Heat Pump Control

[roksmith]

We've added a Raypak 2450 heatpump to our pool this year but I have a question that I can't seem to find an answer for..
How is a heatpump normally controlled?
We typically run the main pump for a few hours at night and a few hours during the day to circulate the water then we turn it on manually any time we are in the pool.

Do we leave the heatpump on 24/7 and rely on the flow detector in the heatpump to start heating when our pump is running, synchronize the timers for the pump and the heatpump so that they are both running at the same time, or do we need to install some sort of automation system that controls them both?

The only direction I've seen is that you leave the heatpump on 24/7 and it will heat when needed if there is adequate flow, but I don't want to blow anything up.

[Teapot1]

Short pump run times will circulate the water but you wont be filtering very much at all. You need the longest run times to filter the water properly and that would mean 3 turnovers per day minimum. If you filter isnt very good then it might not make much difference.
Yes the heat pump needs to run as its not creating heat like a gas heater it is moving the heat from one place to another at a lower temperature so needs to run for longer to have an effect. So yes it wont run unless its flow sensor detects the filtration pump is running.

[roksmith]

My pump runs 90GPM so 5400 GPH on a 8000 gallon pool so running it for 2hours at night and 2 hours per day, then turning it on full time while we are cleaning or using it gets us around 3x per day, but regardless I expect to run it longer certainly during the part of the swim season where heating it required.
The issue I ran into was that from what I've seen, you should be able to leave the heat pump on 24/7 and run the pump for as many hours as needed. I'll run it for 8 hours a day if I need to.. but when the pool pump shut off, instead of getting what I would expect on the readout (Water PS Open), instead I get a High Pressure Switch Lockout which to me sounds like it's certainly caused by lack of water flow, but scares me a little at the same time.

I'm not opposed to setting my pool pump on my mechanical time and setting the heat pump to run within that time frame, but I'm unable to see how exactly to do that.

[Denniswiseman]

It's best to run the pump from the heat pump if you have that option, so that when your heat pump switches on your pump runs as well
My heat pump is 9 years old and has it so I would assume that more modern ones have it as well
I have also fitted a bypass so that I can run the pump independantly of the heat pump if necessary

[roksmith]

My heat pump can control system pumps, but I don't believe my system pump has the capability. If someone knows how to send the control voltage to my Hayward Power-Flo LX pump, I'd appreciate a point in the right direction. I see no such support in the manual for it.

[Denniswiseman]

You just wire the circulation pump into the correct terminals in the heat pump

[roksmith]

The only electrical connections I see on the circulation pump is for 120v
The output of the heat pump for controlling a circulation pump is a 24v dc voltage. I'm assuming that to be a control signal.
There is no 120v out of the heatpump and no place for a 24v control voltage on the circulation pump that I see.

[Denniswiseman]

In that case you need a relay which will be activated by the 24v to get 120v to the pump
I would suggest you get an electrician to check it out
The only other alternative is for the heat pump to be switched on with the circulating pump

[Teapot1]

Your pump plate may state 90 gallons per minute but I guarantee you are not getting that with a filter in the way and plumbing losses. I know this from testing loads of pools over the years with my ultrasonic flow meter, it was the 1st test I would do on a customers pool. At best you will get half of that, if like a lot of pools the filter is undersized you'll get only around a 1/3 and the pressure is high so you get filter break through. Slower filtration is better filtration and it saves a huge amount of electricity. Could also be having an effect on the heat pump.
I set my pool to 4 turnovers in 24 hours, yes I run 24 hours and the total electricity used would be around what you are using in 2 hours. Filtration only works when the pumps are running otherwise dirt leaves etc get to sink to the bottom and then you have to clear that. On my pool I use simple plug in timers to run the pump and accessories. Dirt cheap and easy to replace.