easy touch 8 and solar control

[fkong777]

How much automation can I get out of the solar control from the easy touch 8 control box? I have install the solar sensor and Actuator for the diverter valve. doesn't seem to do much. except i can push the solar button and the actuator valve moves. I could have did that by hand.

Solar is enable
Start- 3 degrees
Run - 2 degrees.
I set the pool to heat only by solar to 80 degrees

Are there other setting to configure?

I would love it if Solar would turn off when I heat the spa with Gas heater. Since Solar water run is quite a long run and reduce some water pressure.
I would love it more if the intelliflo can run at high speed for a2 min before going back to lower speed for solar heating to prime the pipes.

 

[fkong777]

finally got the solar control working. Its actually pretty cool.

Easy touch will turn off solar valve when you have the "Cleaner" and "Spa" program\circuit running.

Easy Touch will turn on solar when the Panel Temp is above set temp of 3 - 9 degrees of water temp.

Easy Touch will turn off solar when the panel Temp is below set temp of 2 - 5 degress of water temp.

My problem was I had the valve position ON by default and easy touch just turn it off. So I have it switch the default valve position to OFF.

BTW depending on your solar system, you may not get enough flow to the intellichlor to get the green like unless you have the pump on a medium speed. for me it is over 2000rpm
here is my install. 4 2'x20' sunheater panels from costco.

 

[TRW]

Fkong, Are the header pipes 2" on those panels?

 

[fkong777]

they are 1.5 inch. Yeah unfortunately, But I think the panel is where most of the bottleneck happens. 2" header or not. Those are very small diameter channels.