ScreenLogic no longer controlling VSP pump speed

[Enjoytheview]

Hi everyone,

I am pool newbie. Pool was installed late last year. Toward the end of the season, we had a power surge that fried our salt cell. It was replaced for free but after they replaced the equipment I lost control of my pump speed through the screen logic app. The pump now only runs at 2550 rpm no matter what I set it to, unless I physically change the pump speed at the pump itself. Can someone help me figure out how to reestablish control over the pump speed from my app? I’ve attached pictures of my equipment.

I also have a low flow error that keeps popping up and going away. Several times throughout the day the pump shuts off with this error then comes back on. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum.
To help us out, can you list the equipment you have? What automation, what pump, etc.

When you put the automation into Service Mode, what does the pump display show? When you are in Auto, what does it show?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Adam,

Do you have ScreenLogic on your PC?

Do this as a test... Use ScreenLogic and turn on a pool light. Confirm that the light icon shows on (turns green). Go out and confirm that the light actually is on. Then go over to EasyTouch panel and turn the light off at the panel. Check ScreenLogic and confirm the light icon is off.

Please let us know how that test works.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Enjoytheview]

Welcome to the forum.
To help us out, can you list the equipment you have? What automation, what pump, etc.

When you put the automation into Service Mode, what does the pump display show? When you are in Auto, what does it show?

Thanks for your help. I have 3 Intelliflo VSP Pumps, Pentair Sand Filter, Intellichlor Salt Generator, Pentair Easytouch Control panel, top-mount sand filter, Pentair Mastertemp 400, we also have a slide, bubblers and spillways. Let me know if you need additional details.

 

[Enjoytheview]

Adam,

Do you have ScreenLogic on your PC?

Do this as a test... Use ScreenLogic and turn on a pool light. Confirm that the light icon shows on (turns green). Go out and confirm that the light actually is on. Then go over to EasyTouch panel and turn the light off at the panel. Check ScreenLogic and confirm the light icon is off.

Please let us know how that test works.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Hi Jim,

ScreenLogic is still controlling everything else, just not the pump speed. It is letting me turn the lights on and change the colors, run the bubblers, turn on the heater etc.

Is it true that the pump has to run at a certain speed until the water gets up to a warm enough temperature? Maybe that’s what is happening?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[Enjoytheview]

Thanks for your help. I have 3 Intelliflo VSP Pumps, Pentair Sand Filter, Intellichlor Salt Generator, Pentair Easytouch Control panel, top-mount sand filter, Pentair Mastertemp 400, we also have a slide, bubblers and spillways. Let me know if you need additional details.

When I put the panel into service mode the pump just shows no display active.

 

[mknauss]

Is it true that the pump has to run at a certain speed until the water gets up to a warm enough temperature? Maybe that’s what is happening?

No.

When I put the panel into service mode the pump just shows no display active.

That is odd. When in Service Mode you are disconnected from the ET and the pump display should show the standard pump screen to operate the pump independently.

 

[Enjoytheview]

No.

That is odd. When in Service Mode you are disconnected from the ET and the pump display should show the standard pump screen to operate the pump independently.

Does the pump need to be on? I had the pump off. When I turned the pump on it just read 0 rpm.

 

[mknauss]

What do you mean pump off? The pump should have power to it at all times unless you use the circuit breaker to remove power to it.

 

[Enjoytheview]

What do you mean pump off? The pump should have power to it at all times unless you use the circuit breaker to remove power to it.

I meant that the filter was off. I had it scheduled to not run after a certain time in the day. Especially now because the pump runs at a higher rpm when the filter is on.

 

[mknauss]

In Service Mode none of those things matter. In Service Mode, your pump should show O RPM. If you have to push the Filter button to get that, the pump is not wired correctly. Not relevant to your issue, but still incorrectly wired.

Let's wait on @Jimrahbe to be available. He will have some more troubleshooting steps.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Adam,

As Marty points out... If the display on your pump is blank, then it is not wired correctly. The pump should get constant AC power from a circuit breaker. I suspect that your pump is wired to the load side of the Pump/Filter relay, which is wrong.

Show us a pic or two of the wiring and circuit breakers.

When the system is in the Service mode the display should show an RPM screen. Does it??

When the system is in the AUTO mode, the display should show "Display not active" Does it??

Do you have the RS-485 com cable connected to our pump?

Go into the ScreenLogic set up page and see if it looks similar to mine below... I ask, because this page can get reset by accident pretty easily.

Set up page 4.JPG

• Jimrahbe
• Apr 19, 2019

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Enjoytheview]

Adam,

As Marty points out... If the display on your pump is blank, then it is not wired correctly. The pump should get constant AC power from a circuit breaker. I suspect that your pump is wired to the load side of the Pump/Filter relay, which is wrong.

Show us a pic or two of the wiring and circuit breakers.

When the system is in the Service mode the display should show an RPM screen. Does it??

When the system is in the AUTO mode, the display should show "Display not active" Does it??

Do you have the RS-485 com cable connected to our pump?

Go into the ScreenLogic set up page and see if it looks similar to mine below... I ask, because this page can get reset by accident pretty easily.

Set up page 4.JPG

• Jimrahbe
• Apr 19, 2019

Thanks,

Jim R.

Hi Jim,

Nice to meet you.

I went out and checked this morning. When I put the panel into Service mode the pump screen did switch to the RPM screen showing 0 RPM. When I put it back into Auto Mode it went to display not active.

The comm cable is connected.

