Quick Update:
So far I have received the following items from Leslie's on my AquaLogic PS4 system:
100 Amp panel with PS4 main circuit board and PS4 local display (HPC-PS-4)
2 Goldline GVA-24 actuators
Wireless "tabletop" remote display GLX-Tx-RF-PS-4
Base Receiver (for wireless) AQL-BASE-RF
Chlorination Kit (includes H-40 chlorinator cell, flow switch, and 2 unions) HPC-CL
I'm still waiting on delivery for the floating, waterproof remote.
I'm still awaiting installation, so I have been busy reading product manuals and have even called Goldline Technical Support with a couple of questions. Things I have learned so far:
- 3 temperature inputs (air, pool/spa, and solar)
- 2 heater relays
- 4 valve actuator outputs (the fourth valve actuator and the second heater share a common relay - it can not do both).
- four 120/240 volt relay outputs (designated as filter pump, lights, aux 1, and aux 2, but all can be configured for any use)
- I have an existing Goldline GL-35 solar controller and Goldline GVA-24 valve actuator for a solar system. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the PS4 will incorporate these functions internally, thus enabling me to get rid of the GL-35 and clean up my existing installation.
- The main circuit board in a PS4 system and a PS8 system are identical. The local display being a PS4 or a PS8 display dictates whether you have a PS4 or a PS8 system.
- You can buy a PS8 upgrade kit in order to change a PS4 to a PS8. This option is not shown on the Hayward website, but the part number is AQL-PS8-UPGRADE. The kit appears to consist of a PS8 local display and 4 additional 220 Volt, 25 Amp, 2-pole relays (24 VAC coil).
- there is an option for adding a fifth 120/240 volt relay output (in addition to the four that are part of the PS4 system), but it requires that you aren't using the fourth valve actuator output. GoldLine shows a list price of $65 for part number GLX-RELAY for an additional relay, but you can buy the relay at Digikey or Mouser Electronics for about $16 or so (Omron G7L-2A-BUBJ-CB-24DC). You will need the "industry standard" 3-pin connector that would normally be on the end of a valve actuator to go from the valve actuator circuit board location to the new relay. The supposedlly "industry standard" 3-pin connector may be an "industry standard" for pool valve actuators, but in reality it is a very hard to find, oddball connector.
- in fact, one could add a SIXTH 120/240 Volt relay output by using the third valve actuator output in a manner just described above, but this will not work for me since I will be using this third valve actuator for my solar diverter valve actuator.
- I will have to buy 15 amp, 240 Volt circuit breakers - one for my filter pump and one for my cleaner booster pump. I will also need a 15 amp, 120 volt GFI breaker for the spa and pool lighting circuits. These breakers were not included in the PS4 power/control panel.
This is quite a powerful and neat system, but it is nowhere near worth the "regular" price of $2350 or the "sale" price of $2000. The main unit is only a steel box with the guts of a lighting panel inside, a microprocessor board, a local display, and four high voltage relays. If I had not stumbled across this Leslie's "deal of the century", I think I would be very tempted to put together a pool controller using one of the off-the-shelf microprocesso-based board-level controllers myself. One would still need to buy the valve actuators for about $100 each, of course. And don't even get me started on how overpriced the salt chlorination cell is. Truly, a chlorination cell should only cost $100 or so based on what is involved (titanium plates with a DC voltage applied).
Titanium