Pentair Pool Automation issues

[Sammy0815]

Hi guys,
I am losing my mind over my Pentair Easytouch PL4 automation and hope somebody can help me out.
Configuration: Pentair Intelliflo VSF pump, no heater
The Automation worked fine for two month (its brand new) and I had those programs: "Pool Low", Pool High", "Booster Pump", "Lights". All those were scheduled daily and came on and off when they were supposed to.

Now I added a Valve actuator (which is now visible as "Water Feature"), played around with the system a bit and I can control the valve with my App (using Android)... so far so good.
The problem is now that "Pool Low" doesnt work as scheduled anymore, it never starts and somehow it seems that maybe "Water Feature" took it away or so... does that make sense?
Also, I still dont really understand what a "circuit" is supposed to be and what "heat command" means.

Please see attached how my schedule looks like.
Any idea why the "Pool Low" wouldnt start?

Thanks so much,
Chris

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Calling in the pro..... @Jimrahbe

 

[mknauss]

A ‘Lite’ version of the ET, which you have, will only allow 4 schedules, including any egg timers. So you will need to limit yourself to just that.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Sammy,

The "L" in PL4 stands for lite, as in the kind of salad dressing no one likes...

The lite version of the EasyTouch can only have a max of 4 programs/schedules and that includes any egg-timers..

I assume you have ScreenLogic because the EasyTouch will warn you when you try and add too many programs/schedules.. ScreenLogic, on the other hand, will allow you to enter a trillion programs/schedules, unfortunately, only four of them will work..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Sammy0815]

Omg... so you are telling me that we are in 2021 (if I remember right) and I can only program 4 schedules?
Thats rough... so what is a workaround for that?
I mean, the valve controls the waterfall, which should only run if the pump is above 2000RPM, cause otherwise the water is just dripping down the stones.
So would I have to connect it to "Pool High", if thats even possible?
Also of course I would still like to control the Valve with my App, would I have to connect it to a "Feature" then? How would I do that?

I hope those are not completely stupid questions, but I work in IT and I have never seen a system so outdated in terms of the UI/UX.

Best regards
Sammy

 

[Jimrahbe]

Sammy,

I assume you have ScreenLogic.. If so show me the following set up pages...

Set up page 2.JPG

• Jimrahbe
• Jun 8, 2020

Page 3 of 5.JPG

• Jimrahbe
• Apr 4, 2020

Set up page 4.JPG

• Jimrahbe
• Apr 19, 2019

You can set a Feature circuit and call it "Waterfall" or whatever you want.

Assign the "Waterfall" circuit to valve A or B.. Whichever one you are using..

Assign a speed of 2000 to "Waterfall"...

I think, but do not know for sure as I have never played with a PL4, that as long as you don't try to schedule it, it will work fine.. You will just have to try it and see.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Sammy0815]

Hi Jim,
thanks so much for your help.
None of my screens from ScreenLogic look like yours, are there different versions of it?

Can you also do me a favor and explain what a "feature" and a "circuit" is supposed to mean and how they are connected? Also in the manual it talks about "programs"... I am confused.

Best regards
Sammy


Update, I found the screens and here we go:

 

[Jimrahbe]

Sammy,

Do you have a Pool and Spa with the spa overflowing into the pool? Or do you have a Pool and Spa and a separate waterfall? Or do you just have a pool and no spa, with a separate waterfall?

If you look at your pic (set up #2 of 5) at the very top it says "Circuit", "Circuit Name", "Circuit Function"..

Circuit is the factory name that is built into the main card.. It cannot be changed.
Circuit Name is what you want to call that circuit.. The name can be anything you want, it does not matter. It is just so you don't have to remember that Aux 1 runs your booster pump, etc..
Circuit Function is only used when you want something special done.. Generic is used most of the time.. More on this as needed.

Your system has the following Circuits...

Pool and Spa.. When you want to run the main pump you would normally be in either the Pool mode or Spa mode (assuming you have a spa)

Pump/Filter relay.. Anytime you are in the Pool or Spa mode and the IntelliFlo is supposed to be running the pump/filter relay will close. The pump/filter relay is usually mounted in the upper left side of the cabinet. Followed by the Aux 1 relay, the Aux 2, and Aux 3

Note that if you have a SWCG, (which set up page 3 of 5 shows you do) then your pump/filter relay has to be closed for the salt cell to work.

Aux1 All Aux circuits have a matching relay.. In your case the Aux 1 relay turns on the Booster Pump. These relays are usually used to control some 120 or 240 VAC device.
Aux 2
Aux 3

Feature 1 A Feature circuit works just like an Aux circuit, it just does not have a relay. Usually used to control a valve or set an IntelliFlo speed
Feature 2

I suggest that you name Feature #1 "Waterfall" rather than the "Spa Circuit"
You already have "Waterfall" assigned to valve B
You can also assign "Waterfall" to your pump speed..

You could free up the Aux 3, where you are wasting a relay, by using Feature #2 as Pool High.

Why do you run Pool High for 7 hours a day?? I run 95% of that time at 1200 RPM.. Just curious, it does not hurt anything..

