Good info as always Phil!
I want to add one more tip to Phil's troubleshooting procedure.
If you have full sun, jumper the PV output to the pump input
conductors and if the pump runs,
the controller is at fault. That's assuming that the float switch is
calling for water. To be sure, pull one of
the float wires out of its hold down tab and make it call for water.
Roy Butler
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer®
NYSERDA eligible PV & wind installer
PA Sunshine Program Approved PV Installer
Four Winds Renewable Energy, LLC
8902 Route 46
Arkport, NY 14807
607-324-9747
www.four-winds-energy.com
Although no trees were killed in the sending of this message,
a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
On 11/8/2010 8:28 PM, Phil Undercuffler wrote:
I
believe the F3 error code was the known communication issue
with the CU200 controller. Basically, it loses communication
with the pump and so throws the error code. I saw a bunch of
CU200 controller issues in my previous job; GF acknowledged
they had a bad batch, and were pretty good about swapping them
out.
The good
news is, the CU200 controller is not required for the pump
to run.
The important thing to remember with the CU200 is
that it doesn't actually "do" anything to the power going to
the pump. If the float switch signal circuit closes, the
controller doesn't interrupt power like a traditional switch.
Instead, it sends an electronic "stop" signal to the pump,
which turns itself off. The conductors down the hole are
always energized whenever the sun is shining (assuming it's a
PV array powering the pump). Similarly, the controller
doesn't actually "measure" the wattage flowing for its display
-- it just reports what the pump tells it that it is drawing.
I believe the F3 error comes up
whenever the controller loses communication with the pump.
Take the controller out of the circuit, and if there's enough
PV power to overcome the lift the pump should run.
In fact, I believe one of the greatest saving
graces of the SQ-Flex pump is the ease of troubleshooting. Go
out into the field with a small 1,000 watt or larger generator
or inverter. Connect 120V AC directly up to the wires going
down the hole, and if you get water, the problem isn't with
the pump, so you can focus your attention to the array. Add a
CU200 into the circuit, and measure the gallons per minute
produced (still running from 120v source). Compare the
gallons per minute and the wattage consumed by the pump as
shown on the CU200's display, against the flow and energy
charts for the designed lift in the SQ-Flex service manual.
If the flow is lower or wattage is higher, either the water
table has dropped (increasing lift), or the pump is beginning
to bind (increased friction).
BTW, for those of you using the Flex in a
pressurizing system, it's important to remember that the
CU200 doesn't directly control the pump -- if there's a
loss of communication, the pump will continue to run,
causing a potentially damaging over-pressure event. I use a SQ-Flex running off
120v inverter power at my home in New Mexico. I have a
CU200 in the circuit so that I can keep track of the water
level/pump friction/energy consumption, but I use a
standard pressure switch to control when the pump runs.
Phil Undercuffler
On Mon, Nov 8, 2010 at 4:47 PM,
Gary Gordon at SYV Solar <g...@syvsolar.com>
wrote:
Wrenches,
More details on the Grundfos
failures:
1st failure 11 SQF-2 w/ 204ft
TDH
2nd failure 6 SQF-2 w/
220ft. TDH
3rd failure 6 SQF-2 w/
253ft. TDH
All controllers were displaying F3
failures, there was voltage at the well head.
Only one replaced so far and seems to work fine.
Any ideas or similar problems?
Gary
Gordon
Santa
Ynez Valley Solar
P.
O. Box 688
Santa
Ynez, CA 93460
805
688-1213
Sent: Saturday, November 06, 2010 10:07 AM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Grundfos
Doug,
Thanks for the feedback. I have to install
the monoflo, because it was purchased 2 summers
ago, but the customer didn't have the site work
done to install the pump. This summer the site
work was finished and now the customer is ready
to have the system installed, so wish me luck!
DC Power is getting out of the pumping biz,
so is Wholesale solar up north, hopefully Solar
Depot will remain in it. Our only other option
is to go through the plumbing supply houses.
I hear the bugs are being worked out of the
Lorentz pump line, anyone have any experience
with them?
Mike Nelson
MD Electric & Solar
Gualala, Ca.
On Sat, Nov 6, 2010 at
7:45 AM, Doug Pratt <dmpr...@sbcglobal.net>
wrote:
Mike,
from another Mendo native, don’t do
the Monoflo. DC Power is getting out
of the pumping biz, and we’re the only
Monoflo distributor in the US. Our
experience with Monoflo hasn’t been
good. We’ve seen a number of pump
failures recently, support from the
manufacturer is pretty thin, and
troubleshooting in the field is poorly
developed and documented. Basically
it’s… pump not working? Try plugging
in a new controller. Still not
working? Plug in a new pump. Dealers
don’t keep expensive pumps on the
shelf in case of breakdowns, so
repairs usually end up taking weeks.
Not good for dealer/customer
relations!
DC
Power is getting out of water pumping
because we just don’t have the
technical bandwidth anymore. We’re
being pressed so hard by the
rapidly-expanding grid-tie market that
our tech support crew is getting loved
to death. There’s no time. I’m sorry
to see it go, I found water pumping
projects challenging and interesting,
but the tech cloning project has hit
some snags.
From
a sales perspective, the Grundfos SQ
Flex was the best of the lot. We heard
the fewest problems from them, and
those problems were usually on the
surface (the CU200 control).
Doug
Pratt
DC
Power Systems
I have also
installed several Grundfos SQ Flex
submersible well pumps, and had
trouble with them, primarily with the
control systems, the low water shut
off sensor has failed on several
pumps, and the CU200 control boxes
have failed. The pumps themselves have
held up so far, and seem to be very
efficient. I wish there were more
solar direct well pump options, I've
tried the ETA pumps, the Sunpumps
(which are great for low head, low
flow) and am about to try a Monoflow.
Any other thoughts?
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