Pentair Intelliflo VSF Settings questions

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May 19, 2015
145
Burbank, California
Pool Size
23000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
I have Pentair Intelliflo VSF pump with a 33000 gallon pool.

How many times a day should I be turning over my entire pool?

What is the best way to setup my pump and at which speeds? How long should I run it at fast speeds? How long should I run it slow?

In terms of Gallons per minute
 
Turn over is a meaningless parameter. As is flow rate.

Many people run their pump at low speeds around 1100rpm 24/7. But you may need higher for other reasons like chlorine generating, heater, skimming, etc..
 
Add,

None.. :mrgreen:

Turnovers are a myth, and the requirement to turnover X amount of water each day is just not needed.

Chemicals keep your pool clear and sanitized.. The filter is designed to capture the junk that falls into your water and gets collected by the skimmers.

Just run your pump long enough to skim your pool, and that will be plenty to circulate any chemicals. Three or four hours a day is plenty.

That does not mean you can't run your pump for as long as you want, but it is not required..

I assume you bought a VS pump to save on the electrical bill.. If so, you should run at a slow RPM.. I run my pump, most of the time at 1200 RPM, because that is what it takes to turn on my SWCG... Because I like to generate a little chlorine all the time, and I also like to skim all the time, I run my pump 24/7.. Notice I do that because I like to do it, not because of any mystical turnover requirement. The cost to run my IntelliFlo 24/7 is less than $20 bucks a month.

There is no one answer for everyone... Run your pump as long as it takes to satisfy your needs.

Edit.. I have a VS pump, but if I had a VSF pump, the VF side of it would never get used... I can't think of a single thing that it would help me do.. :)

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
OK, let me rephrase this question then.

Lets say I run into a situation with an algae attack, And I want to clear up the pool quickly. The guy who programmed the pool, set the pool to a low speed at only 6 hours a day. I want to reprogram this.

Or In terms of CYA, and using the sock method. At very low speeds, the CYA is taking weeks to remove cya from a single sock floating in a skimmer.

What speeds would you run in those situation. I don't want to wait 2 weeks for the CYA to dissolve, the pool is eating chlorine like the cookie monster.

"I assume you bought a VS pump to save on the electrical bill.. If so, you should run at a slow RPM"

No, its a newly built pool, and this is just what they gave us. Power consumption is not a factor.
 
Add,

Funny, at 1200 RPM my CYA will be all gone in 6 hours max. I use ladies Knee-High stockings and hang it in front of a pool return with the pump running...

Knee-Highs work about 10 x faster than an old athletic sock... And I have never have liked putting them in the skimmer.. (Although many people do..)

If you have algae the filter will not fix the problem.. Chemicals need to kill the algae first.. If I had algae, I would run my pump 24/7 at about 1800 or 2000 RPM while I was performing a SLAM.. SLAM Process

Please do us a favor and update your pool's signature, which I assume is for your old pool...

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Okay.... This a family pool, not mine.

Part 2.
I want to ask questions about this pump if anyone has it, or one similar to it. We have a easytouch panel (pentair) with this pump.

Currently, the pump is scheduled (I guess?) To run at 12 am to 6 am. And I know this because of the phone app.

The problem is, this pump runs, it does so at a very high speed for 10-20 seconds, then downshifts into a much lower speed. Manually attempting to change this speed via the phone app, doesn't do anything.

When I place the pump into service mode, we checked the settings.

Program 1 is set to manual and at 2850 RPM
Program 2 is set to manual and at 450 RPM
Program 3 is an egg timer?? and set to 450 RPM
Program 4 is an egg timer and is set to 450 RPM

Program 5-8 are all disabled.

When we attempted to alter program 2-4 to 1500 RPM, nothing happens. It still reverts back to the very low speed of whatever it goes to.
What am I missing here?

Let's say I take all of your advice and I set the up to run 24/7 at 1500 RPM (for example) How would I do that on this pump?
 
Add,

It sounds like you have ScreenLogic... If you have ScreenLogic on your PC...

You can schedule the pump from this screen (time wise)...

Schedules.PNG

Schedules.PNG


You can change the speed for each circuit from this page..

View media item 1962
If you only have a phone.. (I believe..) to change pump setting you need to be in the ScreenLogic Configuration app and not the control app..

I never use the phone as I find it a pain and only use my PC.. About 10 x easier to use for programming than the phone..

Let me get my phone and see what I can see???

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Okay, I'm with you now. This is how mine looks.

6feaaa76b8.png


ca14601547.png


These are the same settings that are on the phone. Changing these settings doesn't do anything to the pump when we manually turn on the pump
 

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If you are manually turning on the pump, you are in Service Mode. That disables the ET settings and uses the settings in the pump controller.
 