Please let me know if you have any questions..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Sammy0815]

Hi Jim,
thanks so much again.
I just have a Pool, no SPA. and the waterfall just goes in the Pool.
I wanted to apply your tips but right now (happens all the time), I dont have access to my pool through the app on my PC.
Mostly I wait a couple of hours and all of the sudden it works again.
This also means that at this point I cant turn on or off anything through the Android app... it somehow seems to connect on that, but doesnt react to anything I do, which also happens all the time.

In regards to the pump, I am a complete novice and dont know how to set the RPMs correctly. The only this that I notice is that I need to run the pump at at least around 2000RPM to have a nice waterfall.
How should I run it?

Can you maybe explain me what a relay is here (or what it does) and how the Aux has to do with it?
I think I have a problem understanding the basic concept of this piece of software.

Best regards
Sammy

 

[Jimrahbe]

Sammy,

You can think of a relay as you would a wall switch.. When you want a light to turn on you just manually flip the switch to on... A relay is an electrical way to do the same thing..

Using your booster pump as an example.. When the Aux 1 relay is off or "deenergized" the relay contacts are open, so the motor does not get any electrical power, and obviously it does not run. When you turn on the Aux 1 (Booster pump) Circuit, the main board in the EasyTouch sends a low voltage to the coil of the relay. This causes the relay to close or "Energize." The AC power can then pass through the relay contacts and turns on the booster pump...

As far as pump speeds, I suggest that you set your pool high to 1800 rpm... I would also add your Waterfall Circuit at 2000 rpm...

ScreenLogic should not be coming and going on your PC.. Something is wrong.. Maybe the antenna is too far away... or we have seen several cases where some local source was interfering with the reception.. I would you try to move the inside antenna/box a few feet from its present location. This is not normal and something is wrong. You could also start shutting off other electronic gear in the same area.

You can set the normal speeds by just changing set up page 4 of 5.. use the little dropdown arrow to select a different speed. To add a speed for your waterfall just change "none" to Waterfall and set the speed/flow to 2000.

On your PC, you can also temporarily set the speed using the following app page.

View media item 1962
Please let me know if you have any other questions..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Sammy0815]

Oh my... I feel so stupid.

Ok, this is how it looks now, does that make sense?
What I want:
- Pool low runs automatically 12 hours a day.
- Pool high runs 6 hours a day, always together with my waterfall
- Booster Pump runs together with 3000RPM pool pump 2 hours a day
- Light turns on at night








I want to be honest, I still dont understand what I am doing here and how what is connected.
Needless to say that it doesnt work right now.

Thanks so much again Jim

 

[Jimrahbe]

Sammy,

There is zero reason to feel bad because you don't understand "Pentair" in the first few days... It just means you are just like the rest of us...

The pump will run at the fastest of the speeds that you give it.. So if you turn on "Pool High" at 2700, and waterfall at 2000, the pump will always run at 2700.

Keep in mind to turn on Pool high and waterfall at the same time will take up two schedules... Not a good plan.

Since you only have 4 schedule/programs, I would schedule Pool low to run 12 hours (say 8am until 8 pm) at 1250 rpm
Then schedule your Booster for 2 hours, inside the 12 hours, say at 9 am until 11 am...
Then schedule your Waterfall for 4 hours, inside the 12 hours, say noon to 6 pm..
Then schedule your light for whenever you want..

I would not schedule Pool high.. at all..

Here is how the above schedule would work...

At 8am the pump would come on and run at 1250 rpm.
At 9am the pump would speed up to 3000 rpm (booster is on)
At 11 am the booster would shut off and the pump would slow down to 1250 rpm
At noon the waterfall would come on and the pump would speed up to 2000 rpm
At 6 pm the waterfall would shut off and the pump would slow down to 1250
At 8 pm the pump would shut off.

Try that and tell me what is not working..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Sammy0815]

Ok, I cant thank you enough.
Let me show you how it looks and explain it back to you:


I have 7 predefined Circuits, that exist, thats it. Those circuits are configurable, except for "Spa" and "Pool".
The Circuit name could be whatever I want or I choose a predefined name, but it doesnt really matter. The Circuit Function matters though, either I choose a predefined action, or I pick generic for a simple on and off function.
I can also choose if that circuits gets activated if freezing is detected.

Questions:
Why did I put Pool Low to the fixed Pool Circuit and not Pool High for instance?
Are my physical devices connected to the AUX connectors on the mainboard? Does that matter?
Why is it good to free up my Aux3 or in other words, what could I do with it now that is beneficial?



The Valve assignment depends on where I connected my Valve actuator, in the case I connected it to "Valve B" in my box outside.
Now I can choose when this function will be triggered. In my case when Circuit "Feature 1" named "Waterfall" is activated, the device connected to this connector will be triggered, in my case the valve actuator turns.
I disregard the Pool/Spa section cause I dont have a SPA.

Question: The "Circuits needing high speed pump": Hmm... what is defined as "High speed pump" or do they mean the Circuit "Feature 2" named "Pool High"?



