Intellicenter - Help configuring then cycling 2 intellivalves

[an1vrsy]

I have searched within TFP for specific steps to use. Although, there is a wealth of information, I couldn't find anything for my particular scenario. This is what I've done. I have 2 pumps. A spa pump on a closed loop for 8 jets. The main filter pump controls the remaining 6 spa jets and the rest of the pool/spa through filtration, heater and eventually the SCG and Glacier Chiller. Oh, I am day 31. My pool was filled on March 1st.

I would assume the electricians wired the two intellivalves into Intellicenter appropriately/correctly. With that assumption, within Intellicenter web, I went to Circuits > Feature Circuits and created two FCs. One named FC-VlvSuctionSpa, the second named FC-VlvReturnSpa. For both FCs, the Circuit Type I selected was Spillway.

Then I navigated to Other Equipment > Panel 1 - Valves. There were 4 valves there. Valve A, Valve B, Intake and Return. I couldn't modify Intake or Return, so I assumed I was supposed to use Valve A and Valve B. Under required Circuit, for Valve A (assuming suction valve) I selected the FC-VlvSuctionSpa, then saved. For Valve B, I selected FC-VlvReturnSpa, then saved. At this point, I have configured Feature Circuits for the intellivalves and associated correctly with intellicenters valve settings or so I thought.

Test steps...
1) I walked out to the equipment pad. On the Pentair app on my iPhone, I turned off the "Daily Pump Run" macro (Circuit Group) schedule. So with both pumps off, I tapped the on button for FC-VlvSuctionSpa expecting the main pump's suction intellivalve to cycle from 22 (which is only taking a minimal amount of flow from the spa main drain) over to 0 which will completely close suction from the pool. Nothing... I tapped to turn that FC-VlvSuctionSpa off.

2) Then tapped FC-VlvReturnSpa to cycle it over and as expected the valve cycled from 16 to 0. Shutting off the pool return outlet so the flow would be to the spa only. Then I tapped to turn off (cycle back) the FC-VlvReturnSpa and it cycled back to 16 where I have it set so I get overflow from the spa to the pool and the majority of flow to the pool.

I then tapped FC-VlvSuctionSpa again. Expecting nothing to happen like test step 1 above BUT now the return side intellivalve cycles from 16 to 0, like in step 2. I then tap to FC-VlvSuctionSpa and the return intellivalve cycles back to 16. I assumed if any valve moved it would have been the main filter pumps intellivalve not the return side.

Diagnosis?
Should I assume the electricians have cross wired the intellivalves into Intellicenter i8PS? Should I call the electrical company and have them do a connection check? Or is the Intellicenter configuration setup I did for the intellivalve(s) incorrect? Any and all help needed.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

You want to hear from @Jimrahbe ..... He knows this stuff. Lets hear what he says

Maddie

 

[ajw22]

Intake valve is the actuator on your suction diverter valve.

Return valve is the actuator on your return diverter valve.

Valve A & B are if you have a third or fourth actuator, usually for water features.

What are you trying to do?.

 

[Jimrahbe]

A,

I have no clue what you are doing.. the Intake and Return valves operation is preprogrammed from the factory and can't be reprogrammed.. The only valves that you can control are A and B..

The "Spillway" mode is how you move the Intake and Return valve so that the water is sucked from the pool and sent to the Spa. You do that by setting the Circuit Function to "Spillway"

I am more of an EasyTouch and IntelliTouch guy, so maybe your IntelliCenter is different.

Let's see what @MyAZPool has to say about your set up..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[rstrouse]

That is exactly the same in IntelliCenter. Your valve association to A and/or B should have no bearing on the Intake and Return valves. However, you can create a feature using the circuit function spillway. Whenever this feature is on it will override the the pool/spa mode for the Intake and Return valves pulling water from the pool and returning it to the spa.

 

[an1vrsy]

I had to step away from the forum. Thanks for responding. Sorry, if my op wasn't clear. I read over it numerous times and I guess my thoughts are jumbled so my message was jumbled.