From what i'm seeing with this computer program, it's the exact same thing as the phone app. 100%.

"That disables the ET settings? what is ET?"

1. I thought the only way to go into service mode was via the easytouch controller?
2. If it's 2pm and I manually turn on the pump/pool from my phone or PC. Are you saying this is manual mode = service mode?

if so.....
If it's using the settings in the pump controller, how do I change those? Like I said, we went into the pump controller settings (while in service mode) And attempted to change programs 2, 3, and 4.

This is where my question comes into play, if I want to manually set the pump to run at 2500 RPM, it won't do that... For 20 seconds it runs fast, then downshifts to a low speed.

So I have 2 issues. How do I set the pump to run 24/7 at 1500 RPM
How do I set the pump to be able to run at 2500 RPM, When I want to manually make it run at faster speeds?

This should be possible correct?
 
Sorry - you cannot go into Service mode from Screenlogic. ET is the EasyTouch.

I do not know Screenlogic. Jim will need to help you there.
 
Add,

The setting "inside" the pump's controller have zero to do with how the pump runs when controlled by the EasyTouch (ET)...

If fact, when connected to the ET, the Pump's display panel should read "Display Not Active".. Please go out and check and make sure what the pump's display says when in Auto.. (Not the Service mode)

You do not really schedule the "pump" to run.. You schedule Circuits.. as you can see by your current schedules..

If you set the Pool Circuit to run from 8 am until 8 am, the pump will run 24/7... If you look at the pump speed set up page, you can see where the Pool Circuit is assigned a speed of 2500 rpm.. You can set that speed to whatever you want.. When the Circuit is on, the pump will run at whatever speed assigned to the Circuit.. I have no clue why, but in your case, you are running the Spa circuit at 2550 rpm and the Pool, Cleaner and Spillway at 2500 rpm... Very odd???

Of course, if the pump is running 24/7 you will not need to manually turn it on...

In your current set up the pump will run from 12 am until 8:30 am... This is because the Pool circuit is schedule from 12 am until 6 am and then the Cleaner circuit is scheduled from 6 am until 8:30 am... The pump will be off from 8:30 am until 12 am..

If you want to turn the pump on at say 10 am, when it is scheduled to be off, all you have to do is push the "Grey" Pool Icon one time.. It should turn green and the pump should be running at 2500 rpm..

You should have this page..

Spa page.JPG

Spa page.JPG

ScreenLogic Spillover button

You should have the same basic thing on your phone.

The down side to manually turning on things that are scheduled is that you can mess up the schedule for 24 hours.. Say you turn it on at 11:30 pm and then turn if off at 12:30 am after it should already be on, it will just shut off and will not come back on until the next on cycle at 12 am the next day.

It looks to me like you are not using your EasyTouch to get much out of it... Whoever programmed it did not do you any favors.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
Add,


The setting "inside" the pump's controller have zero to do with how the pump runs when controlled by the EasyTouch (ET)....

If fact, when connected to the ET, the Pump's display panel should read "Display Not Active".. Please go out and check and make sure what the pump's display says when in Auto.. (Not the Service mode)
Click to expand...

You are Correct, When the service mode is on, I can change the settings at the actual pump. When the Auto mode is on, it says Display not Active. I understand this.

BUT, Are you saying when the easy touch has the pump in auto mode, that the ALL the settings on the actual pump are irrelevant? Meaning anything you change in those settings is overridden by the easy touch? If that's the case, why is the pump revert back constantly to a slow mode, something is missing here. There is a detail either i'm not explaining to you Jim, or you simply don't understand what i'm talking about.

On the ACTUAL phone or pc app, whatever setting I change the pump's RPMs to, it goes back to 'some' low setting.



Jimrahbe said:
You do not really schedule the "pump" to run.. You schedule Circuits.. as you can see by your current schedules..
Click to expand...

Yes, I understand that. But I should be able to manually set the pump on and off and change the speed of the pump as well. RIGHT?

Jimrahbe said:
If you set the Pool Circuit to run from 8 am until 8 am, the pump will run 24/7... If you look at the pump speed set up page, you can see where the Pool Circuit is assigned a speed of 2500 rpm.. You can set that speed to whatever you want.. When the Circuit is on, the pump will run at whatever speed assigned to the Circuit.. I have no clue why, but in your case, you are running the Spa circuit at 2550 rpm and the Pool, Cleaner and Spillway at 2500 rpm... Very odd???
Click to expand...

