Pool Intellicenter Control panel

[Stevenfyeager]

My first pool control panel job.
It says 150 amp max rating. All knock outs are on the bottom, panel is too deep to recess in the wall. I’ll have to surface mount, then run conduit. Any advice you can give me concerning this panel will be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[brantmacga]

You don’t want to flush it anyway; it won’t be there forever.

I use all stranded wire and crimp-on fork connectors at the relay lugs. And have plenty of zip-ties to help keep it neat. Uninsulated connectors are the easiest to stack side-by-side on the relays and you can put a short piece of heat shrink on there.

Do you have any questions about the specific equipment you’re connecting?


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[Stevenfyeager]

You don’t want to flush it anyway; it won’t be there forever.

I use all stranded wire and crimp-on fork connectors at the relay lugs. And have plenty of zip-ties to help keep it neat. Uninsulated connectors are the easiest to stack side-by-side on the relays and you can put a short piece of heat shrink on there.

Do you have any questions about the specific equipment you’re connecting?


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Thank you. I meet with the pool installer on Monday. I don't even know enough to ask questions about this. I barely opened the box. He has a lot of conduits run into the pool house for heaters, pool covers, etc. Most conduits are empty yet. He has said, the customer will be able to operate some of these from his phone. I don't know anything about these relays. I appreciate your help.

 

[brantmacga]

Thank you. I meet with the pool installer on Monday. I don't even know enough to ask questions about this. I barely opened the box. He has a lot of conduits run into the pool house for heaters, pool covers, etc. Most conduits are empty yet. He has said, the customer will be able to operate some of these from his phone. I don't know anything about these relays. I appreciate your help.

There will be up to 10 2-pole relays inside of the Intellicenter.

Variable speed pumps do not require use of a relay; they have a 4-wire control cable that lands on a terminal strip with a phoenix connector behind the top control panel. If they have a heat pump, you will need to provide an additional 4 conductors for integration into the Intellicenter, along with the power circuit.

If they’re using a gas heater, there is a 2-wire dry-contact terminal on the back of the control panel that you will loop the fireman’s switch inside the gas heater through to switch it off/on.

The VS pumps although not connected to a relay will still utilize a relay channel; so if you had a single VS pump and a booster pump, Channel 1 is dedicated to the VS pump, so you need to connect the booster pump relay to channel 2.

You can utilize the solar heat channels to control a relay if needed. So that would be useful if you had multiple VS pumps taking away from your control channel count but needed that relay to control additional equipment. Every button on that panel can be programmed and labeled in the app to control anything.

The lighting, blower, etc, need to connect to a relay.

The pool cover will probably be a hydraulic pump with a key switch or keypad; that control switch must be installed within sight of the pool. You need 1 circuit for the pump, and 1 circuit for the key switch. The pump voltage will depend on size; some are 120v, some 240v. The switch will likely be 120v, and it does not connect to a relay.

There is a salt chlorinator transformer inside the panel that needs to be routed through a relay as well so they can program it to lock out when the filter pump isn’t running. You’ll also have a board control transformer that can be powered by 120v or 240v. I power both transformers from the same breaker.

As for programming, the pool builder should be handling that; they can setup a program remotely and load it via a USB stick. The new Intellicenter panels can connect via WiFi. Previously you needed either an Ethernet connection or a wireless bridge connected to Ethernet inside the house.

Also, you need to extend the shell bonding wire to the Intellicenter because of the salt chlorinator transformer being installed inside. There are two lugs on the bottom right hand corner for this.

There will be some temp sensors and valve actuator control wires that need to go through the LV compartment on the left side of the panel. One is air temp, and you will have another for water temp.

If you have VS pumps, make sure you torque those lugs properly because they are susceptible to failure if not done correctly; i use crimp fork connectors on those as well. For single speed pumps I use a right-angle crimp spade connector.


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[brantmacga]

Here are a few pics of those panels

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[Stevenfyeager]

There will be up to 10 2-pole relays inside of the Intellicenter.

Variable speed pumps do not require use of a relay; they have a 4-wire control cable that lands on a terminal strip with a phoenix connector behind the top control panel. If they have a heat pump, you will need to provide an additional 4 conductors for integration into the Intellicenter, along with the power circuit.

If they’re using a gas heater, there is a 2-wire dry-contact terminal on the back of the control panel that you will loop the fireman’s switch inside the gas heater through to switch it off/on.

The VS pumps although not connected to a relay will still utilize a relay channel; so if you had a single VS pump and a booster pump, Channel 1 is dedicated to the VS pump, so you need to connect the booster pump relay to channel 2.

You can utilize the solar heat channels to control a relay if needed. So that would be useful if you had multiple VS pumps taking away from your control channel count but needed that relay to control additional equipment. Every button on that panel can be programmed and labeled in the app to control anything.

The lighting, blower, etc, need to connect to a relay.

The pool cover will probably be a hydraulic pump with a key switch or keypad; that control switch must be installed within sight of the pool. You need 1 circuit for the pump, and 1 circuit for the key switch. The pump voltage will depend on size; some are 120v, some 240v. The switch will likely be 120v, and it does not connect to a relay.

