Confusion with Easytouch pool and spa "circuits"

[eruji]

HEY TFPEEPS!

new pool owner here. I have a the pentair suite of products. quad de filter, intelliflow vsf, easytouch8, intellichlor and the intelliheaterupper.

Getting the circuits has been very confusing beyond the basic pool/spa default circuits. I have a system that is working for me but a few things seem counter intuitive.

first off, here is my circuit setup screen:

and here is my intelliflo setup:


So on the daily i have a morning schedule for the Pool High for a few hours then a Pool Low for a few hours (so far so good)

When i want to use the spa i have to choose Spa Low in order for the valve to automatically change over, and then Spa High if i want more bubbles. I set it up that way because my pool guy said that running the spa at 2400 rpm is more efficient for heating up the spa and then when you want to get in, turn it up to 3200rpm for the bubbles.

One of the items i find confusing is if i select Spa High first, it does not activate the automatic valve change to spa. ( I think thats because its not the default spa "circuit" ) is there a way to setup my Spa High circuit to also automate the spa/pool valve? or do i always have to select Spa Low first?

 

[eruji]

Another question (i think its related to the default pool/spa circuits) I just enabled my intellichlor yesterday and i see on the config screen that its showing those two default circuits only:

is there a way to assign the intellichlor to use a different set of circuits?

and if not should i change my default circuits to match what i would want my intellichlor to run on? (meaning: right now my chlorinator is set to run on Pool High Output, which is only on for two hours a day, so maybe i should adjust that circuit to a lower rpm and change the schedule to run for more hours to better utilize the chlorinator)

does that make sense?

And does the chlorinator only work while Pool High or Spa Low is active?

 

[eruji]

After more research im guessing that the default "Pool" and "Spa" circuits are not changeable and you cannot assign additional circuits as a pool or spa circuit. I did see some comments on using the feature circuits to create the high pool/skimmer or spa jet buttons so higher RPM essentially and have reconfigured my circuits that way. i think im good with that. Did some testing on changing circuits and watching the intellichlor and it does seem that it only works for those default pool/spa circuits. and thats fine too. So i reassigned my default pool and spa to the lower rpm settings and set the features to the higher ones and i think im good. Im not sure why it took so long to figure all this out , the documentation is not that helpful either.

 

[Jimrahbe]

E,

Your main confusion is that you do not understand the relationship between a Circuit, a Circuit name and a Circuit Function..

Look at the top line in your Circuits list..

"Circuit".. This is the only thing that the EasyTouch understands...

"Circuit name"... This is what you call it.. You can call it anything you like, but it is still the same Circuit to the EasyTouch.

"Circuit Function".. Except for Pool and Spa, you only need to use this when you want something special to happen.. Like using "IntelliBrite" for lights.

I noticed that you named the Spa Circuit as "Spa low".. The EasyTouch sees this as the "Spa" Circuit being on..
Then you named Aux 4 as Spa High.. The EasyTouch sees this as the "Aux 4 Circuit being on... NOT the Spa..

The EasyTouch can't do stuff based upon the Circuit Name the you use.. it only understands the actual circuit being used.

I suggest that instead of wasting Aux relays to change pump speeds, that you use Feature Circuit instead.. They work exactly the same as Aux circuits, but have no relays.

The SWCG (if wired correctly) will only come on in the Pool or Spa modes, so there is just no reason to do anything special to run the SWCG.. In my mind it just does not make any sense to me to run the pump and not be making chlorine, I don't care why the pump is running.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[eruji]

Thanks for the response, yes i already done what you suggested, moved all alternate circuits to the features. So chlorinator is always on when the pump is. Created a skimmer feature to give the pump a boost and set a 30 min egg timer so i can hit that when im doing any cleaning/chemicals. Turned the chlor up to 100% too, im about 30 days into my new pool and ive gotten my CYA up to 70-80 but FC is only at 1 after the first day of chlorination.

 

[Jimrahbe]

E,

SWCG's are made to maintain an FC.. We always suggest using Liquid Chlorine to get from zero to your target FC, and then allow the SWCG to take over..

You will love your new saltwater pool.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[eruji]

excellent advice, thanks!