This is the primary reason that I started this post. Who ever set this up, didn't have the faintest clue on what he was doing with this pump. The 2ndary problem is, either do i. I have a simple single speed pump, and run it 5 hours a day in the summer and 3 hours a day in the winner. And when I get an algae attack I run the pump for 8 hours that day and constantly add chlorine throughout the day. The only way to really have my family member getting his pool working a predictable way is for me to understand how the pump functions, and how I can manually alter it's setting for SPECIAL situation. Which no one has really address for me so far. Whatever setting I set the pump to manually it reverts back to a lower setting.

From what I gather here, no one here knows why. So i'll call pentair tomorrow.

Jimrahbe said:
It looks to me like you are not using your EasyTouch to get much out of it... Whoever programmed it did not do you any favors.
Click to expand...

really confused by this last comment, what should I be doing to get the most out this panel?
 
Looking at your Flow rate settings page it appears your pump is running at 2500 rpm..


Are you saying that when you adjust the speed of say pool up to 3000, the speed does not change???

Note that in your screenshot there are three green buttons all calling for the pump speed of 2500... If you try to lower 2500, you can't because you have three things all calling for 2500.. The pump will always go with the fastest input... if it is green it is on...

Let us know what Pentair says..

My comment was not directed at you, but at whoever set your system up.. The ET can do many things and it appears, from what I have seen, that it is not being used up to its potential.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Okay after speaking with Pentair support, I now understand how the pump and the easy touch works. I think the main problem I was having was the system needed to be "reset". for whatever reason the pump kept running at extremely low speeds no matter what we did, and It didn't make any sense to me. Now everything works correctly.

Once things were reset, i reprogrammed everything, Now I want your opinions on my current settings.

12am - 6am - Pool Low speed - 1500 RPM
6am - 7am - Pool High speed - 2900 RPM For skimming
7:30am-9am Cleaner - 2200 RPM
9am-3pm Pool Low speed - 1500 RPM
3pm-4pm Pool High speed - 2900 RPM for skimming
4pm-5:30pm - cleaner - 2200 RPM
8:30pm-10pm - Spillway 2500 RPM pH to Aerate the pool
9pm - 12pm lights

It's not running 24/7, but way more than it was from before. I also wanted it to skim and clean the floor for a couple hours in the morning and the evening.

1. Is there any issues you see with this schedule?
2. should I aerate more?
3. how long do you guys run your floor cleaner for on a typical day?

any other suggestions would be helpful.
 
add,

Thanks for the feedback about resetting the system...

From a programming point of view I see nothing wrong..

Not sure we are on the same page with "aeration" .. If you run a water feature, the aeration causes your pH to increase.. Most people do not want their pH to go up.. :scratch:

Spas do not get fresh chlorinated water unless you run the spillover into the pool.. That is what the Spillway function is normally used for.. As long as your Spa's FC level tests about the same as what is in the pool, then you do not need to run the spillway more than what you have scheduled.

I can't help with your floor cleaner as I have a Robot... What type of "floor cleaner" do you have? Are we talking about an actual In-Floor Cleaning System, or a suction or pressure side cleaner?? I am surprised any type of cleaner works well at 2200 RPM???

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
add,

Thanks for the feedback about resetting the system...

From a programming point of view I see nothing wrong..

Not sure we are on the same page with "aeration" .. If you run a water feature, the aeration causes your pH to increase.. Most people do not want their pH to go up.. :scratch:

Spas do not get fresh chlorinated water unless you run the spillover into the pool.. That is what the Spillway function is normally used for.. As long as your Spa's FC level tests about the same as what is in the pool, then you do not need to run the spillway more than what you have scheduled.

I can't help with your floor cleaner as I have a Robot... What type of "floor cleaner" do you have? Are we talking about an actual In-Floor Cleaning System, or a suction or pressure side cleaner?? I am surprised any type of cleaner works well at 2200 RPM???

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...

Their pool has a high TA. I'm trying to drop to at least 120.

The cleaner is this


POOLVERGNUEGEN the pool cleaner.

What do you recommend the speed to be set at?
 
add,

That is a suction side cleaner... Is it on all the time, or does the pool have a automated valve that turns it on or off..??

If it works well at 2200 RPM that is great... If not, I would increase the RPM, in increments of 100, until it works the way you want.

2200 may be fine, it just sounds low to me...

If you want to reduce your TA you will need a couple of days... Test your pH and TA and records the results.. Add acid to drop the pH to 7.0.. Turn on as much aeration as you have, and leave it on.. Wait 2 or 3 hours and test again.. When the pH increases to 7.4 or so, do it all again, over and over.. TA will come down very little at first and then more and more as time goes on.. I always shoot for a TA of 60 as it will come back up.. Once the TA is where you want it, let the aeration run until the pH is back up to 7.5 or so...

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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