Pentair EasyTouch Issues

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gnr3312

Member
Mar 19, 2022
12
Austin, TX
Hello,

My Pentair EasyTouch Control System has lost power when it was set to spa mode and now because the valves are controlled by the panel, the only mode running is the spa. Is there a way to switch them manually to allow water to return to the pool instead?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Btw this is the second time this happens in 2 months and the last time the pool builder had to replace the transformer. My guess is they’ll do the same thing and will work again, but I am now worried that will continue to happen. This all started imho when my pool builder added a second pump to support a water feature in January. Somehow I believe that it was either not wired properly or there’s too much load on the transformer that causes it to go bad. When the spa mode is activated the water feature does not turn off, if that means anything.
 
gnr3312 said:
Hello,

My Pentair EasyTouch Control System has lost power when it was set to spa mode and now because the valves are controlled by the panel, the only mode running is the spa. Is there a way to switch them manually to allow water to return to the pool instead?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Btw this is the second time this happens in 2 months and the last time the pool builder had to replace the transformer. My guess is they’ll do the same thing and will work again, but I am now worried that will continue to happen. This all started imho when my pool builder added a second pump to support a water feature in January. Somehow I believe that it was either not wired properly or there’s too much load on the transformer that causes it to go bad. When the spa mode is activated the water feature does not turn off, if that means anything.
Click to expand...
Hi there! I have an easy touch too but I'm not an expert. I think I have the same config, a spa and pool with a water feature spillover. Are you saying the panel goes out when the spa mode is activated? And when the panel loses power you cannot get power back? I have separate valves for pool and spa I can move manually. See if yours have toggle switches in the back. When controlled by your panel, they should be in the down position (like an auto-mode) But you can flip the switch and move the valve open or closed.
 
So your ET is completely dead but you still have power to everything else? Each of your motorized valve actuators has a 3-position micro switch. The 3 positions are On1, Off, On2. Flip the switches on both actuators to the other side and the valves should return to their pool mode positions.

Unless you're sure the ET is truly dead, perhaps try power-cycling it to get it to boot back to life.
 
gnr,

Transformers rarely go bad. They can of course, it just does not happen often. My guess is that whatever was bad is still bad and in the process of replacing the transformer, they just got the panel to restart.

It looks like the panel is not getting any AC power.

The key here is to understand how the system transformer is getting power. My guess is that the idiot wired your panel to your GFCI outlet.. Maybe not, but it would be worth checking.

Show us several pics of the inside of your EasyTouch so that we can see the wiring and transformers, etc.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
gnr,

Transformers rarely go bad. They can of course, it just does not happen often. My guess is that whatever was bad is still bad and in the process of replacing the transformer, they just got the panel to restart.

It looks like the panel is not getting any AC power.

The key here is to understand how the system transformer is getting power. My guess is that the idiot wired your panel to your GFCI outlet.. Maybe not, but it would be worth checking.

Show us several pics of the inside of your EasyTouch so that we can see the wiring and transformers, etc.

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
Here you go.
 

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gnr,

Give the idiot installer one point... :mrgreen:

Go push the reset button on the GFCI outlet and see what happens. Plug something into the outlet and make sure it is working.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
gnr,

Whenever your panel comes back up, put the system into the Service mode and then go look at your pump's display.. It should not be blank, and should show something like RPM.. it should NOT say "Display not active".

Thanks,

Jim R.
 

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Gnr,

Did you press the GFCI reset button in the middle of the outlet?

If you did and the outlet does not work, then either the outlet itself is bad, or the outlet is not getting AC power or something is popping the GFCI whenever power is applied.

Coming out of the GFCI outlet is a black wire going up to a yellow wire nut. Disconnect the wire nut and see if the outlet works.

I know I said that transformers do not go bad, but your pic seems to show varnish dripping off the bottom of the transformer. Usually a sign of a bad transformer. But two of them going bad indicates some other issue.

Jim R.
 
So I disconnected the cable and the gfci outlet still doesn’t work. When I plug something in the red light flickers. Also the outlet is loose af because the bottom screw is not working.
 

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gnr,

Reset the bottom single pole breaker..

If you have a voltmeter, see if you have 120 volts out of that breaker.

Make sure all the wires between the bottom breaker and the GFCI out are tight.

I suspect that you have a pool light problem that is popping the GFCI. It may now be damaged. This is exactly why the system transformer should NEVER get power from a GFCI outlet.

If you want, to get your system back up, you can run the black wire from the transformer to the bottom breaker hot 120 volt output. Run the violet wire from the transformer to the Neutral bus bar. Do that with the bottom breaker off, when done, turn the bottom breaker back on and your panel should work.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Last edited:
gnr3312 said:
Hello,

My Pentair EasyTouch Control System has lost power when it was set to spa mode and now because the valves are controlled by the panel, the only mode running is the spa. Is there a way to switch them manually to allow water to return to the pool instead?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Btw this is the second time this happens in 2 months and the last time the pool builder had to replace the transformer. My guess is they’ll do the same thing and will work again, but I am now worried that will continue to happen. This all started imho when my pool builder added a second pump to support a water feature in January. Somehow I believe that it was either not wired properly or there’s too much load on the transformer that causes it to go bad. When the spa mode is activated the water feature does not turn off, if that means anything.
Click to expand...
The valve actuators have a 3 way switch at the back close to the wire. The switch reverses polarity. Center position disables the actuator from turning. As long as your motherboard is OK, and you have power, this should reverse the valve to their pool mode position.
 
Jimrahbe said:
gnr,

Reset the bottom single pole breaker..

If you have a voltmeter, see if you have 120 volts out of that breaker.

Make sure all the wires between the bottom breaker and the GFCI out are tight.

I suspect that you have a pool light problem that is popping the GFCI. It may now be damaged. This is exactly why the system transformer should NEVER get power from a GFCI outlet.

If you want, to get your system back up, you can run the black wire from the transformer to the bottom breaker hot 120 volt output. Run the violet wire from the transformer to the Neutral bus bar. Do that with the bottom breaker off, when done, turn the bottom breaker back on and your panel should work.

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
Funny that you say that, I just had a pool light replaced because it went bad about 2 weeks ago. I’m going to replace the outlet first because believe it or not it’s the easiest thing for me to follow instead of the instructions you gave me because I don’t know what “breaker 120 volt output” means, nor where the Neutral bus bar is :ROFLMAO:

I will post an update after I get the gfci outlet replaced. Thank you so much for the guidance Jim!
 

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