What Is VFD:
VFD stands for Variable Frequency Drive. A VFD controls the RPMs of the pump motors which in turn affect the flow rate of the water through our filtration system.
The settings of each VFD will be different for a few reasons. The important thing to know is that our flow rate during operational hours and the flow rate during non-operational hours differs. We reduce the flow significantly in non-operational hours to reduce turnover which decreases stress on our filtration system and decreases our utility usage compared to operational times.
Reasons To Turn The VFD Off:
Since the VFD controls the pool’s pump, when it is set to “Off”, the pump would stop spinning and our flow rate of pool water through our systems would be zero. The VFD would only be set to “Off” in the following situations:
- Backwashing procedure: The VFD would turn the pump off to allow the backwashing valves to be configured
- Service: Any significant servicing of pool operation systems requires the VFD to be set to “off”.
The VFD has four buttons on the bottom of the control panel labeled: “Hand On”, “Off”, “Auto On”, and “Reset”.
A green light should be lit above “Auto On”, which signifies that the VFD is controlling the pump based on our pre-programmed settings (high speed during the day, low speed at night).
If the green light above “Hand On” is lit, that means the VFD is operating the pump at full speed all the time. There are different situations, related to the overall flow of the pool, which might require a VFD to be set to “Hand On”. Additionally, at times “Hand On” can be used to troubleshoot other operational systems.
The VFDs should be set to be running on “Auto On” all the time. Please do not change the configuration unless instructed to by a member of the Pool Ops team. If you notice a VFD set to “Hand On” or “Off”, please notify a Site Supervisor or a member of the Pool Ops team.
Hand on: Manual Override
Off: Off
Auto On: Settings