Purchased new Pentair VSP (Model 011028) - Run question

Jump to latest Follow Reply
S

skimmerswimmer

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2013
520
Long Island, NY
I have decided to replace my Hayward 1HP single speed pump with a Pentair Intelliflow variable speed pump. Our electric company is offering a $350 rebate and because I've been running my 1HP pump about 12 hours per day, I think it makes sense to upgrade to a VSP to save on electric usage. I also understand that a 3HP running at lower speed will still move quite a bit of water and will be much quieter.
I've been using an Intermatic 1125CR electronic dual timer to control my single speed pump and my Stenner pump. Does it make any sense to just put the new Intelliflo in manual mode and let the Intermatic timer control it just like the old pump or should I program the timer on the intermatic to be always on for the new Intelliflo and use the programming on the pump like most users do? I think using the Intelliflo in manual mode set to always on makes the most sense in case power is lost and I'm not around. When power comes back on, the Intelliflo would automatically turn back on, self prime and run at it's set speed. The Stenner could never run without the Intelliflo running. Any concerns here? This will be my first VSP, so it's all new to me. Thanks!
 
SS,

The IntelliFlo is designed to have constant AC power. I would move the pump's power from the load side of the timer to the line side of the timer. This would provide the pump with constant power. I would leave the Stenner connected to the timer so that you could control when the Stenner ran. I would set up a pump schedule and then have the timer set to ensure the Stenner ran inside the time the pump was schedule to run.


Thanks,

Jim R.
 
SS,

Just so that we are both on the same page... The IntelliFlo should have 240 VAC at all times.. When in the Service mode, the only thing that happens is that the RS-485 connection to the automation is turned off. With no RS-485, the pump's display will switch from saying "Display not active" to the normal pump page that let's you manually turn the pump on and off, etc...

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
The IntelliFlo is designed to have constant AC power.
Click to expand...
Jimrahbe said:
The IntelliFlo should have 240 VAC at all times..
Click to expand...

Can you expand on this? What does it mean that it is "designed to have constant AC power"? What is wrong with SS's proposal? I agree with him that the way you are sure the stenner is only on when the pump is on is to have the power switched to them, rather than "hoping" that the Intermatic and the Pump's schedules stay synced.
What happens on a power failure? The Intermatic will be wrong, and won't the Pump also reset to the beginning of its 24-hour schedule? At least with the Intermatic controlling both, the time of day may be wrong, but they will still be in sync.
 
Contact Brian Boothe at Pentair. [email protected] has the answers you need. He is Engineering Manager, Flow Tech. He has helped me several times and also corrected bad info I got from the pool builder. BTW, be sure you register your pump with Pentair to assure your warranty is in effect and that you get seasonal info and warnings plus any recall info.
 
sean.a.hyde said:
Can you expand on this? What does it mean that it is "designed to have constant AC power"?
Click to expand...

Sean,

I see your point...

The EasyTouch automation manual says to connect the pump directly to the "circuit breaker" so that the pump gets constant AC power.. But.. when I looked in the pump's manual, it says "Circuit Breaker or Timer, or relay", so it does seem that Pentair concurs with your idea that you can turn the power on and off to the pump itself. The pump will retain its memory.. Not sure how long, but I'm sure it is at least 24 hours.

With a mechanical timer, the pump and the timer would still be out of sync after a power outage.. But after rereading the OP's post I see he is using an electronic timer which has a battery back up, so both the timer and pump would still be in sync.. Sounds perfect to me..

Thanks for the feedback, I will change my response for standalone use in the future.

@sean.a.hyde @skimmerswimmer

Jim R.
 
I think on a power loss, both the Intelliflow and the Intermatic controls should retain their settings. If this is the case, it think it is probably OK to switch the Intelliflow over to constant power and leave the Stenner on the timer. There may also be an option to have one load on the timer always on via programming, so maybe I don’t even need to rewire anything, I just need to never program a shut off time on that output.

I wonder how much electricity I can expect to save over the 1HP Hayward Superpump? If this saves me $100 per month, it should pay for itself in the first year. That would be awesome!
 
Jimrahbe said:
With a mechanical timer, the pump and the timer would still be out of sync after a power outage.. But after rereading the OP's post I see he is using an electronic timer which has a battery back up, so both the timer and pump would still be in sync.. Sounds perfect to me..
Click to expand...

