Help Scheduling Spillway on Easytouch

[dntboles]

Please help me schedule my Easytouch 8 with Pentair variable speed pump and spa spillway.

I want to run the pump every few hours for an hour at a time, rather than continually for a block of time. For example, 1 AM, 5 AM, 9 AM, 1 PM, 5 PM, 9 PM. I know how to do that.

Then I will add the cleaner (w/ booster pump) for a few of those... I've done that.

Here's where I need help: I want the spillway activated for 2 of those 6 hours, so I get fresh water into the connected spa. I've programmed the spillway for two different times. However, when the time arrives, the valve changes from pool to spa, which is correct and the pump light comes on the control panel, but the pump never actually starts.

Right now I have "Pool" scheduled for 4 of the 6 times (excluding 9 AM and 5 PM), "Cleaner" for 3 of the 6, and Spillway for 2 times (9 AM and 5 PM).

Do I need to schedule Pool for all 6 of the 6, to get the pump spinning, then activate the Spillway mode on top of 2 of those, just to turn the valve?

Thanks for your help

 

[dntboles]

My pump was programmed with speeds for Pool and Spa mode. I created a speed for Spillway.

I'll find out at 5 PM (next scheduled time) if that worked, or if someone replies sooner and tells me a different way.

 

[Jimrahbe]

David,

It is your pool and you can do anything you want, but it does not make a lot of sense to me to be turning the pump on and off that many times a day...

Are you programming the "pump" or are you programming speeds in your EasyTouch??

Do you already have the spillway mode set up and just need to schedule it?

What actual EasyTouch do you have?? Does it have a load center for all your circuit breaker below the relays?

Do you have ScreenLogic?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[rphpool]

This is how I set up my ET8 spillway. I run pool 3 times per day, 1.5 hours each time. I run spillway twice a day during 2 of the pool run times. If I remember correctly the program with the highest speed will over ride the other ( someone correct me if I am wrong ).
This is one of my programs in the ET8:
Pool is programmed to start at 8am ( 1600rpm), I have the spillway programmed to start at 8:05am and stop at 8:10am ( 3450 rpm ). The pool resumes it's schedule once spillway program is over. It does the same thing at 9pm.
This is my cleaner program:
Pool pump starts 3pm ( 1600rpm ), 5 minutes latter cleaner starts ( 2950 rpm ) and runs for 30 minutes, then pool finishes out it's schedule ( 1600rpm ).

Hope this helps.

 

[dntboles]

My 5 PM test worked... the valve switched to spa, the pump started and water is spilling over.

Initially, I thought "Spillway" would run the valves and the pump, and it kind of does, but I had to go into the pump settings and create a new pump speed, named Spillway.

---------------
I'm programming the EasyTouch 8, with the load center and circuit breakers below. No ScreenLogic.

I made Aux 4 the Spillway. If I'm in manual mode and the pump is running and I click Spillway (Aux 4), the outlet valve switches from pool to spa. The inlet stays on pool, resulting in overflow from the spillway.

The PB originally programmed it for 10 hours per day. We dropped back to 8 and everything looks good. We were going to test out 6 hours per day, but rather than just one 6 hour block, we were looking at spreading it out throughout the day to skim off whatever leaves fall from the darn hackberry trees hanging over it. We were hoping that running it for a bit would get those leaves into the skimmer, before they get wet and sink.

We're just now setting up our schedule, so it isn't set in stone. If there's some reason this isn't a good idea, like switching it on and off will break something, I can reconsider.

 

[Jimrahbe]

but I had to go into the pump settings and create a new pump speed, named Spillway.

David,

That is exactly how it works.. Here is a screenshot from ScreenLogic and you can see that each "Circuit" can be assigned a pump speed..

Heater Speed.PNG

• Jimrahbe
• Jan 3, 2019

You only have a max of 12 schedules and egg-timers... so too many schedules will use them up..

Logic tells me that turning a pump on and off all the time is not a good idea, but I have absolutely no evidence that my theory is true..

It is your pool and you should run it the way you want.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Jimrahbe]

David,

I sent you a PM..

Thanks,

Jim R.