Issue Controlling Pool Heat with Rheem Heat Pump via Pentair EasyTouch 8/ScreenLogic

[JimmyPP]

Hello, I am having an issue controlling my POOL HEAT via the Pentair EasyTouch 8 system. Whenever I activate the HEAT function for the POOL from my EasyTouch 8 panel or via ScreenLogic (clicking HEATER button on the POOL page), the Rheem Heat Pump always switches to SPA mode. The annoying part is that I do not even have a SPA -- I only have a POOL. So, I never want the SPA mode to be active on the Rheem. However, the Rheem always switches to the SPA mode whenever I turn the POOL HEAT mode on. Is there something configuration-wise or other that I'm missing in the EasyTouch control system that makes the Rheem think I want SPA mode when I turn on the POOL heat? I'm at a loss and I have spent way too many hours staring at the Rheem Heat Pump in disbelief. Any suggestions/assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

PS - to add insult to injury, as of this morning I am now receiving a new "POOL SOLAR TEMP SENSOR" alert on the ScreenLogic. If anyone knows how to fix that one, I would appreciate help with that as well. Thanks!

 

[Jimrahbe]

Jimmy,

Heaters have either a three wire system or a two wire system.. The EasyTouch only used a two wire system.

With a three wire system you have a common wire, and Pool wire, and a Spa wire.. When using a two wire system you normally connect it to the common and the pool connections.. It sounds like yours is connected to the common and the spa connection.

Tell us what specific heater you have and we can check the manual and see..

That said, what difference does it really make what the heater say.. the heater should still heat and go to the set point in ScreenLogic.

The way the heater normally works is that you set the heater's temperature to full hot at the heater.. Then the EasyTouch will look at the water temperature, and if below the set point in ScreenLogic, it will tell the heater to start heating. Once the water temp gets up to the set point, the EasyTouch tells the heater to quit heating..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ajw22]

The default for the maximum pool temperature is 95F and the default for the maximum spa temperature is 104F.

There is no difference in the HP operation other then which thermostat setting it uses.

The HP installation manual on page 47 instructs the 2 wire control to be connected to the SPA mode terminal. That way your HP will allow heating up to 104F.

Your HP is setup according to the Raypak installation instructions.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Allen,

Thanks for looking up the right answer... but...

Who in their right mind would ever run their pool at 104 degrees...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ajw22]

Who in their right mind would ever run their pool at 104 degrees...

Someone from up North.

 

[JimmyPP]

There is no difference in the HP operation other then which thermostat setting it uses.

The HP installation manual on page 47 instructs the 2 wire control to be connected to the SPA mode terminal. That way your HP will allow heating up to 104F.

Your HP is setup according to the Raypak installation instructions.

Thanks to you both for the feedback. AJW22, when you say there is no difference in the heater operation other than the thermostat settings (the max allowable temps), does that mean the heater will still actually heat my POOL (since I don't have a SPA) even if the display on the Rheem (Raypak) heater says it's in SPA mode? Here's a photo of the unit from tonight with it running in SPA HEAT mode (even though the EasyTouch and ScreenLogic both show it is in POOL HEAT mode).

 

[ajw22]

Thanks to you both for the feedback. AJW22, when you say there is no difference in the heater operation other than the thermostat settings (the max allowable temps), does that mean the heater will still actually heat my POOL (since I don't have a SPA) even if the display on the Rheem (Raypak) heater says it's in SPA mode?

Yes. Your heater hoes not know or care that it’s heated water is going to a pool and not a spa. Pool mode vs spa mode makes no difference to the heater other then the thermostat setting.

 

[JimmyPP]

So I am going to ignore the fact that the heater shows SPA mode when I turn on POOL heat via EasyTouch or ScreenLogic. I can live with that. I had the heat working nicely on Saturday, but today the heater just clicks like it is trying to turn itself on when I raise the temp enough to activate it. Also, the fan was not spinning so took a small stick and started moving the fan until it kicked on and started spinning full speed. The past few times I have tried turning the heater on today I’ve had to start the fan with a stick. Then once the fan is spinning for a bit, there is about a half-second buzz/hum every couple of minutes where it sounds like the heater is trying to turn something on but can’t. I let the heater run for about an hour this afternoon but there were no signs of the heater working. The current temp just stayed the same on the heater display (as in the image above) and it doesn’t seem like it’s actually doing any heating. It’s like the fan is just spinning and water is just flowing through the unit.

 

[ajw22]

Heat pumps have delays before they start the compressor. I think your HP is operating properly and you need to be more patient after you press a button for it to kick on.

A HP generates small amounts of heat slowly over a long time. You are not going to see much of a temperature change in your 25K pool in an hour run.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Jimmy,

Is the 79.5 I see in your pic, the actual water temp, or the set point you have the heater set for?

Your set point on the heater should be full hot. (104). If you set the heater's set point to 79.5, that is as hot as the EasyTouch will ever be able to make your pool..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JimmyPP]

Jimmy,

Is the 79.5 I see in your pic, the actual water temp, or the set point you have the heater set for?

Your set point on the heater should be full hot. (104). If you set the heater's set point to 79.5, that is as hot as the EasyTouch will ever be able to make your pool..

Thanks,

Jim R.

The 79.5 is the actual/current temp. The set point is 95.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Perfect...

Jim R.

 

[JimmyPP]

I was definitely expecting an incremental increase in actual water temp over an hour. Just seemed odd that it stayed pinned at 79.5 and didn’t increase at all. Plus I had to start the fan going with a stick today and kept hearing that buzz noise every few minutes so it just seems like something might be not quite working right today (worked just fine on Sat when I manually set the temp on the heater in POOL mode). I also usually see some condensation dripping from the heater when it is running but I didn’t see that today either.

 

[Jimrahbe]

(worked just fine on Sat when I manually set the temp on the heater in POOL mode)

Have you tried that again??? Does it still work?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JimmyPP]

Have you tried that again??? Does it still work?

I did try it again but unfortunately the heater is not responding like it was on Saturday. The fan was spinning without issue on Saturday and the heater fired up just fine. Curious what else I can check on the heater before calling in a pro.