EasyTouch switches from pool to spa during colder temps

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KurtinTUS

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Jul 20, 2017
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Tucson
So this has become an annual nuisance in recent years, but since we have so few really cold nights in SoAZ, I've been living with it. I am thinking about bringing in a pro soon though, but before I do I thought I'd post here for any comments/suggestions:

As night-time temps creep below about 40 F, my EasyTouch will switch from pool to spa mode. My pool runs from 2:00am until 8:00pm daily and I am typically starting my day around 6:00am, which is when I notice the switch has happened on cold mornings. Using the ScreenLogic app, if I then switch the mode from spa back to pool, it will usually stay, but usually within 5-10 min will revert back to spa mode. Curiously, when the system has switched to spa mode, the heater is (fortunately) not activated. If I do nothing, the EasyTouch will eventually switch back to pool mode on it's own....as morning temps increase by around 5-10 degrees.

Anyone seen something similar to this?
 
Check to see what Circuits are tied to Freeze Protection. I suspect Spa is turned on.
 
Kurt,

The standard set up for an EasyTouch is that when freeze control kicks in, the system will automatically switch back and forth between the Pool mode and the Spa mode.

Freeze control will override everything.

You can turn off freeze control if you want.

Another thing you can do is to adjust you air temperature probe so that it reads higher than the actual air temp. This means it will have to get closer to actual freezing before it kicks on.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Easy fix - create a low speed program, call it whatever you want as long as the Circuit feature is set to “generic” and then assign only that circuit FREEZE protection. That when, when freeze protect kicks in, it’s the only circuit that runs. For example, I have a feature circuit called “SLOW SKIM” and it has a pump speed of 1200RPM. It a “generic” feature which means all it does is turn the pump on and run it at 1200RPM. It has the FREEZE MODE enabled. I also run that circuit as my background slow speed and then have other circuits assign for POOL, SPA, WATERFALL, etc that run on top
Of that one.

I did that after my first winter 10 years ago with my pool/spa. My spa has never frozen over.
 
Thanks Marty and Jim! So it may be working normally after all...
I'll be the first to admit I'm pretty clueless about navigating the EasyTouch from the panel, but this was a good excuse to get in there and start rooting around. I think I found the freeze protection (F. Circuits?) on the display. From the two photos below, it appears that I do not have any freeze circuit protections set up (not surprising, unless my PB did it originally):

IMG-8033.JPG
IMG-8034.JPG

So as long as this isn't a symptom of a pending equipment failure, I'd be good with the status quo. (y)
 
Programming from the panel is really really rudimentary. It’s not at all intuitive. I learned how to do it by reading the ET programming manual. You should have one of those with all the materials that came with the ET panel. If not, you’ll have to download a copy.

I don’t use ScreenLogic but it is easier to program the EasyTouch using that.
 
Kurt,

If you do not have ScreenLogic (and only certain people in AZ don't. :mrgreen: ) then you have to go to Menu, Settings, Circuit Functions, and find the Spa Circuit function and set it to "off'

Thanks,

Jim R.
 

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Jimrahbe said:
Kurt,

If you do not have ScreenLogic (and only certain people in AZ don't. :mrgreen: ) then you have to go to Menu, Settings, Circuit Functions, and find the Spa Circuit function and set it to "off'

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
Okay, I think I've found it! When I went into the Circuit Functions menu, it looks like both the pool and spa have been selected for freeze protection. If I deselect the spa, then presumably that might stop what I had been seeing originally?

And thanks for the tip about the SLConfig app!
 
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I have to ask, @KurtinTUS , why you don't want the system switching to Spa when freeze mode kicks in? It doesn't go into full-blown Spa Mode with heater on and pump at high speed. It just switches the valves while the pump runs at whatever low speed you have set for Freeze mode. It's a good thing, because it moves water through the exposed sections of the spa plumbing and cycles the valves so they don't freeze in place.
 
Rocket J Squirrel said:
I have to ask, @KurtinTUS , why you don't want the system switching to Spa when freeze mode kicks in? It doesn't go into full-blown Spa Mode with heater on and pump at high speed. It just switches the valves while the pump runs at whatever low speed you have set for Freeze mode. It's a good thing, because it moves water through the exposed sections of the spa plumbing and cycles the valves so they don't freeze in place.
Click to expand...

I can answer why I stopped doing it -

1. Wear and tear on the valves. They switch back and forth something like every 15mins. That is a lot of turns if the freezing temps last lasts for 8-10 hours.

2. Draining the spa. No hydraulic system is perfect balanced and If you constantly switch between spa and pool, there’s a point where the pump is drawing on both. This typically causes more water to be pulled from the spa and returned to the pool than vice versa and, after enough cycles, you will drain down the spa. TFP has gotten many posts over the years of people finding their spa drained mysteriously in the winter and, when we dig into it, it’s almost always the Freeze Protect causing it.

Here in Southern AZ it usually only goes below freezing at night. It’s rare to get freezing temps for more than 8-10 hours so the freeze protect is largely unnecessary.
 
1. Maybe. IMHO, moving parts need to move or they eventually stop moving.

2. I have a "make-up" return line to my integrated spa, so the spa always gets water in pool mode.
 
Rocket J Squirrel said:
1. Maybe. IMHO, moving parts need to move or they eventually stop moving.

2. I have a "make-up" return line to my integrated spa, so the spa always gets water in pool mode.
Click to expand...

It’s not a matter of opinion, humble or otherwise. The diverter valve handle shaft uses a split ring shaft seal with two o-rings. It’s the cheapest and easiest way to achieve a water tight seal on a rotating shaft. It’s also the least reliable as the o-rings will eventually wear down and either bind up the handle or leak or both (I’ve replaced enough of them to see all failure modes). They have a finite number of turns and there’s no “exercising” it to get a longer life. So having them turn four times an hour for hours on end in the cold is only going to reduce their useful life.

As for a make up line, my spa has one as well and it’s controlled by valve automation so that a spillover is possible while in pool mode without having to run the spa jets. One could set it so that during a freeze both the pool and spa get return water when in pool mode. My main issue with that is having water dribble down the face of the spa while it is freezing cold out. That’s a recipe for water freezing onto to the tile surface and grout causing pop offs. I’ve seen it in many pools around my area where spa faces and sheer descents have loose or missing tiles around them. When I ask the pool owner about, invariably they always say “it popped off over the winter and I just haven’t gotten to fixing it…”. That’s a classic sign of water getting underneath the tile and freezing. So, to avoid that in my case, I choose to not have water dribbling down the spa spillway.

At the end of the day, it’s rare in this area to have deep freezes that last more than a few hours. So only having freeze protection running on the pool side is fine for keeping everything safe. In other areas, that may not be the case and more drastic measures would be needed to keep the pool plumbing safe. Since the OP lives in my area, I feel ok about recommending not running the freeze protect in pool/spa mode.
 
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