Pentair Intellibrite Questions

[bigkevj]

I am looking to replace the lights I have on my pool. I have a "pool light" in the deep end, and a "spa light" in the shallow end. I have been looking at the Pentair Intellibrite 5G Color lights. My questions are about controlling them.

1. My understanding is that if you put these lights on light switches, you switch off and back on to cycle through colors and shows. I have the intellitouch system with a easy touch panel inside. Would turning the lights off and on from the panel (pressing the button) also cycle the light colors? If both lights are on the same button, would that work for both?

2. If I got the LED Light controller, could both lights be controlled with one controller? Or would I need a controller for each light?

3. If I can control both lights from one controller, then I would assume I would select the color/show I wanted from that controller, then I can use the easy touch keypad to turn the lights on and off?

TIA

 

[gary300]

Easy Touch will directly control Intellibrite 5G lights. A relay is used to do the switching and will enable you to set any color or available light show. The 5G lights do not consume a lot of electricity, so several lights could be connected to one relay. I actually use two relays and can individually control my pool lights and spa light. You DO NOT want the LED controller if you have automation. It would just add another layer of needless complexity.

 

[JoelFitz]

Unless they've figured out the issue don't waste your money on the controller. There's an issue with not being able to break the neutral line on the lights and it knocks them out of sync. This was as of a couple years ago. This is more of an FYI for future searches as you have Pentair automation and gary is correct in his response.

 

[GDN]

What the others have said above - EasyTouch and Intellitouch can control them directly. You've got to go in to the menu and update the light to tell the panel what kind it is. All of this is super easy if you have Screen Logic. I had standard light bulbs until the spa bulb burned out last week. I replaced it with J and J Electronics brand new LXG series bulb. So far happy with it and cheaper prices then their older generation bulbs, and much cheaper than the Pentair bulbs. It controls the very same way - turning the switch on and off multiple times.

Here was my surprise - I thought that Pentair must be sending some sort of signal across the powerline to the bulb to control the light patterns, but nope - the control panel just does the flipping of the switch (relay) for you to set the pattern or color you choose. To say the least you've got the control board already - integrate and be Happy.

 

[bigkevj]

New question on this thread. Again, I have one 120V Pool light in the deep end, and a 120V "spa light" in the shallow end. The light in the deep in worked great, spa light did not I replaced the shallow end Spa light with a 5G intellibrite light. I have not done anything yet with the pool light in the deep end. After I go the spa light installed, I went to turn them on to make sure they were working, and now the pool light which had worked does not.

Would they both need to be 5g intellibrite lights to work?

 

[GDN]

I would think they would work independently of each other. Question though - are they wired together or separate? Do you turn them on and off with one switch or two? Do you use the Intellitouch (screen logic) or an external normal light switches?

 

[bigkevj]

They are wired together so that I can turn them both on and off with the same switch (happens to be the easy touch panel indoors). Using Intellitouch

 

[GDN]

I wouldn't think there's any issue on the big light - switching and being powered together. Did you update the Intellitouch panel to tell it that you now have a 5G light? The only difference that will make is to allow the relay to switch itself on and off to select the colors. Once you put the 5G light in - did you do a lot of flipping of the switch to make the 5G change colors? None of those things in and of themselves should harm the original light, unless it was already getting old and turning it off an on a lot pushed it over the edge and it is now just burned out as well. Otherwise doesn't sound like anything else would have caused the issue. I am also assuming both lights are wired all the way back to the panel separately and you didn't have to touch any of that wiring. All you did was pull the niche out and replace the bulb - should be no impact on the other bulb.