Pentair Repair service

[SamsIam]

Last fall my Easytouch Control and wireless module experienced the wrath of mother nature and I am curious if Pentair does factory repair. If so, anyone have experience with them? Something is fried obviously - cannot control any pump or actuator however it will occasionally move an actuator on its own (not a schedule) so I bypassed it for the time being. I'd like to see about sending it in for repair. Similar replacement now is 2x of what I paid for it in 2017.

Pentair 520540 EasyTouch 8 Pool/Spa Control System, Base System​

Thanks

 

[ajw22]

No, Pentair does not do repair of their boards. They tell you to buy a new board.

@ogdento has helped some folks with board repairs.

 

[SamsIam]

No, Pentair does not do repair of their boards. They tell you to buy a new board.

@ogdento has helped some folks with board repairs.

Thanks. I am OK buying a new board assuming that is the issue. Anyway to determine? It has been a while since i have been inside it. I think it was one board. I guess you can get them?
@ogdento - if you have the cycles, I'd be grateful on any help here.

 

[ogdento]

hey Scott,
Tell us what is connected to the comm port (J20) on the outdoor panel. My guess is you've got the pump (2 wires - green/yellow), and a wireless link for your screenlogic? is that it??

The basic comm troubleshooting steps are to pull everything off and test them 1 at a time to try and determine if the outdoor board is ok.

Shut off power to the outdoor panel and pull everything off the board's comm port (J20) except for the pump... can you control the pump from the easytouch outdoor board? (i.e. does the pump display show "Display Not Active")

 

[SamsIam]

hey Scott,
Tell us what is connected to the comm port (J20) on the outdoor panel. My guess is you've got the pump (2 wires - green/yellow), and a wireless link for your screenlogic? is that it??

The basic comm troubleshooting steps are to pull everything off and test them 1 at a time to try and determine if the outdoor board is ok.

Shut off power to the outdoor panel and pull everything off the board's comm port (J20) except for the pump... can you control the pump from the easytouch outdoor board? (i.e. does the pump display show "Display Not Active")

Thanks. I pulled everything off the board except my pump. I may need to reset here just so I don't confuse anything because when I first looked at this, I did not investigate too much as I should have.

When I encountered the issue, I lost connectivity via the wireless controller. I then tried manually running the main pump and it would not fire. What keyed me into the fact I had an issue is that I awoke to find my hot tub blower motor running at 2am. (night of storms). It has a manual switch that is set on but controlled by the panel on AUX3. I shut it off manually and anytime I turn it back to on, even though panel does not show it is on, it runs - (cannot turn it off with AUX3). I did just check AUX2 (hottub pump) and the panel will turn it on. My heater will not but I forget if that is dependent on Pump running - I think it is. After this, I had an electrician come out and wire my main pump to my breaker as it was before I got my panel so that I could at least run it to keep pool from dying. I am going to call him back out to try some other tests - rewire to pump to see if it will run, move to AUX 2 where my hottub pump is to see if I can control it from there. I was able to navigate the menu and run the diagnostics. All panel tests seemed to work (buttons, display, etc) It did end with a status fail, code 1 but not sure what that was on. The last test it was running was a UART test. Maybe J20? I disconnected my blown screen logic interface but that was after the test.

So, I wonder if possible certain relays are fried or something. I do know when I press pump it seems the relay fires so as I mentioned, going to reconnect. Then will mess with blower and the rest. I will check into it and get back to you. Thanks a lot for your help.
-scott

 

[ajw22]

Do you have a spa side remote button panel?

If you do disconnect the remote in the EasyTouch.

The spa side remotes fail and get ghost button pushed turning devices on and off.

 

[SamsIam]

Do you have a spa side remote button panel?

If you do disconnect the remote in the EasyTouch.

The spa side remotes fail and get ghost button pushed turning devices on and off.

nosir. I just have the Screenlogic Wireless Protocol adapter.

 

[ogdento]

ok so it sounds like the pump and one of the screenlogic wireless link transceivers (a little radio card that lives in a egg-shaped plastic housing) are the only things connected the comm port... (correct me if i'm wrong)

Two things:
1. With the screenlogic wireless link removed from the comm port, does your pump show "display not active" on the it's lcd display?
2. your screenlogic protocol adapter may be fine... it might just be the outside wireless link that is dead.

the protocol adapter is less susceptible to lightning/storm damage when used with a wireless link as opposed to a direct-wired connection... direct-wired units seem to attract lightning and surges. but as a test you can direct-wire your protocol adapter to the outdoor panel... if it works then you know your wireless link is dead. but you'll need to either bring ethernet to the pad OR use a long enough 4-conductor cable to get the adapter to a place where you can connect it to your network.

and some relays "could" be dead, but it's usually the relay driver - not the relay itself that is bad... see this post: Help! My aux circuits (or valves) stopped working!!

