SWG Flow Green only at high pump RPM

[PoolPride]

Hello all, we have only had our pool a year or so and our PB has been kind of a nightmare with lack of responsiveness, and we still have some issues. There has been a leak somewhere the entire time and the heater has never worked well enough to get the hot tub over 98 or so and it takes hours and hours - I might pick your brain on these issues another time, but most concerning right now is our SWG is not detecting flow well.

Initially the SWG flow sensor would be green at around 1800 RPM. I now have to have the pump running at 3150 RPM for the flow sensor to be green. How should I go about troubleshooting this?

I have attached a picture of our plumbing and I believe my signature has all the equipment in it.

Thanks for all the help!

PXL_20220611_210400896.jpg

• PoolPride
• Jun 11, 2022

 

[ajw22]

What is the PSI on your filter gauge?

When did you last clean the cartridges?

Do you have an EasyTouch or IntelliCenter? Neither is listed in your signature.

Your SWG cell is after your return valve. Your return valve is sending 1/3 of your flow over your spillover. You should be using the SPILLOVER function on your automation and not running your spillover in POOL mode. That will increase the flow through your cell. Really your cell is improperly positioned and should be before the return valve.

 

[proavia]

When was the last time the filter was thoroughly cleaned?

It appears some of the return flow is diverted to the spa and takes away from full flow thru the SWG. Consider setting up spill-over mode in your automation and resetting the stops on the return Jandy valve. No real need to have tge pillway on whenever the pump is running. Constant spill-over increases aeration and causes pH climb.

SWG should really be before the automated return valve.

Consider adding a heater bypass. Bypassing the heater will reduce flow restriction.

Heater Bypass - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[PoolPride]

Unfortunalte, we have the easy touch. The intellicenter was in our contract, but PB said it would be another 6 months to get it and by that point we were extremely frustrated (took 1 year from start of dig to pool turnover), so we took the discount because PB said he would install easy touch and then would upgrade to intellicenter as soon as available. It has been almost a year and that has yet to happen.

Filters were thoroughly cleaned about 6 months ago. With the pump running at 3150 the PSI is 24.

Any idea on how much it should cost to get the PVC re done to have the SWG before the return valve?

 

[ajw22]

Unfortunalte, we have the easy touch. The intellicenter was in our contract, but PB said it would be another 6 months to get it and by that point we were extremely frustrated (took 1 year from start of dig to pool turnover), so we took the discount because PB said he would install easy touch and then would upgrade to intellicenter as soon as available. It has been almost a year and that has yet to happen.

EasyTouch has a SPILLOVER mode. See Pentair Automation Systems - Further Reading

Filters were thoroughly cleaned about 6 months ago. With the pump running at 3150 the PSI is 24.

24 PSI is too high. Clean your filter and then note the clean filter pressure at your normal; RPM. You should clean the filter when PSI rises 25% from the clean filter pressure at a normal RPM.

Any idea on how much it should cost to get the PVC re done to have the SWG before the return valve?

It is a half day of work if they know what they are doing.

The cell will need to be installed with a vertical loop given the short space between the heater and the valve. Then a short length of pipe glued where the cell was. Or it may be less cost to install this dummy cell where the cell was. And that gets you two new unions that you will need.

If you also have a heater bypass installed then figure on a day of work.

 

[mknauss]

I would consider moving the filter closer to the pump which will free up some room to install the SWCG properly.

 

[Jimrahbe]

PP,

If it used to turn on at 1800, and now does not, the most likely cause is a dirty filter.

It could be a faulty flow switch assy, which can be replaced, but I doubt it..

At 1800, go over to one of your pool returns and see if you can feel a good flow of water or does it feel weak.

You have a spillover spa. Does the flow over the spa seem normal or weak?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[PoolPride]

I will check the filters, but just to be clear the PSI is only 10 when the pump is running at 1800 RPM.

The pool returns do feel weak, but they have always felt weak. I brought it up to our PB before he turned it over and he said that it was "normal for the pool size."

I don't know much about the automation system, but I will take a look at the guides on here and see if I can change the settings for the spillover and everything. We would still have a spillover even though the spa is basically at the same height as the pool, right?

 

[W.J.Christy]

This may sound odd but, take out you swg and check for a littler round piece of black plastic blocking the inlet side. I had this issue and the internal heater bypass valve failed and the cap of it positioned itself to almost fully block the cell. Once the black plastic cap was removed the swg worked as it should.

My setup is similar/the same as yours so it may be the same issue.

 

[Jimrahbe]

PP,

While you have the SWCG out, look at the flow switch. I have seen them break off.

Thanks,

Jim R.