I have attached the screenshots I think you are asking for. I don’t have the computer app, should I download it? I do have the config app though on my phone. See attached screenshots. As you can see from the one shot the rpm is set to 1850 but running at 2550.

I’m wondering if this issue is related to the pump shutting off repeatedly due to a low flow error and priming alarm? Or maybe two separate issues?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[Jimrahbe]

Adam,

When the pump starts it runs at a priming speed until it is primed and then it will start to run at the EasyTouch programmed speeds.

I think it would be best to figure out why the pump is not priming first and then worry about the exact speed it is running.

Do you by chance have the SVRS version of the IntelliFlo? It will say right on the pump label.

Here is what I'd try first...

Make sure the water level in the pool is in the middle of the skimmer's mouth.
Make sure the weir door is not stuck up.
Have someone stand over the skimmer and look down into it while you look through the pump lid and then turn on the pump.

What do you see? The skimmer should not run out of water and you should see water coming into the pump.

You can also put your filter into by-pass or recirculate and see if that makes any difference.

Since you are in the frozen north, you need to make sure all your closing devices have been removed.

How many pipes bring water into your pump? Are we sure that any valve in front of the pump are open?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Enjoytheview]

Adam,

When the pump starts it runs at a priming speed until it is primed and then it will start to run at the EasyTouch programmed speeds.

I think it would be best to figure out why the pump is not priming first and then worry about the exact speed it is running.

Do you by chance have the SVRS version of the IntelliFlo? It will say right on the pump label.

Here is what I'd try first...

Make sure the water level in the pool is in the middle of the skimmer's mouth.
Make sure the weir door is not stuck up.
Have someone stand over the skimmer and look down into it while you look through the pump lid and then turn on the pump.

What do you see? The skimmer should not run out of water and you should see water coming into the pump.

You can also put your filter into by-pass or recirculate and see if that makes any difference.

Since you are in the frozen north, you need to make sure all your closing devices have been removed.

How many pipes bring water into your pump? Are we sure that any valve in front of the pump are open?

Thanks,

Jim R.

So I checked the pump. It does not say SVRS, just says variable speed pump.

I have three pipes that feed into the pump (the main drain and 2 skimmers). I checked and all of the valves are open.

The skimmer is full of water when I turn it on, it doesn’t move the water with much force but it does seem to work. The people who clean my pool use it for their vacuum so it seems to be working.

I didn’t open the pool but it does look like they removed all of the plugs. I’m wondering if when they replaced the salt cell that it wasn’t installed properly and maybe that is causing it to draw air in? Does that make sense?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Adam,

Use your pump's control panel and set your priming speed to 3200 or so...

Then try to turn on the pump with just one of the three valves fully open.

Run with just Skimmer #1 and see how well it works.
Run with just Skimmer #2 and see how well it works.
Run it with just the Main Drain and see how well it works.

There is no doubt that when they installed the SWCG that they could have let a lot of air in the system. but running the pump for a few minute should have cleared that air out..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Enjoytheview]

Adam,

Use your pump's control panel and set your priming speed to 3200 or so...

Then try to turn on the pump with just one of the three valves fully open.

Run with just Skimmer #1 and see how well it works.
Run with just Skimmer #2 and see how well it works.
Run it with just the Main Drain and see how well it works.

There is no doubt that when they installed the SWCG that they could have let a lot of air in the system. but running the pump for a few minute should have cleared that air out..

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks Jim,

So I adjusted the priming speed up to 3150. The max speed was set to 2550 which is what it has been running at before shutting off. I closed the Main Drain Valve and one of the skimmers, so only 1 line was open. I ran the pump and it still didn’t prime (I’m assuming this because the speed never dropped to the setting speed) I let it run for maybe 10 minutes. I did notice a pretty large air bubble in there.

I ran one of my other pumps to compare and there is definitely less air in the other pump that is priming properly. Is it possible that it’s the lid gasket? The pump is so new I wouldn’t think that would be an issue.

Any other ideas I can try?

Adam

 

[Enjoytheview]

Here is a picture of the pump when it’s trying to prime and the air in it. I’ve also included a picture of the gasket. It doesn’t appear to be damaged but it does seem like the air is coming from this area…

 

[Jimrahbe]

Adam,

The point of my experiment was to see if one of your valves was leaking air. Running them one input at a time, is one way to see if a valve is bad.

It is unlikely that all three inputs to your pump are bad. So maybe the impeller is clogged or something on the return side is clogged?

Did you by chance vacuum up a bunch of leaves?

I would do the one at a time test on each pipe, but if it don't fully prime in two minutes or less, something is wrong.

Are you sure that the winter plugs have been removed from the bottom of the skimmers?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Enjoytheview]

Adam,

The point of my experiment was to see if one of your valves was leaking air. Running them one input at a time, is one way to see if a valve is bad.

It is unlikely that all three inputs to your pump are bad. So maybe the impeller is clogged or something on the return side is clogged?

Did you by chance vacuum up a bunch of leaves?

I would do the one at a time test on each pipe, but if it don't fully prime in two minutes or less, something is wrong.

Are you sure that the winter plugs have been removed from the bottom of the skimmers?

Thanks,

Jim R.

When the pool was opened there were a ton of leaves in it. The pool company did vacuum out a lot of leaves.

I attempted the same process today and when I close the main drain and one of the skimmer lines, a significant amount of leaves flowed into the pump basket. I cleaned it out but unfortunately the pump is still not fully priming. I’m sure the plugs are out of the skimmer line.

I haven’t checked the impeller but will try that next. I will let you know how that goes.

Thanks,
Adam