 2".
2) You can cut it wherever it's convenient and go from there.
3) If it's just air it's not a leak. It's just the fan.
4) I'd replace it all.
5) If it has air in it, there's an air leak in the suction side somewhere.
2) You can cut it wherever it's convenient and go from there.
3) If it's just air it's not a leak. It's just the fan.
4) I'd replace it all.
5) If it has air in it, there's an air leak in the suction side somewhere.
Bama Rambler said:
Hello-Had my pool repipe done after cutting out what you recommended including "right above the solar return valve". Now I have no flow from my pool jets and hardly any flow elsewhere. I did have jets working in the past. I did get the leak fixed so the pool is holding water.
Confused again....The guy who did the repipe says no water from the pool jets because that "solar return valve" is a return line to the pool jets. He says to install a 3 way diverter valve, a new check valve on the pressure side. I noticed the flow arrow is upward indicating you are right that it was a solar return therefore I capped it. Earlier in this post, I was told "2??" was the solar return line and the flow was upward which is why I cut and capped it. Also, the pic right above this entry is where I asked specifically about cutting at the solar return.
Did I mess up? Could the installer be correct? Seems the flow to the caretaker makes a right turn out in that smaller pipe (where checkvalve is). Could water be blowing by the turn? Also, please see pics where I capped off the solar outllow and return lines and there is another one capped from before.
My pump is screaming at over 1500 rpm's and no circulation in the pool so wondered what you thought? Thanks!
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The one you have marked as "unused solar capped" could be a return pipe but that's the only possibility I see. Did you blow air or water through it to make sure where it went? It could also be that check valve to the right is stuck closed.