Help with upgrading Easy Touch to Intellitouch I5+3

Jump to latest Follow Reply
R

robertearl

0
Apr 23, 2017
16
Fort worth, texas
I installed an Easy Touch 4 Pool Spa combo this summer. I called Pentair twice before I bought the Easy Touch to be sure it would do all
that I wanted it to. I was assured it would be fine. I have a pool spa combo with a water fall, pressure side cleaner, and lights. I have the
inside wired controller , 4 button remote at the spa, and the wireless interface. I found out that I could not make one of the spa buttons
turn the heater off and on as that is only on the intellitouch. I decided that I would just live without that and got everything working.

The pressure side cleaner runs off of the main pump by a 3 way valve just after the pump not a separate pump. Last week it got down to
34 degrees. ( I am in Texas and that was really early for it to get that cold. ) What I found out was that when freeze protection came on, it just
opened up the valves for the waterfall and the cleaner and then it just switches between pool and spa. What is happening is that with
the cleaner valve open and the spa on, it drains all of the water out of the spa. I called Pentair and they told me that the only way to
stop that is to upgrade to an intellitouch and do it with a macro.

I found an I5+3 on ebay, brand new with 2 valve controllers for $200. I snapped it up. Now my question on the upgrade process.

1. Will the existing 4 button spa remote work with the intellitouch?
2. Will my existing wired indoor remote work with the intellitouch but with reduced functionality?
3. It seems like it would be an easy upgrade but am I missing anything? Are there anythings that I need to watch out for?

Thanks
Reb
 
robertearl said:
1. Will the existing 4 button spa remote work with the intellitouch?
2. Will my existing wired indoor remote work with the intellitouch but with reduced functionality?
3. It seems like it would be an easy upgrade but am I missing anything? Are there anythings that I need to watch out for?

Thanks
Reb
Click to expand...

1. Yes, the four button remote is interchangeable.
2 and 3. No, you will need either an Intellitouch Indoor panel, or Screen Logic to gain access to the system. The Intellitouch does not provide programming or control access without one of those two components. It only gives manual control (service) from the equipment location, no programming.
 
Something to think about...

You may want to, at some point, pick up a wired indoor control panel. Even though you don't "need" one right now, You may find useful a hard wired access point in the event (always during a party) you loose your internet connection, and need to control the equipment more conveniently than hurriedly scampering out to the equipment area for manual control..
 
The other nice thing about an indoor panel is that it will store a copy of your programming (circuit names, schedules, aux features, etc) - redoing it all is less of a chore with a screenlogic, but it's much easier to just plug in a replacement board and have it copy everything automatically.
 
Well I got the I5+3 in and a new wired indoor control panel. I got it all hooked up and I called Pentair back to find out how to fix my problem with the pool cleaner draining the spa in freeze mode. THEY SAID THAT I COULD NOT FIX THAT PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH I UPGRADED LIKE THEY SAID TO DO.

Do any of you have a thought on how to fix the problem with the spa draining during freeze mode?

I can't believe that I just wasted $700 for this upgrade.

Reb
 
Robert,

Is the cleaner valve automated??? Seems to me you could just have the cleaner valve close when freeze is on??

To be honest I don't fully understand how your system is working now..

Why would the cleaner valve be open? Can you post a few pics of your equipment showing the valves?

Not to rub salt in the wound, but you would have been better off buying a robot for the $700 bucks and it would have done a better job of cleaning too... :(

Thanks,

Jim R.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Robert,

Why not just reverse the valve, so that any time freeze is on the valve moves to the closed position? I am talking about reversing the valves direction using the little switch on the actuator.

Jim R.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply