Easy Touch vs IntelliTouch

[Luric]

I've been reading over the various similar threads, but I'm hoping to get some feedback on my specific situation to be sure I'm thinking about this right. We're planning a major overhaul of pool equipment before opening this year: new pump, filter, salt conversion, heater, automation....this particular question is about the automation. We're replacing the original 1993 Jandy Aqualink and looking at either the Easy Touch or Intellitouch. I'm seeing the main difference being the # of things we can program.

We're looking to include:
POol VS pump/filter
Heater
SWG
Pool lights
Pool area exterior lights
Waterfall
Spa
Blower (I'm assuming spa above would just isolate the flow so we'd need a 2nd button to control the jets?)
Polaris (or eventual replacement with a robot - would that still be part of this or does it get programmed on its own?)

At this point I'm coming up with 9 which would mean we'd have to go to the IT. But then it's such a big price increase (we're being quoted $5600 vs $3400 installed) for just 1 thing I'm thinking of cutting exterior lights to fit within the ET. Unless there are other components or valves I'm not thinking about? If I'm 2 or 3 over the ET then obviously IT it is.

Our IT quote includes the below. I get the indoor & outdoor panels, but I'm a little confused by the personality kit. Do we need all 3 things? Our goal is to control everything without having to walk over to the equipment. While having a fixed panel inside would be nice (harder to lose!), just using our phones woould probably work too.
Intellitouch outdoor control panel with salt transformer 1,274.00
Intellitouch pool/spa combo personality kit 3,302.00
Intellitouch indoor control panel 1,050.00

Our ET quote is below. It's my understanding that includes the outdoor panel & a remote plus phone capability.
Pentair Easy touch w/install 2850.00
Screenlogic with install 550.00

 

[JoyfulNoise]

An ET-8 panel will suffice. POOL/SPA are on their own circuit. Heater doesn't use an external relay and neither does the SWG, they're all controlled internally.

You will want to pair it with an IntelliFlo VSP. You can't (easily) mix and match pumps and automation.

How is the waterfall controlled? Separate pump or by a valve? If separate pump then you need a relay. If by a valve then you'll use one of the four internal valve relays (2 to control POOL/SPA mode 2 for other valves).

Bag the Polaris and get a robot now if you can. You'll be much better off and you waste relays and money on a clunky booster pump.

Does the ET package come with an 8 button RF remote? If so, most of the Pentair folks here say forget it and go with ScreenLogic alone. I, personally, love my remote and don't have S/L. Up to you on that. You can actually have both but it's just redundant.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dw886]

IIRC from readin the manual, if you're using all new Pentair equipment the majority of Pentair equipment is controlled via the RS-485 BUS (4-wire low-voltage) instead of being turned on/off via relays. This means that your Pump, SWG, and Heater would all be connected to a breaker (for power) without a relay in between to cut power to them. They would be controlled via the RS-485 connection (can't remember what Pentair calls this connection, but it's a serial connection to the ET or IT panels).

The part that I didn't catch when I purchased was that the IntelliTouch i7 and i9 both have N/C sensor terminals. This allows you to hook up additional sensors to the panel. From what I gathered, there's not many people that go this route, but I can see some value. The sensors that I'd like are to tell if the CoverStar cover is closed, and if so, prevent any water features from being turned on (and flooding the cover by pumping water onto a closed pool). I'd also like to have a low-water sensor in my skimmer, as well as a high-water sensor, mostly for alerting purposes.

I have an EasyTouch 8 Pool / Spa version that came with the IC60 SWG, and the sensor integration that I'm talking about above isn't possible with my panel. I simply overlooked this when making the purchase.

On the flip side, there's also benefits to the EasyTouch, since it has the SWG transformer built-into the panel, so there's one less thing to hang on the wall...

 

[Jimrahbe]

Luric,

Joyfulnoise has you covered.... An Easytouch 8 will do all the things you want. The ET8 has seven user-programmable relays plus a Pump/Filter relay.

When I look at your list I see you only need 6 relays...

