Conrolling multiple landscape lighting zones from Pentair EasyTouch

[treadingwater]

I have the Pentair 520705 EasyTouch 8PSC-IC40 w/SCG Integration and IC40 Cell. I also have 4 to 5 different zones of low voltage LED lighting that I would like to control independently with the EasyTouch/Screen Logic. Each zone is 30 watts or less and approximately 10' or more away from the pool. Every post I have read here so far says to hook the supply side of the landscaping transformer to an unused AUX relay in the EasyTouch. However, I assume I would need to have 4 to 5 transformers to control the zones independently from the EasyTouch which is going to get very crowded.

Is there any better option for accomplishing this? For example, is there any way to safely use the EasyTouch to switch the low voltage side instead of the load side so I could use only one transformer?

If there is no other way, does anyone have any recommendations for physically small transformers that will meet my modest power needs? And would there be any problem with mounting them all in a separate enclosure for aesthetics?

 

[PoolGate]

I am not sure exactly what you are doing, but I control my landscape lighting from my Aqualink by simply having Aqualink turn on or off a 120 volt outlet near my pool and connected to the Aqualink load center. I plug in the low voltage transformer to this outlet. I schedule and control the light from my Aqualink interface. To control the quantity of lights you specify individually would require me to upgrade my Aqualink processor board with a revision with more auxiliary ports. I had only 1 spare port so I can control only 1 outlet.

 

[Jimrahbe]

T,

"Technically" you should not have low voltage wiring in the high voltage section where the relays are.

Other than that, your idea of controlling the low voltage side with relays, will work just fine.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[treadingwater]

PoolGate, I have the relays available already I am just trying to avoid having to use 4 - 5 transformers.

 

[treadingwater]

Jim, would you just run the low voltage lines through the high voltage knockout and into its own conduit?

 

[PoolGate]

PoolGate, I have the relays available already I am just trying to avoid having to use 4 - 5 transformers.

Isn't the number of transformers a function of the lights though? I don't think automation can change the light's requirements.

 

[treadingwater]

In my case the total wattage of all the lights is less than 150W which can be powered by a single 150W+ transformer however, either all the lights will be on or all the lights will be off. I want to be able to control 4 - 5 zones of lights independently and I am trying to avoid using 4 - 5 transformers when a single one can provide enough power. I also like the ability to use the same app to control my pool equipment, pool lights and landscape lights so that's why I want to use the built-in Pentair relays.

 

[PoolGate]

In my case the total wattage of all the lights is less than 150W which can be powered by a single 150W+ transformer however, either all the lights will be on or all the lights will be off. I want to be able to control 4 - 5 zones of lights independently and I am trying to avoid using 4 - 5 transformers when a single one can provide enough power. I also like the ability to use the same app to control my pool equipment, pool lights and landscape lights so that's why I want to use the built-in Pentair relays.

Hmm.. I supposed it is possible to have a "lights on" relay, which energizes 1 lighting transformer, which you would then split out into maybe 4 more automation controlled relays. Then control those 4 relays as zone controllers. Jandy automation is sold by the number of AUX ports. To do that with Jandy you'd have to have an additional free 5 AUX ports which would cost some money. If your automation has 5 free controllable relays I don't see why that wouldn't work.

 

[Jimrahbe]

would you just run the low voltage lines through the high voltage knockout and into its own conduit?

T,

That would make the most sense to me...

The main reason for not adding low voltage wiring to the high voltage section, is that it could be possible for the high voltage to become shorted to a low voltage line. This could be very dangerous for low voltage wires feeding pool or spa lights... Someone could die. Not quite the same danger with landscape lighting, but still not allowed, from a code point of view.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[treadingwater]

Thanks to you both for responding.

 

[PoolGate]

So what I would do is install a regular, outdoor rated 120 volt outlet near your automation and control that on/off with a relay. Plug your low-voltage transformer into that outlet. The low voltage output of the lighting transformer I would split into 4 wires and connect each one through the low-voltage raceway to the input side of another 4 relays. The output of those 4 relays would go back out again through the low-voltage raceway to your 4 low-voltage lighting zones.

 

[treadingwater]

But what would control those 4 relays? Pentair has an app that I can use to control the relays, etc. inside of the EasyTouch panel but nothing else that I am aware of.

 

[PoolGate]

But what would control those 4 relays? Pentair has an app that I can use to control the relays, etc. inside of the EasyTouch panel but nothing else that I am aware of.

I assume you would assign the relays to "zone 1 lighting", "zone 2 lighting", "zone 3 lighting" and "zone 4 lighting" in the Pentair automation. When you clicked on that in Pentair, it would energize the relay which would complete the circuit between the low voltage transformer and the appropriate zone light string. All relays do is complete a circuit when they are turned on.

Here is a simple diagram I made.