What I gather from the above posts is that I should not be using Intellicenter Valve A and Valve B. Since I couldn't make any changes with the Intellicenter Intake valve and Return valve during my initial intellivalve configurations, I will try using the Intake and Return valves in Intellicenter instead.

What I am trying to do is program Intellicenter so that when it's time to use the spa, I can create a macro (circuit group) to move the main filter pump suction intellivalve to close off flow from the pool (2 skimmers, main drain), and only pull from the spa main drain. On the return side, I was closing flow to the pool (bubblers and pool returns) and only send flow to the spa. And of course, turn on heater and blower. I was going for the valves first, though.

 

[ajw22]

What I am trying to do is program Intellicenter so that when it's time to use the spa, I can create a macro (circuit group) to move the main filter pump suction intellivalve to close off flow from the pool (2 skimmers, main drain), and only pull from the spa main drain. On the return side, I was closing flow to the pool (bubblers and pool returns) and only send flow to the spa. And of course, turn on heater and blower. I was going for the valves first, though.

What device are you using?

You should have a SPA icon. When you press the SPA icon the IntelliCenter will go into SPA mode and move your valves.

You have a POOL icon. When you press the POOL icon the valves will change back to POOL mode.

See page 11 in https://www.pentair.com/content/dam...n/intellicenter/intellicenter-users-guide.pdf

 

[rstrouse]

Yes if the Intake and Return valves are wired to the Intake and Return valve plugs on the IntelliCenter i8PS personality board this should be automatic. The spillway mode is automatic as well. The S in the i8PS stands for (S)hared body and takes care of the body separation for you. Whenever the internal Spa circuit (1) is energized it ensures the Pool circuit (6) is disengaged and the Intake/Return valves are rotated to pull water from the spa and return it to the spa. The reverse happens when the Pool circuit (6) is energized. When a feature that is identified as a Spillway function is engaged it will then rotate the Intake/Return valves such that water is pulled from the pool body and returned to the spa body.

Now you could have an issue if the valves themselves are reversed. You should check to ensure that when in their respective mode they rotate in the correct direction. Given this is IntelliCenter look at the IntelliValve manual to reverse the direction of the valve if it needs it.

 

[Jimrahbe]

What I am trying to do is program Intellicenter so that when it's time to use the spa, I can create a macro (circuit group) to move the main filter pump suction intellivalve to close off flow from the pool (2 skimmers, main drain), and only pull from the spa main drain. On the return side, I was closing flow to the pool (bubblers and pool returns) and only send flow to the spa

That is exactly what the Intake and Return valve are programmed to do.. That is what happens automatically when you switch between the Pool mode and the Spa mode.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[an1vrsy]

Thank you both for your responses. I will remove the configurations that I thought I needed to do and just use what you both described Intellicenter will do automatically.

 

[an1vrsy]

This afternoon, I walked out to the equipment pad. Turned off the daily pump run schedule. Then tapped Spa on the Pentair app on the iPhone and... just as you both said, the intake and return valves rotated correctly and the spa pump turned on.

Now, let me not overthink this. Won’t I still need to create a macro (circuit group) to turn on the main filter pump, heater and air blower?

 

[rstrouse]

The main filter pump should reference the Spa as speed on your pump. You can create a circuit group if you like that includes the spa and the blower but the heat setpoint is determined by the setpoint on the spa body. The heater will turn on when the water temp < the setpoint. Then there is the Spa Manual Heat setting but you need to do some reading in the manual for how you might want that to be set up. Personally, you may find that when you are in the spa the blower isn't always welcome. It can be loud when peeps are trying to talk.

 

[an1vrsy]

Fortunately, the equipment pad is approximately 50 feet away from the spa. I’ll have to cycle on the blower to check how loud it is. Probably, should test the noise level at night when everything is quieter, too.

There was plenty of jet pressure with the spa pump on 2200 rpm during my spa mode test. I could easily configure that to be much a higher rpm, too. Thanks for your responses.

 

[rstrouse]

Believe it or not I can't hear the blower on the pad either. It is the water turbulence but I have 12 adjustable waterway jets and a 2hp blower. That being said I have a wireless remote and turning on/off any feature is pretty easy from inside the spa.