Pool VS pump/filter (Internal control)
Heater (Internal control)
SWG (Internal control, must use the Pump/Filter relay)
Pool lights (You will need one relay for each "set" of light that you want to individually control) So, if you have five lights, one relay to turn them all on/off. If you want to control each of them independently, you will need 5 relays..
Pool area exterior lights. Same as pool lights.. One relay per set...
Waterfall (Internal valve control)
Spa (Internal valve control.. The Pool and Spa function is controlled by two dedicated valve drivers
Blower (You will need one relay for the blower)
Polaris ( If you keep this relic of the past, it will use one relay)

So, by my count, you would need 6 of the available relays, leaving you with 2 spares.

I'm pretty sure that installing an EasyTouch and Intellichlor, without an Intelliflo pump is a criminal offence. The Intelliflo is controlled by the EasyTouch via a serial cable. These units are made to play together.

As far as the Pentair Remote vs. ScreenLogic debate... Well, a good analogy would be ... What would your rather have, a slide rule or computer? While it is true that it is pretty hard to break a slide rule, it is so much easier to use a computer.

I have said this before.... If Pentair just gave ScreenLogic away for free, they would double their EasyTouch sales... It just makes programming and using the EasyTouch that much easier.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I actually own a vintage all-metal slide rule with leather belt carrier still in its original packaging from 1964. The auction value alone is probably worth more than most computers...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Luric]

The waterfall is on its own pump which is having a motor replaced. WE were told it wasn't advisable to run pool, spa & waterfall off the same VSP.

We got quotes from 3 places, and the one I think we'll end up going with does have us doing full Pentair:

Pentair FNS plus 60 SQFT DE 60SQFT filter with multi port valve Includes Labor 1350.00
Pentair Intiliflo VS pump
Pentair Intiliflo VS pump Includes installation 1280.00
Pentair Mastertemp 400,000btu Heater install includes all gas, water and electrical
connections on heater replacement 3200.00
Pentair Ic 60 salt system 60,00 Gallon salt system installed with Initial salt
drop. Includes plumbing and electrical hook up 2300.00
Pentair Easy touch w/install 2850.00
Screenlogic with install 550.00
Waterfall Motor Replacement 380.00

For the robot - we're switching to salt in large part so we don't need to fiddle with the pool every single night but have a little more flexibility on checking in every other day or so if need be. Will I need to haul my robot in & out of the pool every day to run? I currently toss our polaris in at the beginning of the season and pull it out at closing 4-5 months later. Neighbors have an Aquabot monstrosity with it's own caddy that looks huge. It just seems so cumbersome & inconvenient. Have they gotten smaller? We're spending all this money to overhaul our equipment so we can make things as low-maintenance as possible (yes, I realize a pool is not exactly a "low maintenance" hobby...)

 

[gary300]

I think most folks here would advise you not to go with the Pentair heater. The Raypak (Rheem) heaters have a much better reputation and can still be easily controlled from the Easy Touch system.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Yup, Raypak is the better heater. MasterTemp is not bad, just Raypak has the full thumbs up of all of our heater experts.

Also, I would ditch the FNS DE filter and go with a Pentair QuadDE filter. I have a QuadDE 100 filter (largest possible) and it is awesome. I never backwash and I only tear it down twice per year to clean it. This year I've been running it for a full year without cleaning. I'm at a little over 11 months now and it's performance (flow rate) has only just started to get noticeably lower. QuadDE in my opinion is a much better filter than the grid style FNS ones and very easy to disassemble and clean.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jimrahbe]

Luric,

In your list it says...

"Pentair IC 60 salt system 60,00 Gallon salt system installed with Initial salt
drop. Includes plumbing and electrical hook up 2300.00
Pentair Easy touch w/install 2850.00"

Not sure it is, but this sounds like they plan to install a standalone IC60 system with power supply and then connect it to your new EasyTouch 8.

If this is true, you do not want this.. You want them to install a package deal that includes the EasyTouch 8 with built-in SWCG power supply, IC60, and two actuators...

Check out this site for an idea of what I'm talking about... http://www.sunplay.com/pentair-easy-touch-control-system-521150

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Luric]

Jimrahbe - thanks for catching that! I mentioned it to our pool guy, and he admitted his mistake (in his defense, he added the SWG after his initial quote for everything else, so just added the line and didn't think to swap out the automation). He's getting back to us with an updated quote, so should I be seeing a roughly $2000 price savings?