Easy Touch 8 vs Intellicenter

[kikateixeira]

Hi everyone,

We recently bought a house that have a 20 yo pool and equipment and we decided to remodel and upgrade.

For the equipment, we have 3 pumps and we are getting a intellipro VSF. New 420 filter. And contractor has suggested a easy touch system.

After some research I found that there is a intellicenter and it seems newer tech.

He is charging me 3.8k for the easy touch w/ installation and 4k for the intellicenter. He does not seems too familiar with intellicenter yet and I would love to hear your opinion.

Which one should I go for? Anyone that has intellicenter had issues after installation?

Thank you!

 

[kikateixeira]

 

[mknauss]

Intellicenter is Pentair newest automation. It has built in wireless access. It can update the firmware over the internet. You want that. The ET with Screenlogic is 15+ years old. You cannot update the firmware without technical intervention ($$$).

 

[Jimrahbe]

Cristina,

The EasyTouch will work, the IntelliCenter will work better, for just about the same cost.

The EasyTouch by itself cannot be controlled by your phone or PC. You need an additional upgrade called ScreenLogic. The IntelliCenter comes with built-in-like ScreenLogic system.

The EasyTouch is a black and white alphanumeric system. The IntelliCenter has color and uses icons just like your phone.

The EasyTouch has a max of 12 programs/schedules. The IntelliCenter has a max of 100.

Buying the EasyTouch is like buying an iPhone 5 for the same price as the newest and latest iPhone. It does not make a lot of sense.

Any pool builder that can install an EasyTouch can easily install the IntelliCenter.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[kikateixeira]

Intellicenter is Pentair newest automation. It has built in wireless access. It can update the firmware over the internet. You want that. The ET with Screenlogic is 15+ years old. You cannot update the firmware without technical intervention ($$$).

Thank you so much. Have you used the intellicenter? I have ready some people reporting bad connection.. but I am guessing it might be related with their wifi signal. Thank you

 

[mknauss]

I have not, but many members have. Have not heard of that issue on the forum.

 

[kikateixeira]

Cristina,

The EasyTouch will work, the IntelliCenter will work better, for just about the same cost.

The EasyTouch by itself cannot be controlled by your phone or PC. You need an additional upgrade called ScreenLogic. The IntelliCenter comes with built-in-like ScreenLogic system.

The EasyTouch is a black and white alphanumeric system. The IntelliCenter has color and uses icons just like your phone.

The EasyTouch has a max of 12 programs/schedules. The IntelliCenter has a max of 100.

Buying the EasyTouch is like buying an iPhone 5 for the same price as the newest and latest iPhone. It does not make a lot of sense.

Any pool builder that can install an EasyTouch can easily install the IntelliCenter.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thank you Jim! Exactly.. I like the idea to not need any indoor device. Have you used or know anyone that has the intellicenter? I was reading some eviews and some reported bad connection etc. I imagine that might be related with the internet connection. Thank you

 

[kikateixeira]

I have not, but many members have. Have not heard of that issue on the forum.

Thank you ! Will do some search here!

 

[ajw22]

People have the same problem connecting to the EasyTouch through Screenlogic as they do with the IntelliCenter.

The IntelliCenter problems will get fixed as that is where Pentairs development effort is. I doubt much effort is put into EasyTouch problems.

Pentair Automation Systems - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[rstrouse]

Pool equipment is almost always at the outer edges of your home wifi signals. If the house is stucco and the on the side of the house with very few windows or expected to make it through the garage with a couple of cars parked in it, then the prospect of a great wifi signal is non-existent. If you can, run CAT cable to the pad. If you cannot there are a number of ways to get a wifi connection to the pad but none of them will be as robust as a wired connection.

The wifi extender that shipped with the original IntelliCenter was on paper very good. The signal strength was wonderful, however l think it suffered from reconnect problems. When I first installed my IntelliCenter, I used the wifi extender and it worked great for a while but would disconnect on occasion and then I would have to reboot it. I finally figured out that it had to do with pulling my truck into the garage at which point the bridge would disconnect and not properly reconnect.

Pentair has since replaced this with a different unit. However, unlike the ScreenLogic adapter, there are a whole host of standard networking components that can be used to get good connection at the pad. In the end I hardwired mine. But know that there is really nothing proprietary about the IntelliCenter wifi adapter so you are not bound to some wireless networking component made by a company that specializes in pool equipment.