My set up: In-ground 10K-gallon Gunite pool with attached spa; all Pentair equipment and valves.
After about two years of operation, the Pentair valve actuators that switch my valves between pool circulation and spa circulation sporadically got stuck in the pool or spa position. After reading about Pentair actuators online, I contemplated switching out the Pentair actuators with cheaper Intermatic actuators. On another site, however, a poster suggested that the switches in the Pentair actuators are their Achilles heal. This sounded reasonable to me. Switches like those in the Pentair actuators are prone to carbon build up, which eventually results in failure.
Bottom line: I replaced the switches in both of my actuators with Omron SS-5T switches (two per actuator), which I purchased online at Mouser Electronics for less than $2 each. After replacing the switches, my actuators are working perfectly again. It took me about 5 minutes per actuator to do the labor. I only needed two Phillips screwdrivers (one medium and one small) to do the work.
Don't forget to cut off power to the actuators before you work on them. Install the switches in exactly the same orientation as the old ones. Try not to bend the connectors on the switches when you reinstall the wire clips.
After about two years of operation, the Pentair valve actuators that switch my valves between pool circulation and spa circulation sporadically got stuck in the pool or spa position. After reading about Pentair actuators online, I contemplated switching out the Pentair actuators with cheaper Intermatic actuators. On another site, however, a poster suggested that the switches in the Pentair actuators are their Achilles heal. This sounded reasonable to me. Switches like those in the Pentair actuators are prone to carbon build up, which eventually results in failure.
Bottom line: I replaced the switches in both of my actuators with Omron SS-5T switches (two per actuator), which I purchased online at Mouser Electronics for less than $2 each. After replacing the switches, my actuators are working perfectly again. It took me about 5 minutes per actuator to do the labor. I only needed two Phillips screwdrivers (one medium and one small) to do the work.
Don't forget to cut off power to the actuators before you work on them. Install the switches in exactly the same orientation as the old ones. Try not to bend the connectors on the switches when you reinstall the wire clips.