-Tom

 

[SamsIam]

ok so it sounds like the pump and one of the screenlogic wireless link transceivers (a little radio card that lives in a egg-shaped plastic housing) are the only things connected the comm port... (correct me if i'm wrong)

Two things:
1. With the screenlogic wireless link removed from the comm port, does your pump show "display not active" on the it's lcd display?
2. your screenlogic protocol adapter may be fine... it might just be the outside wireless link that is dead.

the protocol adapter is less susceptible to lightning/storm damage when used with a wireless link as opposed to a direct-wired connection... direct-wired units seem to attract lightning and surges. but as a test you can direct-wire your protocol adapter to the outdoor panel... if it works then you know your wireless link is dead. but you'll need to either bring ethernet to the pad OR use a long enough 4-conductor cable to get the adapter to a place where you can connect it to your network.

and some relays "could" be dead, but it's usually the relay driver - not the relay itself that is bad... see this post: Help! My aux circuits (or valves) stopped working!!

-Tom

Jumping to #2 first. Wireless died well over a year ago. Wireless module got wet. Since then I have been running a Netgear WIFI extender with the protocol adapter plugged into it and wired to my panel. I removed it, brought this inside and confirmed Netgear is fine but protocol adapter is not coming online. I ran 12VDC to the power connections (looked it up) and not even getting a MAC address as a connected device to the Netgear. Lights up but reset button seems unresponsive and no activity on eth interface. So answer is, it is not connected to the panel currently. FYI - I posted on that other post a question about this.

on #1 - My pump currently is connected direct to breaker so not on Panel. I will have to move it back to check that. I want to say, before we disconnected it that it did show display inactive - I recall that from original install seeing that.

 

[ogdento]

Ahh ok... I've got a clearer picture now.

The pump (if it's still an intelliflo vs) "should" be connected direct to the breaker... it needs to be powered on at all times, so the way you have it now is the correct wiring. The com cable going to the outdoor panel is how the Easytouch controls it.

If the protocol adapter is no longer connected to the comm port and you've just got the pump connected there - AND you're not seeing "display not active" at the pump LCD... then your pump can't talk to the outdoor board. The com cable to the pump could be corroded/loose/damaged, OR you've got a problem with the com driver chip either on the outdoor panel or inside the pump keypad (in which case it's more likely a problem at the outdoor panel)

the protocol adapter also has a com chip, and it too may be fried... I'll follow up on that in the pm you sent me

 

[SamsIam]

Ahh ok... I've got a clearer picture now.

The pump (if it's still an intelliflo vs) "should" be connected direct to the breaker... it needs to be powered on at all times, so the way you have it now is the correct wiring. The com cable going to the outdoor panel is how the Easytouch controls it.

If the protocol adapter is no longer connected to the comm port and you've just got the pump connected there - AND you're not seeing "display not active" at the pump LCD... then your pump can't talk to the outdoor board. The com cable to the pump could be corroded/loose/damaged, OR you've got a problem with the com driver chip either on the outdoor panel or inside the pump keypad (in which case it's more likely a problem at the outdoor panel)

the protocol adapter also has a com chip, and it too may be fried... I'll follow up on that in the pm you sent me

oh boy, now i am super confused. my pump was wired through the panel (embarrassingly admitted no breakers in panel - to be resolved). i will have to check again as i may have disconnected the control cable from the pump as well when i had the guy re-wire it. i also need to go back and look at wiring on manual.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Scott,

Drop the front panel down on the EasyTouch and show us a pic of the main card so that we can all see what is connected to J20, if anything.

And since you are going to post a pic anyway, also show us a pic of your EasyTouch so we can see what the control panel looks like before you drop it down.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[SamsIam]

OK, I double checked and the only thing connected right now is my VSP pump to J20. I reseated the pump side connection. It only functions using the pump control on the pump. Prior - it was on Pump relay, it would not do anything. (I took this pic before you asked so I had to get back inside for a meeting - I can do that in a bit). I do not recall if it said display not active or not - prior to moving it off relay. It slips my mind honestly.

Something I did realize is when I press the button and hear the relay, you can see a little mechanical piece drop in and out of the bottom of these. The only one that does not do that is AUX 3 where the blower is so it is froze or blown open. That seems like a possible easy fix - will move to another AUX to try that.

Since I know my screenlogic is toast, it seems my real issue is pump/controller and where that issue truly lies.

as mentioned - when all said and done, I plan to have breakers installed and proper wiring to occur.

 

[SamsIam]

Ahh ok... I've got a clearer picture now.

The pump (if it's still an intelliflo vs) "should" be connected direct to the breaker... it needs to be powered on at all times, so the way you have it now is the correct wiring. The com cable going to the outdoor panel is how the Easytouch controls it.

If the protocol adapter is no longer connected to the comm port and you've just got the pump connected there - AND you're not seeing "display not active" at the pump LCD... then your pump can't talk to the outdoor board. The com cable to the pump could be corroded/loose/damaged, OR you've got a problem with the com driver chip either on the outdoor panel or inside the pump keypad (in which case it's more likely a problem at the outdoor panel)

the protocol adapter also has a com chip, and it too may be fried... I'll follow up on that in the pm you sent me

So the pump is an Intelliflo VS. I did recheck and its the only thing connected. Not seeing display active. I assume next step is to validate com driver on controller and pump? I went ahead and ordered a new protocol adapter which will be here Thursday and I can then test the controller. I can update after that.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Scott,

When the only thing connected to J20 (com port) is an IntelliFlo pump, then pump's display should say "Display not active" For this to happen the system must be in Auto and not in the Service mode.

