Schedules/Manual OP Priority

[MyAZPool]

@Pool Clown is a knowledgeable fella and he would certainly know.
I'm confident that the pump speeds will fix your issue and really there's no reason why your spa speed should be lower than pretty much any of your other circuits.
Is your filter dirty? That seems like a relatively high speed for such a low flow.
@mknauss is very correct about the robot. Another option that's a little less expensive is automating your pool cleaner valve so that that's the only thing open when you're pool is in cleaner mode... you may have already done this because I recall seeing your pool equipment setup and you had a gaggle of valves all over the place but I don't recall at the moment

Thanks Brian. Appreciate the advice as always. If in fact, the Manual OP Priority is supposed to prevent the schedule from interrupting the spa use as @Pool Clown has suggested in that earlier thread, then I can confirm 100%, the Manual OP Priority feature is NOT working with the IntelliCenter currently. I would really like to hear from any members that can confirm that it is working like that on their ET/IT automation systems. I am going to try to confirm all of this with Pentair Tech Support this week.

Filter is not too dirty yet. Only about 5 psi above the "right after backwash" starting psi.

As far as setting the pool cleaner/skimmer valve to the pool cleaner full open position, I guess I could do that and then run the pump at a lower speed. I would also need to close off the spa skimmer as well. I guess I could have two daily programs. One for pool cleaner ONLY, the other for pool and spa skimming ONLY. I'll have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of changing up some of the CIRCUIT GROUPS (macros) / schedules. That issue would be a lot easier if I were not presently restricted to ONLY two valve positions that I can use. I'll have to wait for the Pentair OTA firmware release so I can use more than two valve positions. In the meantime though, I would really like to find out for sure about the Manual OP Priority deal. I'll let you know what I find out (if anything) from Pentair.
Thanks again for the input.
r.

 

[bdavis466]

Spa skimmer? I guess I've never seen your pool.

 

[MyAZPool]

Spa skimmer? I guess I've never seen your pool.

That's why you need to stop over for an "adult beverage" .
Both bodies of water have a skimmer (with associated drains of course) I don't use the drains and they are plugged in the skimmers. Both skimmer lines run to the equipment pad to a three way valve. Same with the return lines. The two bodies of water are connected to each other by a 4" PVC "equalization line". I think this was the "old school" common method of designing and building in-ground pool/spa combos in the southwest in the 80's and 90's. I don't think the "spillover" concept had really come into it's own yet and was not widespread at the time I believe.

 

[bdavis466]

The pool and spa are at the same level then?

 

[MyAZPool]

The pool and spa are at the same level then?

Exactly.. The only "manual" thing I have to do in order to use the spa, is put one of those large plugs with the wing nut, into the equalization line on the spa side before activating the CIRCUIT GROUP (macro) that turns on and switches everything to spa use.

 

[MyAZPool]

Another option that's a little less expensive is automating your pool cleaner valve so that that's the only thing open when you're pool is in cleaner mode... you may have already done this because I recall seeing your pool equipment setup and you had a gaggle of valves all over the place but I don't recall at the moment

Brian,
I liked your idea and I did look into it today. I will not however, be able to implement it presently. I would need to be able to automate three (3) valve positions on both the Intake and the Return valve actuators.

Kind of like this:
Valve Position 1 - Pool cleaning (suction-side cleaner) ONLY: Intake and return valves closed to spa. Pool Skim/Cleaner valve set to Cleaner ONLY.
Valve Position 2 - Pool and Spa Skimming ONLY: Intake and return valves 2/3 pool, 1/3 spa. Pool Skim/Cleaner valve set to Skim ONLY.
Valve Position 3 - Spa Use ONLY: Intake and return valves closed to pool. Pool Skim/Cleaner valve - N/A

Here is a simplified diagram so you can see what I am talking about.

As you know, currently I can only automate two positions on the IntelliValve at this time. I will have to wait for the future OTA firmware update that will allow more valve positions to be automated, before I can put your idea into practical use.
Thanks much for the idea though (I like it) and I am putting your idea in my "future" pool automation to-do folder.
r.

 

[Pool Clown]

This is nuts...
Preface: I am a factory warranty station, that is where my affiliation with Pentair ends...
Please do not flame me for what i am about to post...

AZ, Your system is working correctly! You have to read the explanation of the Man Op closely and it will be clear, the wording that is, not the thinking!

If you turn the man op on, and then turn on the spa WITHIN the daily scheduled time of the POOL function, you will have manual op of anything on the system. HOWEVER, if any other program comes along, your control gets tossed to the weeds. The key wording here is: This feature allows for a circuit to be manually switched OFF and switched ON within a scheduled program. So what that means is that you either need to be Within the start and stop time of a program until you are finished, or you need to be outside of the program "times" until finished for you to have true over-ride control. Setting a higher pump speed for the spa will not override this.

My thought to Pentair is that at the very least, the wording in the manual be redone to better reflect what that function does and or doesn't do, with regard to manual override.