There is a salt chlorinator transformer inside the panel that needs to be routed through a relay as well so they can program it to lock out when the filter pump isn’t running. You’ll also have a board control transformer that can be powered by 120v or 240v. I power both transformers from the same breaker.

As for programming, the pool builder should be handling that; they can setup a program remotely and load it via a USB stick. The new Intellicenter panels can connect via WiFi. Previously you needed either an Ethernet connection or a wireless bridge connected to Ethernet inside the house.

Also, you need to extend the shell bonding wire to the Intellicenter because of the salt chlorinator transformer being installed inside. There are two lugs on the bottom right hand corner for this.

There will be some temp sensors and valve actuator control wires that need to go through the LV compartment on the left side of the panel. One is air temp, and you will have another for water temp.

If you have VS pumps, make sure you torque those lugs properly because they are susceptible to failure if not done correctly; i use crimp fork connectors on those as well. For single speed pumps I use a right-angle crimp spade connector.


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Thank you so much. I’m sure I’ll have more questions.

 

[Stevenfyeager]

Two more questions: inside the panel says Copper conductors only and a disconnect must be in sight of pool. Does the feeder conductor cable that feeds this 150 amp panel have to be copper too ? Also, The panel will be inside a pool house, so how do in ground pools with pool houses satisfy the in sight requirement ? We are operating on 2008 NEC.
Thank you.

 

[brantmacga]

Two more questions: inside the panel says Copper conductors only and a disconnect must be in sight of pool. Does the feeder conductor cable that feeds this 150 amp panel have to be copper too ? Also, The panel will be inside a pool house, so how do in ground pools with pool houses satisfy the in sight requirement ? We are operating on 2008 NEC.
Thank you.

the relays require #14-#6 Cu conductors. The panel lugs can use aluminum; the supply can't exceed 150A.


are the pumps also located inside the pool house? If not, I would not put the panel inside; for service & maintenance it really needs to be wherever the equipment is and easily accessible by the service tech. They will always need full access to the panel functions even just for a weekly cleaning.

If the pumps are outside and the panel is inside behind a lockable door, you would need to put some 2-pole disconnect switches at each pump.

 

[Stevenfyeager]

the relays require #14-#6 Cu conductors. The panel lugs can use aluminum; the supply can't exceed 150A.


are the pumps also located inside the pool house? If not, I would not put the panel inside; for service & maintenance it really needs to be wherever the equipment is and easily accessible by the service tech. They will always need full access to the panel functions even just for a weekly cleaning.

If the pumps are outside and the panel is inside behind a lockable door, you would need to put some 2-pole disconnect switches at each pump.

Panel and pumps are in the pool house. Thanks

 

[Stevenfyeager]

the relays require #14-#6 Cu conductors. The panel lugs can use aluminum; the supply can't exceed 150A.


are the pumps also located inside the pool house? If not, I would not put the panel inside; for service & maintenance it really needs to be wherever the equipment is and easily accessible by the service tech. They will always need full access to the panel functions even just for a weekly cleaning.

If the pumps are outside and the panel is inside behind a lockable door, you would need to put some 2-pole disconnect switches at each pump.

I’m reading 680.25 A. I’m wanting to feed the control panel with AL SER in the wall from main panel to stub out of the wall into the back knockout of the control panel. Control panel will be surface mounted in the room containing all pool equipment and storage of chemicals. Section A, Feeders mentions copper EGC. Does this mean I can’t use Al SER as my feeder? Thank you.

 

[Little Bill]

I’m reading 680.25 A. I’m wanting to feed the control panel with AL SER in the wall from main panel to stub out of the wall into the back knockout of the control panel. Control panel will be surface mounted in the room containing all pool equipment and storage of chemicals. Section A, Feeders mentions copper EGC. Does this mean I can’t use Al SER as my feeder? Thank you.

I read it as if the feeders are run through the corrosive area they need to have copper EGC. Sounds like yours is run in the wall and only enters the area directly into the panel. I think you would be ok with Al there. Any branch circuits would need to be copper insulated EGC.

 

[Stevenfyeager]

One other question please. I'm installing a bathroom ceiling exhaust fan in the mechanical room of this pool house, and plan to put it on a programmable timer. I've seen other customer's garages, where they stored pool chemicals. I've had to replace two service panels in those garages, and all outlets in the garage. That chlorine really corroded everything. Will this fan help ? I wonder how long it will last. Thank you.

 

[Little Bill]

It might help but the fan will probably need replacing sooner than other equipment.

 

[retirede]

One other question please. I'm installing a bathroom ceiling exhaust fan in the mechanical room of this pool house, and plan to put it on a programmable timer. I've seen other customer's garages, where they stored pool chemicals. I've had to replace two service panels in those garages, and all outlets in the garage. That chlorine really corroded everything. Will this fan help ? I wonder how long it will last. Thank you.

If this is a salt system, there won’t be any significant storage of corrosive chemicals. The only chemicals I keep in my pool house mechanical room are a couple jugs of muriatic acid and some liquid clarifier. In 12 years there are no signs of any corrosion.