I had a new SWG and VS pump installed last month. The installer hooked it up so that when I throw the circuit breaker the SWG controller and pump are powered on. The pump has its own timer so I can program it to run whenever but the controller remains on al the time. I need to push a button on it to turn on the cell. The only way the cell turns off is when the pump is not running as the controller has a low flow cuttoff function or I have to manually push the button on the Controller again to turn the cell off. I questioned the installer if it was OK to operate the system this is way and he responded that all of the installation he has done operate this way. Is this an acceptable situation or should there be a timer that powers the SWG controller on and off?
SWG Operation
- Thread starter George Whitzel
- Start date
The flow switch is meant to be a back up. Ideally the SWG should be on a timer that is only on when the pump is running. Or you can add a current sensing relay to power the SWG only when the pump is drawing power.
So the new SWG replaced the original Jandy SWG that was installed at the time the pool was put in. There is a control box on the same post that holds the New SWG Control box. It has a timer in it that can be used to set run times as it has a programmable clock. I tried myself to get it going but it will not turn on (display will not light up). I do not know if this timer is bad or a relay feeding it power is bad. If I can get it to work I can use it to be the timer for the new SWG Controller. I not sure how to troubleshoot it to determine if the relay is bad or the timer itself is faulty.
Here's what i do... I run my pump 24/7. Being VS I created a schedule on pump to run higher for several hours, then drop the speed to 1250. The low speed of pump only adds a few $$ to the monthly electric bill.
That allows me to also keep my SWG set for 24 hours. It's an added benefit so when I travel I don't have to worry about the pump and SWG timer getting out of sync due to power outage from storms.
That allows me to also keep my SWG set for 24 hours. It's an added benefit so when I travel I don't have to worry about the pump and SWG timer getting out of sync due to power outage from storms.
^^^^^ I imagine that the flow switch for the SWG wouldn't activate at 1250 rpm (unless you modified the switch).
I like the idea of keeping the SWG on for 24 hours to keep the flow going thru the cell and will have to study up on my VS pump to figure out if I can program it to run at different speeds during the 24 hour period. Is there a concern though of a dangerous gas buildup in the cell if the pump dies and the cell is still on or are we back to depending on the low flow switch to prevent this?
What is the probability of pump dieing and then flow switch not working? Slim to none is my guess, and I'd take the under....
- Jun 7, 2017
- 9,181
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
Many VSP pumps (I think all Jandys) that are intended to always have power have a relay port specifically designed to be used for the SWCG or other devices that require the pump to actually be moving in order to get power. In addition, they usually have a specific RPM (I think 1800 for Jandy) under which the power will not be sent to the SWCG. Your installer should check the installation instructions and see if that is there as this is the way it should be set up if so.
I have a Pentair STA_Rite pump. It has a connector port but the manual says it is to be used to control the pump operation thru a controller box you can purchase. I guess I will leave the power applied to both the pump and SWG control box and hope the flow switch does not fail
Murphy mentioned nothing about probability, only in regards to the possibility
VinceL
LifeTime Supporter
I have my Ecostar VSP running at 1380 RPM for about 8 hours a day (higher speed at other times). At that speed the Flow Meter detects flow and the Pro Logic system powers the SWCG.
After we had the pool installed in 2012, I did some experimentation with pump speeds. I tried as slow as 960 RPM. That was too slow. I bumped it up to somewhere around 1050...still too slow. When I got it up to about 1250, I got flow. So, to allow for a margin of error, the slowest speed I run is 1380.
After we had the pool installed in 2012, I did some experimentation with pump speeds. I tried as slow as 960 RPM. That was too slow. I bumped it up to somewhere around 1050...still too slow. When I got it up to about 1250, I got flow. So, to allow for a margin of error, the slowest speed I run is 1380.
Murphy mentioned nothing about probability, only in regards to the possibility
That's an example of "Fake News"