Either way, Pentair is aware of this, and says it is the same way on E/T and I/T systems, so there is not much attention being paid to it, right now... I did relate some concern about this to them, as i/we would be getting the calls.

They seem to have bigger fish to fry in terms of the IntelliCenters' (rollout) growing pains.

Suggestion. If you generally use the spa in a particular block of time, adjust your schedules so they are not overlapping with this period of time. I skimmed some posts above, and saw something about feature circuits or macros. I dont think that will work unless you link them to (daily) schedules, and that would defeat anyway. IOW you would be rescheduling the filter schedule anyway to do that, and if you had overlap... ahhhh, my head hurts.

I think tweaking the filter and cleaner run time(s) is the best work around, at this time. If Pentair received enough feedback about this, who knows if it would get addressed...

 

[MyAZPool]

This is nuts...
Preface: I am a factory warranty station, that is where my affiliation with Pentair ends...
Please do not flame me for what i am about to post...
AZ, Your system is working correctly! You have to read the explanation of the Man Op closely and it will be clear, the wording that is, not the thinking!
If you turn the man op on, and then turn on the spa WITHIN the daily scheduled time of the POOL function, you will have manual op of anything on the system. HOWEVER, if any other program comes along, your control gets tossed to the weeds. The key wording here is: This feature allows for a circuit to be manually switched OFF and switched ON within a scheduled program. So what that means is that you either need to be Within the start and stop time of a program until you are finished, or you need to be outside of the program "times" until finished for you to have true over-ride control. Setting a higher pump speed for the spa will not override this.
My thought to Pentair is that at the very least, the wording in the manual be redone to better reflect what that function does and or doesn't do, with regard to manual override.
Either way, Pentair is aware of this, and says it is the same way on E/T and I/T systems, so there is not much attention being paid to it, right now... I did relate some concern about this to them, as i/we would be getting the calls.
They seem to have bigger fish to fry in terms of the IntelliCenters' (rollout) growing pains.
Suggestion. If you generally use the spa in a particular block of time, adjust your schedules so they are not overlapping with this period of time. I skimmed some posts above, and saw something about feature circuits or macros. I dont think that will work unless you link them to (daily) schedules, and that would defeat anyway. IOW you would be rescheduling the filter schedule anyway to do that, and if you had overlap... ahhhh, my head hurts.
I think tweaking the filter and cleaner run time(s) is the best work around, at this time. If Pentair received enough feedback about this, who knows if it would get addressed...

@Pool Clown
Why would I "Flame" You? I wasn't offended by what you said. You made some good points and I agree.
Okay, I read the same thing in the manuals. What confused me was some of the information gleaned from some of the threads here on TFP. (and of course the documentation). If I I am not very good at interpreting "Pentairgalese" or mis-interpret what another member might be alluding to, that's on me. , and no one else. Since starting this thread, @jimrahbe, you and Pentair Tech Support have all confirmed the same thing. So I am completely "schooled" now, on the topic of Manual OP Priority (which for me anyway, is a pretty useless feature), now that I completely understand it.

That being said, I have been made aware of a suitable "work-around" for this issue as suggested by Tech Support. It's simple and I should "kick myself in the rear" for not thinking about it initially. If I don't want the schedule to interrupt an "activity" such as spa use, water feature running for ambience effect, etc., all I need to do is "uncheck" the applicable schedule (for the next upcoming schedule for that day) that might interfere with the activity, at either the control panel, iOS app or Web Interface app. Once the activity is complete, I just go back to schedules in one of the interface apps and "re-check" that particular day in the schedule and bam, I'm good.

Like I said, that is my temporary "solution" to this issue. Pentair has been made aware of the issue that I encoutered and I suggested that a "Schedule Suspend" button be placed somewhere in the three interface applications (I suggested "Home" screens). I explained that both the Honeywell Thermostat and Hunter "Hydrawise" Web apps and iOS apps have that same exact feature. They liked it. Seems that the software engineers and product development folks just didn't think of anything like that during the product development. They are working on it, so hopefully something good will come of all of this and I will see it come to fruition in a future OTA firmware update.

Thanks very much for your input. I certainly appreciate it. Take care!
r.

 

[Pool Clown]

Agreed, however...
I would rather them make the Manual Operation exactly what it suggests instead. Part of the reason you purchase automation is for EASE OF USE. Having to go into the menu and disable or change a setting prior to use each time is not an ease of use but rather an aggravation. You should be able to set it up once, and from then on spa use should be one button touch, and then turned off when manually turned off, or when the (preassigned) egg timer runs out.

 

[MyAZPool]

Agreed, however...
I would rather them make the Manual Operation exactly what it suggests instead. Part of the reason you purchase automation is for EASE OF USE. Having to go into the menu and disable or change a setting prior to use each time is not an ease of use but rather an aggravation. You should be able to set it up once, and from then on spa use should be one button touch, and then turned off when manually turned off, or when the (preassigned) egg timer runs out.

Exactly! Couldn't agree more. Thanks! @Pool Clown ... r.