Two identical pumps - one ramps up to max RPM before going to set point and one goes to set point?

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Thanks. I have the IntelliCenter and for the life of me cannot find any type of pump settings. They just be hidden somewhere. Any help would be great. I feel that since both settings on the actual pump are identical it has to be something with a panel settings.

Pages 62 - 71 of the Intellicenter User's Guide discuss pump settings, including this on page 64:

Priming Time (min): The system priming time can be set from 0-5 minutes.
Priming Speed (RPM): The system priming speed can be set from 450-3450 RPM.

This is for the VS pump. It may be that once told you have a VSF pump, Intellicenter removes this option. Maybe tell IC you have a VS pump - at least long enough to access the priming settings. I don't have the IC so I can't experiment.

 

[ajw22]

You need to experiment with the priming settings and see what works for your setup.

Try lowering the priming speed below 3400 to not shoot the bubbler up.

 

[mknauss]

So based on this should I mess with priming speed/time of the pool pump or leave it enabled at 3400rpm?

I would put the priming speed at 2500 rpm and see if that still sufficiently primes the pump. Raise it by 100 rpm steps, if necessary, until the system primes quickly.

 

[MCF50]

You need to experiment with the priming settings and see what works for your setup.

Try lowering the priming speed below 3400 to not shoot the bubble

I would put the priming speed at 2500 rpm and see if that still sufficiently primes the pump. Raise it by 100 rpm steps, if necessary, until the system primes quickly.

Thanks! Sounds like a plan. At least I understand why one pump is ramping up. I guess I will set it to 2400 and see what happens. Let's say the RPM is too low and it doesn't prime. Assume the pump will shut itself off?

 

[MCF50]

I would put the priming speed at 2500 rpm and see if that still sufficiently primes the pump. Raise it by 100 rpm steps, if necessary, until the system primes quickly.

Thanks! Sounds like a plan. At least I understand why one pump is ramping up. I guess I will set it to 2400 and see what happens. Let's say the RPM is too low and it doesn't prime. Assume the pump will shut itself off?

 

[mknauss]

Thanks! Sounds like a plan. At least I understand why one pump is ramping up. I guess I will set it to 2400 and see what happens. Let's say the RPM is too low and it doesn't prime. Assume the pump will shut itself off?

It will follow its process to prime and then shut down if the system fails to prime. You then have to reset the pump.

 

[ajw22]

Thanks! Sounds like a plan. At least I understand why one pump is ramping up. I guess I will set it to 2400 and see what happens. Let's say the RPM is too low and it doesn't prime. Assume the pump will shut itself off?

Priming runs for the Max Priming Duration set. Default is 11 minutes.

I would reduce that during your testing. Find a speed where the pump primes in 3-5 minutes or less.

 

[MCF50]

Priming runs for the Max Priming Duration set. Default is 11 minutes.

I would reduce that during your testing. Find a speed where the pump primes in 3-5 minutes or less.

View attachment 313775

It has never run at the current 3450rpm priming speed for more than 20 seconds. So what does that tell us? Thanks!!!

 

[ajw22]

It has never run at the current 3450rpm priming speed for more than 20 seconds. So what does that tell us? Thanks!!!

It just takes a bit more oomph to prime. Should not need 3400.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Do both pump baskets stay full after shutdown amd before the pumps would start the next cycle?

 

[MCF50]

Do both pump baskets stay full after shutdown amd before the pumps would start the next cycle?

As far as I can tell yes. But I will double check in the morning.

 

[MCF50]

Another interesting note. When the pump kicks on the feature (let’s start bubblers) comes on almost instantaneously. After several seconds then the it ramps up to 3400 rpm. Since the bubblers are working almost instantaneously the pump must be primed. So why is it going into prime mode. Hmmm. Maybe a faulty pump?

 

[MCF50]

Ok....I just checked and both baskets after sitting all night without running and both baskets are completely full. I turn on sheer descent pump and it goes right to set speed. I turn on pump (one we are discussing) for bubblers and bubblers instantly come on but pump ramps up to prime speed. Thoughts? I did reduce prime speed to 2400 and duration down to 10 seconds. As both baskets are completely full after sitting all night would it be safe to disable priming on the pumps? If I do this any chance of damaging pump? I am going to leave lack of prime setting ON.

The only thing I can think that is making this pump go into prime mode and the other not is this one has the heater and filter upstream of it. Sheer descent pump is a straight loop.

 

[ajw22]

Ok....I just checked and both baskets after sitting all night without running and both baskets are completely full. I turn on sheer descent pump and it goes right to set speed. I turn on pump (one we are discussing) for bubblers and bubblers instantly come on but pump ramps up to prime speed. Thoughts? I did reduce prime speed to 2400 and duration down to 10 seconds. As both baskets are completely full after sitting all night would it be safe to disable priming on the pumps? If I do this any chance of damaging pump? I am going to leave lack of prime setting ON.

The only thing I can think that is making this pump go into prime mode and the other not is this one has the heater and filter upstream of it. Sheer descent pump is a straight loop.

I think you are over analyzing things. You would never know there was a discrepancy of you didn't have two pumps.

We don't know exactly what Pentair priming algorithm is. They use a pressure and or flow sensor to figure out what is going on with the water in the basket. Your two systems are different and no doubt give very different signals of pressure and flow as the pump starts up. The pump interprets them differently and does different actions. Neither is wrong, just different. And that is why the pump has the priming settings to adjust the priming for different situations.

You can try and call Pentair and talk to an engineer who may explain to you in more detail what the pump is doing. If you get anywhere and learn anything let us know.