I thought the OP said he would run the pump in "manual" mode -- so it wouldn't have a schedule, it would just come on whenever the Intermatic turns on. This means even if your timer didn't have a backup battery (like the mechanical ones), your pump and timer wouldn't be "out of sync", they would just turn on and off at the wrong time of day. But everything comes on and off with the Intermatic in sync. Or am I missing something?
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Sean,

I believe that to run in a manual mode you have to push a couple of buttons.. Once you turn off the power, you would have to push the buttons again.

That said, I have not tried it.. And don't plan on it.. :mrgreen:

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
Once you turn off the power, you would have to push the buttons again.
Click to expand...

D'oh! I immediately downloaded the manual for my yet-to-be-installed SuperFlo VS. Learned something new today.
That's a problem because it means that although the Pump will retain its 24-hour time, it won't start, but anything just switched from the Intermatic will... unless with the digital Intermatic there's something that has to be manually pushed in order for it to turn on.

Ideally, everything just starts back up after a power failure. A compromise might be that nothing starts up. This looks worse than that in that the Stenner (or SWG) will start up but not the pump.
 
skimmerswimmer said:
I have decided to replace my Hayward 1HP single speed pump with a Pentair Intelliflow variable speed pump. Our electric company is offering a $350 rebate and because I've been running my 1HP pump about 12 hours per day, I think it makes sense to upgrade to a VSP to save on electric usage. I also understand that a 3HP running at lower speed will still move quite a bit of water and will be much quieter.
I've been using an Intermatic 1125CR electronic dual timer to control my single speed pump and my Stenner pump. Does it make any sense to just put the new Intelliflo in manual mode and let the Intermatic timer control it just like the old pump or should I program the timer on the intermatic to be always on for the new Intelliflo and use the programming on the pump like most users do? I think using the Intelliflo in manual mode set to always on makes the most sense in case power is lost and I'm not around. When power comes back on, the Intelliflo would automatically turn back on, self prime and run at it's set speed. The Stenner could never run without the Intelliflo running. Any concerns here? This will be my first VSP, so it's all new to me. Thanks!
Click to expand...
I disconnected my Pentair VS pump from the Intermatic timer so it is always receiving power. The Intermatic still controls the heater and spa blower. (I set it to turn off the heater in the event I forget...I forgot to turn off my heater one January when I turned on the heater while brushing the pool and testing the water. It was really cold out. I remembered a week later when I notice steam coming off the water.)

I use speeds 5-8 to schedule the speed and time...1-4 for immediate use, like when I want to heat the pool and need to increase the RPM for a few hours. Learning the Pentair control buttons tends to be confusing and not very logical compared to other devices (iPhones, Android phones,...), BUT it does the job.

You'll get better results (lower electric bills) like Jimrahbe mentioned if you run the pump at a lower speed for a longer time and have a separate higher speed setting for times you use your heater (unless I missed something in your post...BUT wine is still the answer).

The pump will remember the settings you have entered during a power outage and resume once power is restored.
 
JRB,

I believe that if you are running a schedule and power is lost, when the power comes back on, the pump will continue running the schedule.

What I am not sure of is how it will act if you are running in the manual mode and the power is lost.. I assume it will not fire back up, but do not know that for sure.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JRB100
Thanks for all the information! I have one more question regarding the electrical wiring. Rather than remove the cord and plug from my old pump, I purchased 6 ft of 12/3 outdoor wire and a Nema 6-15P plug to match what I had. For the connection on the pump side, is there a specific conduit elbow or fitting that I can use to route the wire through on it's way to the inside screw terminals? I'm guessing there is a specific threaded part that can screw into the pump but since I'm not using fixed conduit, I'd need a weatherproof crimp or something on the outside. I've been searching for something on line but most I have seen are for conduit connections. The Pentair manual doesn't specify the exact threading for this hole...is it 1/2 or 3/4"?
 
I think the hard-wiring code is worded for permanent pump installations, most likely applicable to pools in warmer climates I bring my pump into the garage each winter, so hard wiring is not appropriate. I do have a weatherproof outlet box/enclosure for the Stenner and main pump connections and they both use the Nema 6-15P plugs. If the pump is within 10 ft of the edge of the pool, I believe you need to use the twist style electrical connectors. I'll have to stop at Home Depot and see what they have available. as far as threaded elbows.
 
Last edited:

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply