Upgrading Pump on Aqualogic system

Jump to latest Follow Reply
maxepr1

maxepr1

0
LifeTime Supporter
Mar 21, 2011
718
DFW
Ok guy's, this what I got. I have spent the last few weeks going over reviews of pumps both 2 speed and VS and I'm not sure which way to go. My CURRENT price I'm paying for electricity is .10c, but I know electricity is only going to go up so right now 2 speed is the way to go but 2 years from now I could be paying .20 and then I'll wish I had went VS! Ok that aside I think the equipment I currently have is going to restrict me to 2 speed. I took some pictures today of the panel to show what I'm dealing with.
photo-7.jpg


photo-6.jpg


photo-5.jpg


As you can see I don't have another rail for relays. A not sure if my board can handle a new style pump. I've narrowed my pumps down to Pentair Inteliflo. I understand I can use there Intellicom controller to control the comm side of the pump but what about the power side? My understanding is with a 2 speed you need a relay for each speed? Correct? And also a Intellicom (1). But for a variable speed say 8 speeds, do you need 8 relays? And also just 1 Intellicom? Since I got nowhere with Hayward tech as far as my board and also software, that is my next question. Here is what I currently have:
photo-4.jpg


photo-3.jpg


Not sure which one is valid. I remember reading here that 2.65 or higher is needed, but which one main or program? Pentair I have not been in contact with yet due to long hold times. Thanks Guy's!
 
I don't believe that v2.60 is high enough for the VS. But sometimes it is worth calling/emailing a second time to get someone else at Goldline but what was their response? I have always gotten reasonable response from them.

The problem with controlling an Intelliflo with an Auqalogic controller will be that you will have control of only two speeds so you will have the preset the speeds and the controller will only be used to "switch" between two speeds rather than fully control them.

At $0.10/kwh, I really don't see how you can make the case for either VS pump. A two speed would win out for sure over the life of the pump even if you include energy inflation (which by the way the SS cost model includes). Electrical energy inflation runs about 2.5% per year but even if you double that, the Intelliflo would still have a higher cost after 120 months than a two speed. Just something to ponder.
 
Mark, the minute I said Pentair she said we don't support it a hung up! Couldn't even finish what I was saying! So if I understand you, the 2 speed can work but do I need 2 relays? The p4 board I got I'm affraid will have to be upgraded to I think is now the ps board? Adding more to the cost! The next question I have is will the Aqualogic know how to switch from high to low? And what about the timer? How do I set up times with speeds?
 
With an IntelliComm II you can switch to any four speeds, but doing so requires four relays. Three speeds requires three relays, and so on. From the photo it looks like all of your relays are in use, so you only get the single relay currently in use for your pump. That means you only get on/off control of the pump unless you repurpose one of the other relays.

The IntelliFlo is simply wired directly to it's own circuit breaker. Power to the pump is not controlled by the automation system.

As for the automation system "handling a vs pump" that doesn't matter. Your system might be able to control a Hayward EcoStar or it may not, but no version of their system will control an IntelliFlo directly. Any version will control an IntelliFlo indirectly through an IntelliComm II, but you need to setup anything beyond the normal pump on/off relay yourself as aux circuits.
 
Jason, so I guess I need to setup another rail for more relays? I understand the power side with the relays, but what about the control side with the timer and switching speeds?
 
Yes, a two speed pump requires two relays and yes the Aqualogic will recognize the two speeds. However, for non-Hayward VS pumps, it will support only two speeds. The controller has two timer settings, one for high and one for low. It will always start the pump on high but after three minutes, allow the pump to switch to low speed. Also, if you have solar, it will automatically switch to high speed on solar demand.
 
It looks like I'm going to have to go 2 speed, not really what I want. I still have allot of unanswered questions though? What board am I supposed to have? And how difficult is it going to be to add another relay rail in my panel? Do I add the new relay to the same circuit breaker, or just tie them together(relays) to the breaker I have now?
 
You can use a single breaker with two relays. Also, the PS-8 allowed for another set of relays to expand to a PS-16 using an expansion housing. However, I don't think you can do that with the PS-4 but it is something to check. Just don't mention Pentair this time. :cool:

Also, I am curious why you don't want a two speed?
 
lol..! Mainly for the cost. But the pump is 7 years old and really needs bearings by the end of the year if it doesn't fail before then. They want a kings ransome around here to replace them! Not worth it!
 
With a 7 year old pump, why not just replace the motor with a two speed motor. It will cost a little over half the cost of a new pump.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Actually, there is. One common way to set it up is to use a manual speed switch. You leave it in low speed nearly all the time and only turn it up manually to high speed when you are vacuuming or backwashing or coating the grids.
 
JasonLion said:
Actually, there is. One common way to set it up is to use a manual speed switch. You leave it in low speed nearly all the time and only turn it up manually to high speed when you are vacuuming or backwashing or coating the grids.
Click to expand...
Jason, doesn't that defeat the purpose of automation.....lol
 
The automation system isn't going to backwash the filter or add fresh DE or manually vacuum. Those are all things you need to be there to do, so switching a switch when you need to be there anyway is not a big deal.
 
I heard back from Hayward. The minimum version for the EcoStar is v2.66. Your main board is v2.60 so that would require an upgrade.
 
Thanks Mark! You would happen to know the # would you? I think its a GLXPCBMAIN board, but I don't know what version they are? Probably higher than 2.66. Lots of sites on the web but kind of contradicting versions when read into it. Lot are refurbished? What does that mean? Varistor replacement? Also most want your core back. Can the software be flashed and upgraded?
 
Jason and Mark, just spent the last hour on the phone with Pentair. And according to them if I want to wire the pump directly it will work. All the controls for the pump are on there. Protection, freeze guard, timers and built in relays. I will be send of this to there integration tech and he can double check everything I have and what I would need. According to them the Intelliflo was build this way for a reason, not everyone owns all Pentair products and they want it work for everyone. I'll let you know what he says. Sounds like all I need is a pump. And I will gain a free relay out of the deal!
 
They may be talking about the Intelliflo VF. The VF pretty much operates without an external controller. Of course it costs more as well. So your current controller is only required to turn the pump on and off. After that, the VF uses it's own timers to change the speeds. But given the higher cost, it will take even longer for this pump to pay for itself.
 

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