Intellicenter and hot tub control

[Aquaman7]

Hello,

I am planing an in ground pool build. I’m going to have an freestanding hot tub next to the pool. Can a Pentair intellicenter control the temperature and pumps in the hot tub?

 

[setsailsoon]

Aqua,

I would think you can at least start the hot tub with a relay but don't see how you'd control the temp very easily. What brand of hot tub are you thinking. Possibly some have remote temp control? Let me check a couple of our experts on this. @Jimrahbe @ajw22 .

Chris

 

[Jimrahbe]

AM7,

The short answer is no... the long answer is that you can control anything with a little effort...

I use my EasyTouch to control my standalone spa... Basically, I treat the spa as you would a pool heater.. When I switch the EasyTouch to the spa mode, a SPDT relay is energized which deselects the pool water temperature probe and replaces the input with an additional probe that measures the spa water temperature. This allows the ET to display the spa's water temperature, when in the spa mode..

Then, I added a relay inside the spa which interrupts the 240 VAC going to the spa heater. When the EasyTouch tells the heater to turn on, it energizes the relay inside the spa and the spa heater will continue to heat until the spa water reaches the heat set point of the EasyTouch, then the relay and heater shut off..

I run the hot tub at about 90 degrees, most of the time, and it automatically ramps us to 104 degrees for the time we normally use the spa and then back to 90...

I see no reason to control the pump as my circulation pump runs 24/7 and I only turn on the jet pump when I am in the spa.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Aquaman7]

Setsail, I haven’t decide on a hot tub yet.
Jim, that’s really impressive. Can you recommend a relay?

 

[JamesW]

Dual Equipment: Pool and Spa with Dual Sets of Equipment – The IntelliCenter control system i10D (P/N 521915) is designed to operate two sets of pool equipment. Each set of a equipment (Pool or Spa) can control one temperature setting. This IntelliCenter control system Personality Kit can control up to 10 pumps and/or lighting circuits, plus two heater circuits. The Personality Kit includes, eight auxiliary circuits plus two filter pumps. Five relays are included in the personality kit and five in the Load Center.

There are three different models that you can get.

Shared Equipment: Pool and spa combinations with shared filtration system.

Dual Equipment: Pool and Spa with Dual Sets of Equipment.

Single Equipment: Pool Only or Spa Only.

With Shared equipment, you can only select Pool or Spa mode, but not both at the same time.

With a Dual Equipment model, you can run both Pool mode and Spa mode simultaneously.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Jim, that’s really impressive. Can you recommend a relay?

7,

For the 240 VAC relay I just used a spare EasyTouch relay that I already had. Just mounted it inside the Spa and ran the low voltage coil wire back to the ET.

For the temp probe relay, I used a Pentair 2-speed pump relay, but again only because I had it for another project that I never did do.. Any cheap Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) relay with a 24 VDC coil will work just fine for the temp probe relay. You would just need to find some place to mount it in your IntelliCenter.

To follow up on what JamesW said above.. I have the Pool and Spa EasyTouch... But, because I do not have an in-ground spa, changing to the spa mode has little effect on my overall operation.. The pool pump still runs, the skimmers still skim, etc. For all practical purposes the pool itself does not know the ET is in the spa mode.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Aquaman7]

Thank you James. If I was going to pass on controlling the freestanding hot tub what model in intellicenter would you recommend?

I will have an Intelleflow VS pump, waterfall, latimar flow, heater, 2 pool lights, landscaping lights and possibly a slide in the future.

Thanks,
Joe

 

[Aquaman7]

I’m might have to revisit this when the hot tub has been installed. I like the idea of being able to control the temp from my phone. Thank you Jim.

7,

For the 240 VAC relay I just used a spare EasyTouch relay that I already had. Just mounted it inside the Spa and ran the low voltage coil wire back to the ET.

For the temp probe relay, I used a Pentair 2-speed pump relay, but again only because I had it for another project that I never did do.. Any cheap Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) relay with a 24 VDC coil will work just fine for the temp probe relay. You would just need to find some place to mount it in your IntelliCenter.

To follow up on what JamesW said above.. I have the Pool and Spa EasyTouch... But, because I do not have an in-ground spa, changing to the spa mode has little effect on my overall operation.. The pool pump still runs, the skimmers still skim, etc. For all practical purposes the pool itself does not know the ET is in the spa mode.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JamesW]

Since you would have a pool heater and a spa heater, you should probably get the dual equipment model if you wanted to control both and heat both at the same time.

Single Equipment: Pool Only or Spa Only – This system is designed to operate a single body of water (LO-TEMP and HI-TEMP). The Personality Kit models are:
i5P (P/N 521909) – Four auxiliary circuits plus filter pump operation. Five relays are included in the Load Center.
i8P (P/N 521910) – Seven auxiliary circuits plus filter pump operation. Three relays are included in the personality kit and five in the Load Center.
i10D (P/N 521911) – Nine auxiliary circuits plus filter pump operation. Five relays are included in the personality kit and five in the Load Center.

So, it depends on how many auxiliary circuits and relays you want.

 

[JamesW]

For the 240 vac relay, you can just use one of the relays in the load center and run the wiring from the hot tub to the relay and back.

The dual equipment model can monitor the temperature of the pool and spa and control both heaters at the same time.

If you want to do this, make sure that a qualified electrician does it correctly and certifies it as safe.

You can install a gfci breaker in the load center for the hot tub and run power to the tub from the load center.

 

[JamesW]

Since the hot tub will come with a relay that powers the hot tub heater element, you might be able to just use the heater control in the Intellicenter to make or break one leg of the relay coil voltage.

 

[Aquaman7]

Since the hot tub will come with a relay that powers the hot tub heater element, you might be able to just use the heater control in the Intellicenter to make or break one leg of the relay coil voltage.

Since you would have a pool heater and a spa heater, you should probably get the dual equipment model if you wanted to control both and heat both at the same time.

Single Equipment: Pool Only or Spa Only – This system is designed to operate a single body of water (LO-TEMP and HI-TEMP). The Personality Kit models are:
i5P (P/N 521909) – Four auxiliary circuits plus filter pump operation. Five relays are included in the Load Center.
i8P (P/N 521910) – Seven auxiliary circuits plus filter pump operation. Three relays are included in the personality kit and five in the Load Center.
i10D (P/N 521911) – Nine auxiliary circuits plus filter pump operation. Five relays are included in the personality kit and five in the Load Center.

So, it depends on how many auxiliary circuits and relays you want.

 

[Aquaman7]

Ok. I’ll have to show this tread to the electrician.

Thank you