Intellicenter - Solar Valve won't work in Spa Mode

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Ahultin said:
Your solar temp sensor is showing in "error" status. Do you know where the sensor is?
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Not sure I totally usnderstand what you are asking, but the solar sensor is up on the solar panel, at the top I think. I remember the PB placing it up there when Intellicenter was installed a few months ago. May know more later today after pool builder stops by today.
 
In this photo you posted, the area that says (err) should be reflecting the temperature at the solar panels. My guess is there is an issue with the temperature sensor which is causing the intermittent operation.
if you have access to a 10k ohm resistor you could temporarily install it in place of the wires going to the solar on the intellicenter boar which would cause the ic to read solar temp as 77°. This should resolve the error and confirm whether the issue is the sensor or the board.
IMG_4818.jpeg
 
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Ahultin said:
In this photo you posted, the area that says (err) should be reflecting the temperature at the solar panels. My guess is there is an issue with the temperature sensor which is causing the intermittent operation.
if you have access to a 10k ohm resistor you could temporarily install it in place of the wires going to the solar on the intellicenter boar which would cause the ic to read solar temp as 70°. This should resolve the error and confirm whether the issue is the sensor or the board.
Click to expand...
I don't have a 10K ohm resistor. (If there was a Radio Shack any more I would try that, but don't know where to get one.)
But I too think it may be an intermintent solar temp sensor.
Or if temp sensor is good, maybe the Intellicenter board is intermittent.
Early today with airtemp less then 50 degrees, and the sun not yet shining on the solar temp sensor, it read 125 degrees. Then a bit later 107 degrees. Then 21 degrees. So something is flakey.
(In fact the solar valve just turned on with the temp at "27 degrees", there is no way it is that cold up there, it's 51 degrees outside!)

View attachment 624499
 
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ride525 said:
I don't have a 10K ohm resistor. (If there was a Radio Shack any more I would try that, but don't know where to get one.)
But I too think it may be an intermintent solar temp sensor.
Or if temp sensor is good, maybe the Intellicenter board is intermittent.
Early today with airtemp less then 50 degrees, and the sun not yet shining on the solar temp sensor, it read 125 degrees. Then a bit later 107 degrees. Then 21 degrees. So something is flakey.
(In fact the solar valve just turned on with the temp at "27 degrees", there is no way it is that cold up there, it's 51 degrees outside!)

View attachment 624499
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The solar should always read a temp so something is going on there. 20250114_111640.jpg
As a test, you could swap the solar temp sensor and air temp sensor at the intellicenter board. In theory that would clarify if it's the sensor or the board. The thermistors (depending on what style they used at the solar) can be had relatively cheap on amazon. I used these on my solar: Romalon Upgraded 42001-0053S Heater Thermistor Stainless Steel Replacement Fit for Pen-tair Sta-Rite Master-Temp Max-E-Therm Pool and Spa Heater Elecrical System —3 Pack Amazon.com
 
Ahultin said:
The solar should always read a temp so something is going on there. View attachment 624546
As a test, you could swap the solar temp sensor and air temp sensor at the intellicenter board. In theory that would clarify if it's the sensor or the board. The thermistors (depending on what style they used at the solar) can be had relatively cheap on amazon. I used these on my solar: Romalon Upgraded 42001-0053S Heater Thermistor Stainless Steel Replacement Fit for Pen-tair Sta-Rite Master-Temp Max-E-Therm Pool and Spa Heater Elecrical System —3 Pack Amazon.com
Click to expand...
GMTA, Great Minds Think Alike. I was just about to check that, swap the air temp and solar temp sensor wires. Stay tuned.

Swapped wires for AIr and Solar sensors and problem moved. So the solar sensor is bad.

Thanks
 
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Ahultin said:
if you have access to a 10k ohm resistor you could temporarily install it in place of the wires going to the solar on the intellicenter boar which would cause the ic to read solar temp as 70°.
Click to expand...
10K resistor reads 77F.

Ahultin said:
This should resolve the error and confirm whether the issue is the sensor or the board.
Click to expand...
I doubt it is the board .
 
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Pool Builder stopped by. He had spliced in a new control wire about 5 foot high where the existing wire went up to the solar panels.
One of the two wires was making a loose connection.
(I have not idea why there was a wire, there was no existing solar controls that I know of.)

But in in any case, with the wire reconnected, it reads the solar temperature consistently.

Thanks for all your thoughts and help!
 
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ride525 said:
Would the the 25 year old solar panels have a wire and a temperature sensor, even though there was no automation of them that I know of. At least no automation was there for solar when I arrived 7 years ago.
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At a min your builder would have had to run a wire up to them when they installed the intellicenter
 
The PB did run a wire from the intellicenter over and up about 5 feet to the existing wire.
How do I know the existing wire? It was painted the color of the house about 3 years ago.
I'm just wondering why there was an existing wire. It had been there for years, with no known solar controls.
 
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