What could cause a low flow message?

[Yarzy]

Hi everyone, I have a Jandy AquaPure 1400 SWC that is giving me a intermittent low message. I just noticed it after I pretty much had zero FC left, so I am trying to fix it ASAP. I cleaned off the sensors (they seemed fine), SWC has no build up, etc. I run the VSP at 1200 24/7 and normally have zero issues, but the only thing that clears the low flow is to ramp up the RPM on the VSP. Currently I took it back down to 1200 and it has been not giving the error for the past hour but besides a bad sensor, what else should I check? Backwash pressure seems fine and where it should, I have another 6 PSI to increase before I need to backwash. Any ideas besides a bad sensor? Skimmers seem fine, have nothing in them.

Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

I have another 6 PSI to increase before I need to backwash.

What is your clean filter pressure? You should clean the filter when the pressure rises by 25% over clean pressure.

I suspect you have algae.

 

[Yarzy]

Clean filter pressure is right around 13-14% and it is at around 18% right now. I try to stay on top of the testing. Yesterday afternoon the FC was at 2, and this morning was .5, which makes sense that if the SWC was not making chlorine, it would drop that quickly. Pool has looked better for sure (which is why I was testing so much lately) but it is not green at all. I did shock it this morning once I saw the .5 FC reading but I need to get the low flow fixed to maintain FC levels. I just checked again and it is still working at 1200 but this is after I cleaned it, reset the power like the manual says, took it up to 3450 RPM for a few min (since it showed low flow again), then back down to 1200. Anything else to check?

 

[mknauss]

Clean filter pressure is right around 13-14%

% of what?

 

[Yarzy]

After I completely clean the filter, recharge with DE, my filter shows on high speed a pressure on the tank of about 14. Is that what you were asking? I was thinking about % when I wrote that, I know what you mean now.

 

[mknauss]

OK = so 14 psi, not %. Then you need to clean the filter at 18 psi, give or take.

 

[Yarzy]

Yeah, sorry, did not mean %, I meant 14. Do you think that is the cause of the low flow? I will backwash and monitor but it happens again when it is down closer to 14, any other things to check besides new sensor? Is my thinking correct in the lower the RPM I run, the more "sensitive" the filter pressure becomes? Meaning, the lower the RPM and the closer I get to 18 on my filter, the better chance I have that it will show low flow?

 

[mknauss]

Could be the tri sensor. Check the connection and be sure you do not have corrosion.

You state above you have cloudy water, which is very likely algae. You have algae way before it turns green.

 

[Yarzy]

Yes, valid point, and based on that, you are right, I do have algae. Hopefully the shock will solve that temporally and the SWC will kick back in and start attacking it. I did bump up the SWC a little so I will watch it and adjust/shock accordingly. I did check the tri sensor and the posts looks perfect. Maybe it is just a bad sensor/need to backwash.

Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

I do have algae.

Follow the SLAM Process. The SWCG will not eradicate it.