Is EasyTouch PSL4 Enough?

[Tony411LA]

Hi All,

I recently signed a contract with my PB for an EasyTouch PSL4 bundled with an IC40 for my upcoming build. I am trying to figure out if the PSL4 will be adequate to support what I need automated. I would like to be able to control the following separately:

Spa Spillover
LED Bubbler on shelf
3 Pool lights (together)
1 Spa light
Landscape lights

Any advice anyone can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Tony,

I am not a fan of the "L" series Easytouch units. The "L" stands for lite just like when used for salad dressing it means it just is not the same... lite, as in tastes bad...

1. It does not have a load center for your circuit breakers
2. It supports less pump speeds than a normal ET
3. It supports less programs.
4. I'm not sure how many valves it supports
5. I don't think it comes with the IC40 so that means an external power supply.

Do yourself a favor and get the real thing..

An EasyTouch with built in SWCG power supply and internal load center.

Keep in mind that any ET4 really only has three internal relays. The 4th relay (Pump/Filter relay) must be used to control the SWCG.

Aux 1 for your three pool lights..
Aux 2 for your one Spa light..
Aux 3 for your Landscape light..
Nowhere to connect a pad light
Nowhere to connect a Stenner pH pump should you want one.
Nowhere to connect any other external device is you should ever want one..

The Spa spillover is part of the normal Pool/Spa automation and does not require a relay

The LED bubbler's water can be turned on/off with a valve and needs no relay, but the LED part would need a relay to turn the light on/off, but, I forgot... you are still out of relays..

I have the ET4 and wish I had gone with the ET8..

On the good news side... ScreenLogic is the best thing ever.. You would have to tear it out of my cold dead hands..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[GDN]

For all the reasons just mentioned - go with the ET8. I had to convince my PB to go with the ET8 because I wanted additional capability down the road - after 18 months I just used two more relays this weekend - one to automate the equipment light at the pad and to add a Stenner pump to automate my chlorine. I now only have one left free. It was worth the extra money up front.

If you are going to automate you don't want the investment to just find you have a couple of things left you have to do manually - it would defeat the purpose of the automation.

 

[Tony411LA]

Thanks Jim and GDN. I will speak to my PB about upgrading to the ET8. I just hope he doesn't try to overcharge me for it, since it was not part of my original contract.