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platon20

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Bronze Supporter
Oct 13, 2016
112
DFW/Texas
PH 6.6
FC 3
CC 0.5
CH 225
TA 20
CYA 45
Temp 72

I'm not sure how long the pump is supposed to be running. Also the pentair control panel shows a flashing red light next to cleaner (hooked up to Polaris 280) and it doesn't seem to be doing anything. The bag is not full either.

The pool guy said brushing was not needed but I've heard otherwise so I'm doing it anyways.

Pool water has lots of small particles in it that show up under bright light but overall the pool looks clear and not cloudy

Should I run the pump/filter 24/7 for a few days just to clear up the small particles in the water?
 
Your very low pH is not doing your heater any favors. Raise your TA to 70 ppm using baking soda, ASAP. Do it in 20 ppm TA intervals. Check your pH and see if that raises it to 7.2 or greater.

- - - Updated - - -

Follow the [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA] for non-SWCG pools until spring (or whenever you plan to start your SWCG).

No need to run the pump all the time.
 
mknauss said:
Your very low pH is not doing your heater any favors. Raise your TA to 70 ppm using baking soda, ASAP. Do it in 20 ppm TA intervals. Check your pH and see if that raises it to 7.2 or greater.

- - - Updated - - -

Follow the [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA] for non-SWCG pools until spring (or whenever you plan to start your SWCG).

No need to run the pump all the time.
Click to expand...

OK will do.

I noticed that today the pump/filter hasn't come on at all. I pushed the pump/filter button on the pentair control panel but it's still not coming on. Is there something I'm missing about turning it on? I'm assuming I need to be pumping/filtering when I put in the baking soda
 
mknauss said:
You have screenlogic. Do you have the phone app set up?
Click to expand...

Yes there is an alarm stating that the pump is blocked. It keeps trying to cycle on but shuts off after a few seconds.

The skimmers are clear, the drains in the pool are clear. The filter basket next to the pump looks clear too, but it won't twist off for some reason, it's stuck so I cant open it.
 
You have a SVRS pump. Bummer. It will create problems for you until it dies. If there is any way you could get your builder to replace it with a plain Intellflo VS (011018) you will be much happier.

The pump thinks there is a problem on your suction side. The alarm needs to be cleared. Check your manuals or call your builder tomorrow.
 
mknauss said:
You have a SVRS pump. Bummer. It will create problems for you until it dies. If there is any way you could get your builder to replace it with a plain Intellflo VS (011018) you will be much happier.

The pump thinks there is a problem on your suction side. The alarm needs to be cleared. Check your manuals or call your builder tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Pool guy cant make it out until Monday. I'm worried about hte pump not running at all for 4 days while we're waiting for him to look at it.

In the meantime should I go ahead and sprinkle in the baking soda to raise the pH? Or do I have to have the pump running to circulate it around the pool?
 
Have you looked at the manual for your pump?

I looked at it on line. Most likely cause of this alarm is air in the system. Your cartridge filter has a bleed valve on top. Try turning the pump back on and being ready to bleed the air in the filter housing if the pump starts.

I will ask another Mod to chime in. He has this same pump.

Do you have a pool brush? If so, you can add the baking soda and vigorously mix the water with the brush.
 

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20,

I have this same SVRS pump and it has been a pain in my rear for the past 4 years.. NO one needs an SVRS pump, so if you can swap out that is what I would do..

When it goes into Alarm condition you have to push the "reset" button on the pump. I have found two things that will almost always cause my pump to go into an entrapment alarm.. One is having the water too low and then trying to start the pump. Any tiny little surge in water flowing through plumbing, will cause an alarm when the pump first starts up...

The other thing is that after you have had the pump open or cleaned the filter, you of course have some air in the system. To get rid of the air you open the air relief valve on the top of the filter... When water comes out, you shut the valve off.. But... if you turn the air valve off too quickly, it will send the pump into alarm.

The pump will try to recover on its own, but my pump will just keep going into alarm each time it starts up. Over and over...

