I have the same problem that Mustang33 had on his MAR, 2021 posting of the same thread. My heater has been working for years and suddenly stopped with no power to it. I followed all the threads and diagnosed the heater is fine in the yellow wire fireman bypass with the ET Relay taken off. I went back to the Pentair control panel and noticed that the no matter what I do the "heater" light does not come on. To me without that switch or actuator working the heater would never get the ET relay signal to turn on. Cables seem to work fine. Is there a way to diagnose if the problem is in the control board itself or somewhere else. As a side note the heater does not turn on (light does not acutate on the control pannel) even not using the control pannel switch but just using the pentair app on my phone. Any suggestions?
Pentair Mastertemp 400-Blank Screen-No Power follow up to MAR 20th, 2012
- Thread starter Majog
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,634
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
There is no where else other then the EasyTouch board that controls the heater relay.
Check that none of the circuit breakers on the right side of the EasyTouch are popped out.
@ogdento may have an idea what circuits on the board you can examine.
Check that none of the circuit breakers on the right side of the EasyTouch are popped out.
@ogdento may have an idea what circuits on the board you can examine.
After checking that none of the breakers were tripped and that everything except the heater seemed to operate normally, I opened the control pannel cover and took out both the protective cover and control plannel housing. I traced the wires I took off the Heater's fireman bypass back to the control pannel where they spiced into another one (i think because the ran the one from the heater too short) that just extends it and connects directly to the Pentair control board. I can send pics if you need them. When i push the Heater button on the main Pentair pannel the light above it never turns on like it should and the others do like when you press lights or spa mode. I looked at the pannel but did not take it off the housing. With it being a soft touch button I could not see any places on it to test for button continuity (when you push does the circuit close and open - toggle). I thought about trying it where the wires going to the heater terminate but wasn't sure if it was just supposed to send a voltage or toggle. WIth a control pannel costing $500 with no returns, I am trying to diagnose everything before I try to replace the pannel.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,634
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Show us pictures of what you are looking at.
The heater relay is a simple SPST switch. It puts no voltage to the heater. The relay just connects the two wires together and that closes the 24V AC control circuit on the heater.
If both the button on the panel and your app does not close the heater relay then it is unlikely to be a problem with the heater button on the outdoor control panel.
Do you have a multimeter and know how to use the ohms or continuity setting?
The heater relay is a simple SPST switch. It puts no voltage to the heater. The relay just connects the two wires together and that closes the 24V AC control circuit on the heater.
If both the button on the panel and your app does not close the heater relay then it is unlikely to be a problem with the heater button on the outdoor control panel.
Do you have a multimeter and know how to use the ohms or continuity setting?
Thanks, pics attached. Yes I have a DVM and know how to uses both ohms and check for continuity. Also if you would rather call me to discuss or have me show you something on facetime my number is 315-212-7992. Thanks, Jorge
Attachments
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,634
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Disconnect the yellow and green wires from the heater relay.
Twist the yellow and green wires together and your heater should run. That confirms the cable is good.
Put your multimeter on the heater relay screws and see if the relay closes when you call for heat on the EasyTouch.
Twist the yellow and green wires together and your heater should run. That confirms the cable is good.
Put your multimeter on the heater relay screws and see if the relay closes when you call for heat on the EasyTouch.
Thanks AJ, when I twist the wires together the heater comes on. When I check the continuity on the heater relay screws it shows open all the time even if I hold the heater button down. I assume that means I need to replace the control board? If so, is there anyway to just take the heater off the master pannel and run it manually from the heater itself (too cheap to replace a $500 board for just that). I was thinking of putting it in the fireman bypass mode with the yellow jumpers and ET Replay disconnected but just turning the temp way down so the heater does not come on. But in retrospect that would also need my plumbing to be in SPA mode the whole time too, correct? If I don't have it in SPA mode will it damage something?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,634
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Yes, unless @ogdento has any repair ideas.
Do that and the heater is in manual mode controlled at its control panel.
Set the heater setpoint wherever you want it.
No, the heater does not know or care if it is heating your pool water or spa water.
Show me pictures of your equipment pad plumbing just to confirm you have nothing strange with your setup.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,634
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,634
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The heater out pipe is in the ground. I suspect since the filter out goes directly to the SPA Bypass valve and then flows into the heater that it goes directly to the pool / SPA valve and onto the pool. The SPA/ Pool valve is noted on the picture I sent right next to the intellichlor
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,634
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
If the heater out goes to the POOL/SPA valve then it can heat either body of water when you run it manually.
Thanks. Now just to throw a wrench in the whole thing. I was just out buttoning everything back up to how I started (no changes). The green wire came off the J20 connection (4 screws that I think control the RS485 communications). When that happened the manual heater button switch and light worked again. Only problem the pump only ran for 60 seconds then errored out. I replaced the wire in the connector and tightened the screw and the pumps all worked normally again except now the heater does not work again. Do you think the problem could be with the 485 communications modual and not the controller board?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,634
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Where do the black and white wires connected to J20 connect to?
Disconnect one set of wires from J20 and see if your heater relay works.
If it does then disconnect the wires and connect the other wires to J20 and see if your heater relay works.
Disconnect one set of wires from J20 and see if your heater relay works.
If it does then disconnect the wires and connect the other wires to J20 and see if your heater relay works.
yes the heater relay works when I take the thick (braided aluminum wires) green / yellow cable off. But then the pumps don't stay working.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,634
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
What model pumps do you have?
The only thing the heater relay and the RS-485 comm has in common is they both rely on the voltage from the transformer.
The connector on the upper right has three voltage to the board. If you are confident you can measure the individual lines without shoring anything out then power off the EasyTouch, disconnect the connector, power the EasyTouch on, and test each of the voltages.
Let's see if @Jimrahbe is around to take a look at this.
The only thing the heater relay and the RS-485 comm has in common is they both rely on the voltage from the transformer.
The connector on the upper right has three voltage to the board. If you are confident you can measure the individual lines without shoring anything out then power off the EasyTouch, disconnect the connector, power the EasyTouch on, and test each of the voltages.
Let's see if @Jimrahbe is around to take a look at this.
Thanks I will look at it first thing tomorrow morning. It is 115F outhere right now and I am fried. It was so hot burned my finger on the screwdriver handle that was sitting in the sun for 15 minutes.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,634
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Pumps are intelliflor variable speed. J20 - connector 2 is the com port not seeing anything in common with the voltage transformer. I am thinking the voltage transformer has to be good since it actuates the pumps and other features. To me it looks like there is some kind of conflict with the com port and manual operations. With the com wire from the antenna module on the heater doesn't acutate, with it off the pumps only run a bit then stop. I will try taking all the wires off the com port tomorrow and seeing if the pumps run manually. The controller should not require a communications connect to run manually, should it?