Actuator valve only working manually...not sure wired correctly.

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Phx_Jay

Phx_Jay

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Nov 6, 2017
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phoenix
I'm looking at my wiring and trying to figure out why I can't control the valve that changes the flow from my returns to my bubblers. I have the Easytouch 4.

Pump is the first control
Aux 1 is the pool light
Aux 2...not sure
Aux 3...not sure

I followed the wire from the actuator valve and it has a green and yellow wire that goes into the back electrical board. I've attached the picture. Nothing happens when I press the button for Aux 2 or Aux 3. I keep going through the manual but I'm not finding what I'm looking for. Does this look correct? The area of the red circle is where the wires from the actuator valve are plugged in.

99062

99063
 
Jay,

Maybe it is because you are trying to milk the cow from the wrong end.. :mrgreen:

What you show in your top pic is the serial cable going to your pump. And in your second pic you have the On/Off/On toggle switch in the off position... To work it has to be in one of the on positions.

Tell us more what you are trying to do..

If you have ScreenLogic show me a screenshot of the following set up page from your PC..

Page 3 of 5.PNG

Page 3 of 5.PNG


You can also show us a pic of the back of the main ET board.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jay,

You only have one valve actuator and it is connected to valve A...

I have no idea what this valve does, but I am sure you do... Let's assume it turns on your bubbles.

You should have a circuit called bubblers (or whatever you are calling it) If you assign the circuit name to valve A it will turn the valve every time you turn on that circuit.

You can use an Aux circuit for the valve A, but I suggest you use a feature circuit, otherwise you just waste a relay that will never be used. Feature circuits are used to turn valves or change pump speeds without wasting a relay.. You just click an icon on your screen to use it..

If you have no clue what I am talking about, post a screenshot of the following set up page and I'll get you pointed in the right direction..

View media item 1964
Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Jim! I'll post a screenshot when I get home from work. Will it be possible to only turn the valve half-way or would it be better to divert all the water to the bubblers and then use the pump speed to increase or decrease the flow?
 
Jay,

Current automation will only turn a valve all the way on or all the way off.. You can't stop it in between.. What you can do, however, is mechanically adjust the stops inside the actuator, so that it always stops at half open.. If you do that, then the automation will move the valve from fully closed to half open every time.

To me, it is easier to use more Feature circuits to just control the pump speed.. So, you could set bubblers as valve A AND set the pump speed for bubbler at say 1200 RPM.. Then set up another Feature circuit and call it "One foot" and assign a speed of 2000, then set up "Two Foot" at 2500...

Pushing the icon for bubblers would turn the valve and make the bubblers just break the water. With the bubblers running pushing "One Foot" would increase the pump speed making the bubbler about one foot tall and pushing "Two Foot" would make them two feet tall.. I'm sure you can come up with better names and of course you will have to figure out what speeds you need to use..

Keep in mind that you can never go down in speed.. If you are running at 2500 rpm and then push an icon to go to 2000 rpm, the pump speed will not change unless you first turn off the 2500. Highest rpm always wins..

Thanks

Jim R.
 
Thanks for the info Jim. I had no idea that the pump could only ramp up with the commands and not ramp down. I didn't see that in the manual. Here is the screen shot of the first page. Not sure how to program it from here....99734
 
Jay, @Phx_Jay

Ok, If I understand correctly you want to turn on/off a valve for your bubblers... To do that the first thing you want to do is set up a "Circuit".. If you look at your Set up page 2 of 5 above you can see how this works...

Across the top of the page it says... Circuit, Circuit Name, Circuit Function... think of a Circuit as a Command or Action that you set up..

The EasyTouch comes with built in "Circuits" These built in circuits have names, such as Pool or Spa or Aux 1, or Feature 1.. These names are what Pentair calls the Circuit. These fixed Pentair names are in the first column.

To make things easier for the user, Pentair lets you rename them to something that makes sense to you.. You can see this if you look under the 2nd column.. Notice where you have changed the name of Aux1 to Pool light.. You don't have to assign a name, it just makes it easier to remember what the circuit does..

The 3rd column is Circuit Function... In most cases Generic works just fine. In some special cases, you can assign a special "function" so the the EasyTouch knows this circuit needs special actions.

So, we are going to make a Circuit to turn your bubbler valve...

Scroll down to the line showing Feature 1 and highlight it. In the Circuit Name box select a name that you want to use, I suggest "Fountain" Set the Circuit Function to Generic. That part is done.. You have set up Feature 1 as a Circuit called "Fountain" You want to see the icon for Fountain, so select the "Show On" box to select where the icon shows up.. At this point it will not actually do anything...

To make "Fountain" control the valve, we just need to assign "Fountain" to Valve A.. We do that on Page 3 of 5... Highlight valve A and then use the drop down box to assign "Fountain" to Valve A..

Save everything and you should then be able to see an Icon called "Fountain" when you push it the valve should turn on.. If the valve turns off instead of on.. just move the on/off/on toggle switch on the actuator to the other on position.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 

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You can also make the bubblers move up and down by adjusting your pump speed..

You could if you want go to the IntelliFlo set up page and add "Fountain" and set the speed you want the pump to run when fountain is selected...

Jim R.
 
It worked! Thanks so much Jim!

I have a quick question. My FC went back down to 3 so I started my IC40 back up. I set it at 10% on Friday and this morning my FC is 4.2. The IC40 is blinking all the lights since the minimum percentage is says is 20%. Does that mean mine is working at 20% or the 10% I set on Screenlogic or not at all? It has to be working some since my FC went up and I didn't add any chlorine right?
 
Jay,

Glad you got it working.. :thumleft:

I believe that the % lights blink to indicate you are using the low scale.. Not all the % lights blink, just the ones being used. At 10% they all blink at 5% only the first three will blink..

I just use ScreenLogic to set the percent of output and never look at the lights.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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