Try adding water about an inch or more above the center line of the skimmer... also make sure your weir door in the skimmer is not stuck..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
20,

I would also try starting the pump using just one skimmer, turn off the other skimmer and the main drain. If that does not work, I would try both skimmers and no main drain, and if that does not work I would try Main drain only with no skimmers open.

Jim R.
 
I tried changing the valves to all those configurations and it doesn't make a difference. The pump whines and runs really high for 30 secs then shuts down and then the same error message pops up on the screen.

I opened the air relief valve on the filter and you can hear air coming out for a few seconds every time the pump runs. However no water ever comes out, no matter how long I leave it open.

I noticed the pump filter basket has water that doesn't go up all the way to the suction return line? It goes up about halfway up the basket but it's never full. I tried adding some water to the basket but that doesn't help either.

- - - Updated - - -

Right now the FC is OK but I assume it's going to drop soon. It's a saltwater system but I assume for now I should just use regular bleach when the FC drops instead of salt until the pump is working again?

pH 6.3
FC 2
CC 0.5
CH 250
TA 25
CYA 45

I will obviously put in more soda
 
If needed add bleach and use your pool brush to vigorously mix your water.

Push hard to get that pump changed out to a regular Intelliflo VS.
 
mknauss said:
If needed add bleach and use your pool brush to vigorously mix your water.

Push hard to get that pump changed out to a regular Intelliflo VS.
Click to expand...

I'm starting to think there's some kind of blockage in the common suction line that feeds the skimmers and the main drain.

When the pump runs (only for 30 secs before it shuts down), there's no water coming in from the suction line from the pool. Also, when the pump is running briefly, I can't feel any suction at all at the line under the skimmer basket.

Furthermore, the filter pressure is always zero no matter what valves are open or closed.

Would air in the system cause that?
 
20,

To test your blockage theory, you could put your system into the Spa mode and see if it primes then..

The pump works off of suction, so any large air leak will prevent it from sucking any water from the main drain/skimmer.. The pump lid must be on and the O-Ring under the pump lid needs to be in good shape. The union right in front of the pump must be tight...

The filter will not have any pressure until it fills with water... My filter, which is the same as yours, takes about 30 seconds or so before it will show any pressure.

When operating correctly, your plumbing should be air tight. When working, if you shut off the pump, water should not drain back into the pool. The pump basket and filter should maintain their water unless you let air in by opening the pump lid or the filter air valve.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
20,

To test your blockage theory, you could put your system into the Spa mode and see if it primes then..

The pump works off of suction, so any large air leak will prevent it from sucking any water from the main drain/skimmer.. The pump lid must be on and the O-Ring under the pump lid needs to be in good shape. The union right in front of the pump must be tight...

The filter will not have any pressure until it fills with water... My filter, which is the same as yours, takes about 30 seconds or so before it will show any pressure.

When operating correctly, your plumbing should be air tight. When working, if you shut off the pump, water should not drain back into the pool. The pump basket and filter should maintain their water unless you let air in by opening the pump lid or the filter air valve.

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...


It definitely works better in spa-only mode. The pump basket fills with water and swirls around in a vortex. However it still shuts down after about 4-5 minutes with the same "clear drain" warning. But the pool suction side doesnt even get that far and shuts off after 30 seconds with no water pulled into the pump basket at all.
 
platon20 said:
It definitely works better in spa-only mode. The pump basket fills with water and swirls around in a vortex. However it still shuts down after about 4-5 minutes with the same "clear drain" warning. But the pool suction side doesnt even get that far and shuts off after 30 seconds with no water pulled into the pump basket at all.
Click to expand...

Update: all 3 suction circuits are now pulling water into the pump basket, but the pump still shuts down with the SVRS clear drain warning after 30-60 secs.

Interestingly, it gets more water return to the pump when only one of the suction circuits is open (e.g 1 skimmer). If both skimmers and main drain are connected, then very little water gets pulled into the pump.

I tried leaving the air valve on the filter open during the whole time. Usually you can hear the hissing sound of air escaping. Only one time did water shoot out of the top of the filter, and I immediately closed the valve. Unfortunately even after that the pump still only runs for 30-60 secs.

When the pump is running properly, I'm assuming that the pump basket is supposed to be 100% full with water?
 
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