Adding Water to Spa in Spa Mode

[Dtupper8]

Hello,

Easytouch 4 using Screenlogic with a spillover spa

Sometimes we have 4-5 people in our spillover spa. Suddenly 3-4 of them want to leave to get a drink or whatever. When they get out the spa level drops to the jets and water starts spraying everywhere. When this happens I'd love to be able to only change the intake from spa to pool so I can pump some water in to compensate for the loss of volume. It appears that I'm only able to use the spillway feature to accomplish this which means I have to change over to pool mode as I'm only see spillway configurable in Pool mode.

Any pointers or ideas would be great.

Thanks!
Don

 

[DrewLG]

Easytouch 4 using Screenlogic with a spillover spa

Sometimes we have 4-5 people in our spillover spa. Suddenly 3-4 of them want to leave to get a drink or whatever. When they get out the spa level drops to the jets and water starts spraying everywhere. When this happens I'd love to be able to only change the intake from spa to pool so I can pump some water in to compensate for the loss of volume. It appears that I'm only able to use the spillway feature to accomplish this which means I have to change over to pool mode as I'm only see spillway configurable in Pool mode.

Any pointers or ideas would be great.

The "mode" just describes where the water is being pulled from: In Pool mode it's coming from the pool, and in Spa mode it's coming from the spa. So if you want to use the Spillway feature-- where water is pulled from the pool and returned to the spa -- you'll be in the Pool mode by definition.

But I don't understand why that's a problem. Is it just that on your phone, the Spillway button is on the Pool screen? You can move it to the Spa screen: In the SLConfig app, the "Circuits" settings allow you to choose whether the button is shown on the Spa screen or the Pool screen.

 

[Dtupper8]

The "mode" just describes where the water is being pulled from: In Pool mode it's coming from the pool, and in Spa mode it's coming from the spa. So if you want to use the Spillway feature-- where water is pulled from the pool and returned to the spa -- you'll be in the Pool mode by definition.

But I don't understand why that's a problem. Is it just that on your phone, the Spillway button is on the Pool screen? You can move it to the Spa screen: In the SLConfig app, the "Circuits" settings allow you to choose whether the button is shown on the Spa screen or the Pool sc

Hey Drew,

When configuring a feature and setting it to spillway the only options are Pool and Feature that I'm seeing. The issue is that when it changes to pool mode the heater shuts off and then we are blasted with cold pool water. The hope was to have the heater stay on and have the intake just switch over to pool while staying in Spa mode so the heater would kick on as soon as the colder pool water was detected. Nitpicking...I know...but it seems I should be able to change a single valve over it just doesn't seem to be an option (yet?)

Thanks,
Don

 

[ajw22]

.but it seems I should be able to change a single valve over it just doesn't seem to be an option (yet?)

Yet = never. The EasyTouch has been declared obsolete by Pentair. You will not get any improvements to what you have.

In the Pentair world you can control an individual valve when in SERVICE mode. You have SPA FILL and SPA DRAIN on your outdoor panel using the V button.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Don,

If you are in the Spa mode and turn on the "Spillway" function, it should just move the intake valve from the the spa to the pool. ??

I tried this on my EasyTouch and when I turn on the Spillway function, the system stayed in the Spa mode and the heater stayed on.

I don't think you have your Spillway set up correctly.

To set up the spillway mode, you have to use a Feature Circuit and rename it.. You can use any name you want, but Spillway makes the most sense. Then you have set the Circuit Function to "Spillway".

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[DrewLG]

when it changes to pool mode the heater shuts off and then we are blasted with cold pool water. The hope was to have the heater stay on and have the intake just switch over to pool while staying in Spa mode so the heater would kick on as soon as the colder pool water was detected.

Keeping the heater on won't really do what you want.

Say your heater is a big one, 400K BTU/hour. That means it can add one degree F per hour to around 38,000 gallons of water -- let's call it 36,000 gallons to make the math easy.

The heater won't work unless the flow through it is at least 40 gallons per minute, so your pump is probably running at around 50 gallons per minute.

Ignoring all the effects that make real-world results worse than theoretical results... If your heater can add one degree F per hour to 36,000 gallons, it can add one degree F per minute to 600 gallons. Which means that it can add 12 degrees F per minute to 50 gallons.

So with the heater on, the 50 gallons per minute being pumped into the spa from the icy cold pool will be -- at best -- 12 degrees F warmer than it would be with the heater off. For me personally, after soaking in a 100-degree F spa for a while, being suddenly blasted with cold water would feel just as awful whether the blast was 72 degrees F or 60 degrees F.

Perhaps you can solve your problem another way. I suggest nominating one person to get out of the spa alone and return with drinks for everyone.

 

[Turbo1Ton]

Hello,

Easytouch 4 using Screenlogic with a spillover spa

Sometimes we have 4-5 people in our spillover spa. Suddenly 3-4 of them want to leave to get a drink or whatever. When they get out the spa level drops to the jets and water starts spraying everywhere. When this happens I'd love to be able to only change the intake from spa to pool so I can pump some water in to compensate for the loss of volume. It appears that I'm only able to use the spillway feature to accomplish this which means I have to change over to pool mode as I'm only see spillway configurable in Pool mode.

Any pointers or ideas would be great.

Thanks!
Don

I have my intake valve biased so that when in spa mode I am constantly pulling a small bit of water from the pool as well, to help with this. Sure I am constantly overflowing a trickle of water, but the spa will refill and remain full when people get out/in. The small flow of colder pool water does not impact the ability for the heater to maintain the spa at the 100 degree (or whatever temp) I have it set for. Might try this to see if it works for you.

--Jeff