Hayward TriStar and EcoStar VS. How to Program and Drive Replacement

[@walkabout.gaijin]

Thank you! Great video. Very helpful. So far, the best I've seen. It seemed thorough and clear. My 5.5 year old SP3400VSP died last night with a DRIVE ERROR: PUMP HAS STALLED fault. Weep! All signs point to a failed driver/inverter. You video gave me a very clear sense of the replacement process. I hope I can find a replacement drive for less than Amazon's $620. Years (decades) ago, a friend told me the old cliche about owning a boat: "A hole in the water where you throw money." I need a version for owning a pool.

[@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS]

It’s a hole in the back yard you throw money into. I tell people I’m the guy in the pool with a catcher’s mit!

[@johnmerryman1825]

Cool video. My EcoStar motor rotor magnet actually cracked at the beginning of the season last year and took out the whole motor. I took the whole thing apart and glued the magnet back together and to the rotor with JB Weld. Amazingly it has been working perfectly since! Fingers crossed that the drive doesn’t go poof

[@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS]

Whoa! Nice save!!

[@mjones53]

Thanks for the video, mine just went out :( ordered a new Hayward W3SP2303VSP MaxFlo this time hope it last longer.

[@JP-ku3he]

How do I even see the menu it’s blank and it’s all brand new? Buttons don’t do anything just stays blank but pump is running

[@ssanford]

I just did this today and it really wasn’t that hard. The wiring was easy but I had to reroute a bunch of the PVC that wasn’t done right to begin with. The best part was when I turned everything on and it primed up I was like yay ! I did an amazing job! and two seconds later one of the pipes burst because I forgot to glue it

[@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS]

I’ve been caught by surprise when I forgot I dry fitted pipes together. Never fun but glad to hear you got things dialed in!

[@frugalmcdogal8779]

Nice video. I just purchased a used Hayward SP3400VSP. The previous owner said he just replaced the drive. I hooked it up today and the pump was not working. There was a drive error saying pump was not running. Could this not have been wired properly?

[@jimkline6285]

Hay Josh, I have no experience with vs pumps, only old single speed, so the top part is called the drive, that's on top of the motor, I guess its just the electronics part. Like the timer, etc.,

[@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS]

Yeah, the top piece that sits on top houses the brains. This goes for all the offerings from Hayward, Jandy, and Pentair. No need for a time clock as everything is programmed and run from the drive. They’re way easier to connect than an old single speed pump, and really cool since you can tailor the programming to meet the exact needs of your specific pool.

[@nowthatsfunny1]

These programmable pumps are pure garbage. Ive been doing pools 20 years and have 40-50 of these pumps. When they go bad i tell customer to put on the old style pumps. No more problems. The pool industry sure did fool everyone by saying "you'll save money!" No you don't you just making us pool guys rich. A pool pump shouldn't be as complicated as a Mercedes. Geeze.

[@jakelm4256]

Is there a similar pump from Pentair or other manufacturer that can replace the Hayward Ecostar that can swap in and use the current high-temp unions without having to replumb?

[@stevesherry8034]

Nice easy video to follow, my SP3400VSP failed with the dreaded DRIVE ERROR, Pump has Stalled message. So I have been checking causes and options which led me to this video. Question: With the apparent driver errors from the Hayward ECOStar, in your opinion, is the Tri-Star a better system or do they both utilize the same driver?

[@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS]

The old Ecostar was really susceptible to failing due to components succumbing to heat. The newer Tristar VS 950 is a much more durable unit however I think Pentair still has better software features. If you have a Hayward Automation system, I say go Hayward but if it’s just the pump by itself, I’d go Pentair.

[@stevesherry8034]

@@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS Thank you, when the replacement driver fails I will check out the Pentair VS pumps

[@Staylurkin07]

Have you ever encountered the error “check communication between display and drive”?

[@dmslandscapinghardscapes7382]

Did you ever figure out what this problem was? My pump just displayed the same problem.

[@MrTodo6969]

Hi great video!! A couple days ago I noticed the pump just didn’t sound right like it always does. Yesterday it said the drive error pump has stalled message. Would a pump sound different leading up to this error for replacing the drive? Or how do I know it’s not the motor that caused the problem? The impeller spins freely, and there is no corrosion under the wire cap. I have noticed some light puddling of water under the pump in the past. Thanks

[@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS]

On the Drive Error it’s the electronic components in the drive itself that have failed. The funny noise most likely means one or both of the bearings are beginning to fail and the wetness around the pump probably means that the shaft seal is ready to be replaced. Depending on how much the shaft seal has been leaking, this may be the cause of the front bearing failing. You could certainly rebuild the pump by replacing the drive, bearings, seal, and O rings but you’re pushing close to the cost of a new pump with a warranty at that point.

[@MrTodo6969]

Swimming Pool Science thanks, I was thinking the same, sounds like mine has multiple issues and a new pump would be more cost effective

[@RickiLynnMiller]

Thank You! I'm a new pool owner and was having a heck of a time trying to figure out how to change the clock settings on my pump, your video helped! I appreciate you. Question? We live in Las Vegas and our in ground pool is 11,425 gallons, what is your advice on setting the Hayward EcoStar VSP pump schedule?

[@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS]

Hey Ricki! Hope you guys are faring well up there. I have a friend that owns a bar up off of Main and Colorado St. just North of the strip. Give me a few more details on your pool and I’ll do my best to give you some guidence....what type of cleaning system if any do you have? Lots of trees? How often are you guys swimming? Are there pets and do they use the pool?