I can choose on which speed the pump is running depending on what circuit is activated.
Hmm, why do I see more than 7 Circuits to choose from though? For instance I see "Either Heater" or "Freeze" which are neither a Circuit nor a Circuit name.
Also, what I can choose from are not the circuits, but the circuit names, right? So technically I choose the circuit of course, but here its the circuit name that I choose, right?



I can see how the buttons on the physical box outside are assigned.
The QuickTouch is for an 8 button device, which I dont have so it doesnt matter.


Studying "Theoretical Math" in college was easy in comparison to this here.
Best regards
Sammy

 

[Jimrahbe]

Sammy,

Why did I put Pool Low to the fixed Pool Circuit and not Pool High for instance? You could do either but you can't do both.. I like making "pool" the lowest speed you ever want to run.

Are my physical devices connected to the AUX connectors on the mainboard? Does that matter? Your physical devices are connected to an Aux relay.. The Aux relay's coil is connected to the main board. If you don't connect the relays to the main board, then the relays will never close and no external device will ever work.

Why is it good to free up my Aux3 or in other words, what could I do with it now that is beneficial? You could use it to turn on a light over your equipment pad or turn on landscape lighting or anything else that you think of in the future.. If you don't want an extra relay you can change it back.. My goal is to help you understand how things are working, not to make you do things because I said so..

The "Circuits needing high speed pump": Hmm... what is defined as "High speed pump" or do they mean the Circuit "Feature 2" named "Pool High"? This is used for controlling 2-speed pumps.. You have no use for this function..

Why do I see more than 7 Circuits to choose from though? For instance I see "Either Heater" or "Freeze" which are neither a Circuit nor a Circuit name. These are "secret" circuits.. They are not real "circuits" and they only show up on the pump speed page.. They are used to change pump speeds when the system calls for the heater to turn on or when freeze control turn on.

So technically I choose the circuit of course, but here its the circuit name that I choose, right? Yes.. If you had not named Aux 1 "booster pump" it would have said Aux 1 on the pump page..


Let me know if you get it up and running the way you want.. If not, just ask more questions.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Sammy0815]

Hi Jim,
I was so confident that I got it and that it should work now and this is how my Android Screenlogic looks like:


The problem:
1. Nothing happened at 8am
2. At 9am the Booster Pump turned on, but not the Pentair VS
3. The only thing that reacts to the Android App in terms of turning on or of right now is the booster pump.


What now?

Sad regards
Sammy

Btw, yesterday night, all buttons at least worked in the App and I was able to turn on and off everything.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Sammy,

When did you program it? If early this morning, it may or may not turn on at 8 am.. Push the reset button on the front panel.. It is like rebooting your PC. Then let everything start back up. Can take a few minutes..

Go out to the equipment pad and see if the light above the "F" (filter pump) button is red.

Look at the pump and see if the Display says "Display Not Active" It should...

Tell me if your light comes on when you manually turn it on via your phone.

I don't see anything obviously wrong.

I'd also go back into the PC set up pages and confirm that all settings are correct like in the above pics..

Also confirm that all egg-timers are set for 12 hours (default setting)

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Sammy0815]

Ok, so I programmed it yesterday night and like I said, then the buttons really worked (but also I noticed that the "Pool Low" doesnt react as supposed to.

What I did now is I programmed the Pool Low at 9:56, then the Booster pump at 10:00 (just to test) and hit the reset button and waited 3 minutes.
Result: Then at 9:56 the Pool Low didnt work and also the "F" light didnt come on, but then at 10:00 the booster pump came on with the VSF.
The lights do work. every time I tested them.
Pump says "Display not active" as well.
"Waterfall" in combination with VSF on and off works as well.

Hmm... is there something wrong with my "Pool Low" setting?
Thats pretty much how it all started, that the "Pool Low" never came on again...

Thanks so much again Jim,
Sammy

Oh, btw: The "cant connect" issue of my Screenlogic obvisously really has to do with interference of the signal. The box is directly next to my Desktop PC and it seems like whenever that is running, I cant connect to it.
Once I turn of the PC, it works again.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Sammy,

Maybe we have somehow bumped into that magical 4 program max issue....

I suggest that you temporarily remove the lights schedule, reboot again, and see if Pool Low comes on.

Another thing to test is to make sure that the little LCD on the main panel says AUTO and "Pool" and not "Spa" when scheduled to run..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[mknauss]

Oh, btw: The "cant connect" issue of my Screenlogic obvisously really has to do with interference of the signal. The box is directly next to my Desktop PC and it seems like whenever that is running, I cant connect to it.
Once I turn of the PC, it works again.

Do what you can to move the Screenlogic Box away from other electronic devices.

 

[Sammy0815]

Sammy,

Maybe we have somehow bumped into that magical 4 program max issue....

I suggest that you temporarily remove the lights schedule, reboot again, and see if Pool Low comes on.

Another thing to test is to make sure that the little LCD on the main panel says AUTO and "Pool" and not "Spa" when scheduled to run..

Thanks,

Jim R.

Hmm, but I do have 4 schedules programmed and not more. :-(
Well ok, I will let it run for the day and see how it behaves tonight and tomorrow morning.
I will report back.