If the pump's display does not say "Display not active" then 90% of the time the problem is the main board in the EasyTouch and not a bad pump. If this is the case, then you should contact Tom and see what he can do for you.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[SamsIam]

Scott,

When the only thing connected to J20 (com port) is an IntelliFlo pump, then pump's display should say "Display not active" For this to happen the system must be in Auto and not in the Service mode.

If the pump's display does not say "Display not active" then 90% of the time the problem is the main board in the EasyTouch and not a bad pump. If this is the case, then you should contact Tom and see what he can do for you.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks,
rechecked everything and I guess I will have to wait for protocol adapter to arrive. oddly when i checked at first i found a diagnostics on easytouch and it claimed a comm error. i reset the connection and it passed but still no control and pump does not show Display not active.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Scott,

You might want to check the connector at the pump end. Make sure there is no corrosion on either side. We have seen corrosion so bad that the pins on the pump side were almost gone.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[SamsIam]

Jim/Tom, I was just looking around trying to better understand adding circuit breakers and came across a youtube video where a guy mentioned the rs485 getting blown (he gives shout outs to Tom for his help - small world here). Anyways, after a search or two I came across this post here about checking voltages on the back of my board which can help determine if it is the rs485 or the board. Unfortunately I measured .9v on every connection point. Based on that a bad main board ? I do see Tom was in on that post as well.


I found a simple test with a voltmeter which can determine if the processor circuits are good.
On the back side of the board, while the board is powered, near J20
with the positive lead on "RO" (See attached jpeg),
you should be able to read approximately 5V on "RE', "DE' and "DI" with the ground lead of the voltmeter.
Close to 5V is good, less than 1V is bad.
If your board passes this test then it is worth replacing the RS485 chip if you do not have communication.

How to; Determine if your Easytouch Com (RS485) can be repaired

I have been repairing these Easytouch motherboards. There is two failures which can occur that takes out the RS485 communication. The first is failure of the RS485 chip, this I can repair. The second is failure of the circuit in the processor, this is not repairable. I found a simple test with...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[ogdento]

Ahh cool, you found @jerryt 's post... his test is verifying the processor's viability, and he's probing the processor's connections to the input/output and enable pins on the rs485 (comm) chip. RE/DE are the receiver and driver enable pins, and RO/DI are the Receiver Output (data received from bus) and Driver Input (data to be sent from processor). The results you're seeing indicate that your comm chip is toast.

when the processor is good, and nothing's happening on the rs485 bus... if you measure from ground (the black pin on J20) you will see "close to 0 volts" on DI/DE/RE, and 5 on RO (RO is high when RE is low or when nothing's connected to the port). I say "close to 0 volts" because the board sends out data every second or so... you can see the DI/DE/RE lines change with an oscilloscope, but the changes will barely register on your meter - maybe you'll see a few tenths of a volt for a split-second.

But I've seen the chips fry in all kinds of different ways (i.e. lightning can short the whole comm chip out, make it totally open, or just blow the receiver, driver, or both), so there's still a chance the board is alright. We know your processor partly works because it boots and you can see stuff on the lcd... the worry is whether the processor pins driving the comm chip are smoked... at which point it's time for a new board.

 

[SamsIam]

Ahh cool, you found @jerryt 's post... his test is verifying the processor's viability, and he's probing the processor's connections to the input/output and enable pins on the rs485 (comm) chip. RE/DE are the receiver and driver enable pins, and RO/DI are the Receiver Output (data received from bus) and Driver Input (data to be sent from processor). The results you're seeing indicate that your comm chip is toast.

when the processor is good, and nothing's happening on the rs485 bus... if you measure from ground (the black pin on J20) you will see "close to 0 volts" on DI/DE/RE, and 5 on RO (RO is high when RE is low or when nothing's connected to the port). I say "close to 0 volts" because the board sends out data every second or so... you can see the DI/DE/RE lines change with an oscilloscope, but the changes will barely register on your meter - maybe you'll see a few tenths of a volt for a split-second.

But I've seen the chips fry in all kinds of different ways (i.e. lightning can short the whole comm chip out, make it totally open, or just blow the receiver, driver, or both), so there's still a chance the board is alright. We know your processor partly works because it boots and you can see stuff on the lcd... the worry is whether the processor pins driving the comm chip are smoked... at which point it's time for a new board.

thanks. are you saying to check these measurements further? middle paragraph in your response. i don't have an o-scope . have not touched one since 88 or so.
just want to be sure of suggested next steps. IF the board is bad, do i just search and find that replacement board? as mentioned, i do get my adapter on thursday which i can wire up and test that as well.

thanks again!~