Pentair PL4/PSL4 Funky Issue

[TxHr]

For years now, we’ve been utilizing the Pentair ScreenLogic PL4/PSL4 with zero issues.

Over the past month, it appears the PL4 has decided it doesn’t want to call for pool high or the chlorinator as scheduled.

Setup:
Pool pump is set as a schedule and connected to the pump circuit/button, pool high is set as a function. The chlorinator is also set as a function.

These devices have ran successfully for years until recent. I’ve made no changes to the wiring, and the only alteration to the schedule was to extend the shutoff time for the chlorinator due to our excessive TX heat this summer.

I’ve reset the panel multiple times, multiple days and even ran diagnostics. Diagnostics comes back with all circuits functioning. In the mornings when I get up I find the pool pump is not running (and it should be on high) so I click the reset button and the pump will turn on high after about 30 seconds.

Has anyone encountered this strange issue and if so, how did you resolve it?

Current schedule:


Thanks in advance,

Brandon

 

[Jimrahbe]

Brandon,

Your 'lite' EasyTouch can only have a max of 4 schedules and this includes any Egg-timers not at the default of 12 hours.

I assume you have too many schedules..

Also.. ScreenLogic will allow you to enter a bazillion schedules, they just won't work. Unfortunately, sometimes these schedules show up in the EasyTouch, but not in ScreenLogic. You will need to go out to the panel and review the schedules and egg-timers and confirm that you only have 4 total... Delete any 'extra' ones

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[TxHr]

Thanks for the quick reply Jim. You’re correct, there are apparently a bunch of egg timer that’s I’ve never even looked at. Since the PL4 was so limited, I’ve never attempted to add an egg timer. The four schedules I included in my original post was all that I’ve had programmed for years. Could these egg timers be throwing off the regular schedule?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Brandon,

The default is 12 hours and that does not count as a schedule..

I suspect that you have an extra in the EasyTouch that you can't see on ScreenLogic.

There is also a Run-Once schedule, that most don't use, but you should check to make sure it is empty..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[TxHr]

I also did as you mentioned and went to the PL4 schedules and found only the four timed schedules as mentioned previously. I didn’t not see any egg timers or additional schedules in the PL4 itself. The egg timers only appear in the ScreenLogic app.

 

[TxHr]

Thanks again for the quick responses. Is there a way to completely reset all schedules in the PL4 and start from scratch?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Brandon,

I went back to your original post and have no clue how your schedules work??

I'd set Pool to run 8 am until 8 am.. (24/7)

What does the Chlorinator schedule do?? Your SWCG should be controlled by the Pump/Filter relay, so I am confused???

Tell me what you want your system to do and I will suggest a schedule for that.. (If you want..)

You can go into the system and Erase the EPROM, which will erase EVERYTHING.. and you can then start all over..

I know of nothing that will erase just the schedules.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[TxHr]

Hi again. I’m on liquid chlorine and I use a Steiner pump that is connected to a GFCI outlet, I don’t use a SWG.

As for schedules, I’ve set the lights to run from 7:45pm - 11pm

Pool (lower flow mode) from 12:02pm - 11:58pm.

At 12:01am the PL4 should be turning on the ‘pool high’ feature until noon.

Lastly, the PL4 should be turning on the ‘Chlorinator’ feature from 12:15am - 1:35am (essentially just turning on the GFCI outlet so that the Steiner pump can be ran to inject the liquid chlorine).

As mentioned previously, nothing has changed in my setup or schedule, other than moving the shut off time for the chlorinator feature (I move it later as the chlorine demand increases with the heat).

I would assume the issue is software related, I just can’t determine where in the programming it would lie.


Thanks again,

Brandon

 

[Jimrahbe]

Brandon, @TxHr

Sorry, sometimes my real life gets in the way of my TFP life...

Here are some of the things I would try if this were my pool.. (You may have already tired them all..)

I'd delete schedule or two and see if the Chlorinator starts to work as it should.

I'd want to know if the light over the Aux relay for the chlorinator comes on when it should.

I'd want to make sure the Aux relay for the chlorinator has good input AC and well as good output AC (assuming the relay is closing when scheduled)

I'd want to make sure the output of the GFCI was not popped.

I'd want to make sure the Stenner runs with external AC power.

I am not sure how your system is wired, but would assume the chlorinator's Aux relay gets its AC power from the load side of the Pump/Filter relay. So that the chlorinator never gets power when the main pump is not running.

On the surface, just changing the time for the chlorinator to run should not have screwed things up.. So, it would be important to make sure the programing is the actual issue and not something else.

Please follow up so we know what fixed it...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[TxHr]

You got it Jim. I’ll work through this tomorrow. For tonight, I’ll be doing things manually. Thanks again for all your help. Have a great evening.