Pentair EasyTouch Firmware Revision

[yorkrose]

I am just finishing up a major renovation on our small (less than 10,000 gallons) in-ground pool and attached spa. Basically everything but the gunite shell and the underground plumbing is new.

The equipment is all Pentair, consisting of EasyTouch PSL4, Intelliflo3 VSF, Intellichlor IC40, and UltraTemp 120Q, filter, ScreenLogic, WiFi adapter, valves, etc.

I realize that the EasyTouch is old technology, but I do not need a lot of relays or other functions, so this selection should be adequate. I did not ask the contractor to “go cheap”, so I am not sure why he did not pick the newer and more expensive IntelliCenter.

I discovered is that the EasyTouch controller is very recent, with a date of August 8, 2024. I thought these were discontinued more than a year ago. The other strange thing (to me) is that the firmware is version 1.05. Some of the automation, such as the heat pump, says it requires version 1.11 or greater.

For some reason the contractor did not wire up automation for either the UltraTemp or the Intellichlor. The heat pump is just controlled by the “Fireman’s Switch” and the Intellichlor is not controlled by anything other than its built in display/button panel.

My question is whether I have some sort of “old” new system or whether the requirement for 1.11 firmware is somehow not applicable to this recently manufactured controller.

There are only two items attached to the (single) RS485 communications connector (J20), the pump and the WiFi unit. I would like to add the UltraTemp, the Intellichlor, and an Indoor Control Unit. I know I should add the expansion board for the communications.

Will this communications upgrade work with the 1.05 version of the firmware?

Gene

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Getting a 2024 EZPSL4 board with that firmware is strange.

I suggest you contact Pentair Support to see what they say.

Pentair announced the following in April 2023:

Pentair is discontinuing the IntelliTouch, EasyTouch, and EasyTouch PL4/PSL4 Pool Control Systems. These products will no longer be available to order starting:

• July 31, 2023 for all IntelliTouch Systems
• September 29, 2023 for all EasyTouch Systems

We recognize these products have been in high demand for many years. However, given advancements in Pentair innovation and evolving industry demands, we are transitioning focus to the latest technology standards included with the IntelliCenter Pool Control System.

 

[wireform]

From what i can tell by the picture the ultra temp is wired to the heater contacts on the board.

 

[yorkrose]

Thanks for the responses. I will contact Pentair.

The heater is indeed connected to the heater contacts on the control board. This works fine in a sense, but it means the display on the UltraTemp is mostly nonsense. Since the heatpump and the controller don't talk to each other the temperature settings can be different, and the heater does not know whether the pool (low temp) or spa (high temp) is selected. I prefer not to find out that the UltraTemp is trying to heat the pool to 100 F.

Gene

 

[yorkrose]

I did not get a very convincing answer from Pentair. Sort of, "If the EZPSL4 is new it will have the correct firmware to connect to the UltraTemp." No clue about the specific firmware numbers.

The wiring is already in place from the heatpump to the automation box, so I will just switch over to the RS-485 terminals and see if it works.

I will report back. Might be a little while.

Gene

 

[ogdento]

The psl4 is the "lite" version, which had a weird 1.x firmware number - totally different than the old 1.x firmware for the pre-may 2008 Easytouch boardsb which had a smaller processor.

Actually the long skinny rectangular bar code sticker on the right side of your board probably has a number like 2190 on it... the "lite" board is really just a full Easytouch 8 with 2.190 programmed onto it - but was kneecapped by pentair by adding a jumper in the unpopulated mod-telspa connector. You can snip the jumper and make it a full ET4, at which point you'll see firmware 2.190, or whatever is on that skinny sticker (afaik 2.190 is still the latest)

 

[yorkrose]

Thanks for the update.

The skinny sticker does indeed have the 2.190 number.

I was hesitant to do any mods until the pool restoration was fully signed-off and accepted. That just happened a few minutes ago!

I will now proceed to make the required changes. (I have read every bit of info I could find on TFP, and I worked in the electronics industry my entire career.)

Interestingly, a Pentair local technician came by yesterday, and I talked quite a bit with him. HIs comment about the heater automation was that they had communications problems in the past, so they (Pentair) no longer recommend automating the heater.

Amazing!

I wonder if the Pentair engineers know about this comment that their recently manufactured stuff doesn't work correctly.

 

[yorkrose]

OK, ready to close this out as solved.

I got everything hooked up and working.

* The firmware number was misleading, as the base firmware really was 2.190.

* I tried without the 10K resistor, and not only did the heat pump not work, but the IntelliFlo-Pro3-VSF pump would not work either. (That was just a test. I added the resistor.)

* Both the UltraTemp and the VSF have the same RS485 address (1) and work without conflict. I read somewhere on the TFP forum that the addresses could be the same as long as the equipment type was different. I could not find any discussion of that in the Pentair documentation. Everything related says the RS485 addresses must be unique.

* The correct settings in the EasyTouch can only be described as bizarre. The UltraTemp is defined as "solar", etc. I attribute this to two decades or trying to make one generic controller work for many different types and versions of equipment. I would have gladly paid for the upgrade to the latest IntelliCenter controller, but the contractor assured me that the EasyTouch would work perfectly. I may do the upgrade at some point in the future if I have any problems with the current setup.

Thanks to all those who helped!

Gene