Adding Aux Relays to Easy Touch Panel

[djust]

How hard is it to add Aux relays to an existing ET 4 Panel, is it just a matter of buying extra AUX relays and wiring them to the circuit board where the other 3 are at to make it a ET 5 or 6 or whatever ?

I ask because I have a Superflo vs and it takes 2 of the relays to run 2 different speeds, leaving one for the lights and one for the SWCG or filter pump relay, and I might want to run some landscape lights from the ET if possible.

Thanks

 

[Dirk]

Ha, if only! You can't add relays like that to an ET 4. You got what you get...

The same circuit board is used in their other products, so that's why it looks that way, but they hobble it within the board's firmware, and it's missing some other hardware components, that make it a "4" and limit it to ever being more than that.

 

[djust]

Thanks Dirk

 

[djust]

What about adding another relay and wiring it to the solar control part of the board some call aux extra or something like that, I read something somewhere about using the solar connection to control another aux relay ?

Maybe I was dreaming.

 

[Dirk]

That does ring a bell, in which case I misinformed you. Let me call in "the one who knows." Stand by.

 

[Jimrahbe]

d,

You can only add one relay to an EasyTouch 4 and that assumes that you do not have a solar heater.

In place of solar, you can buy a new relay and connect it to the Solar Booster connector on the main board. This then become Aux EX (also called Aux 10)

It costs a few dollars more, but I would buy the standard EasyTouch relay because it is easy to mount and comes with the right connector...

I use the Aux 10 circuit to control my water fill line.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ogdento]

this is great information Jim... I was going to suggest using a valve and then converting the valve's 24vac to 5/12/24vdc to drive a relay coil... but your way is soooo much simpler (and bone stock)!!

Can you do anything with the external heat connector?

You can buy the same relay at digikey/mouser/etc for a lot less but as Jim says, the connector is the key... it's a JST NR series, part number 02NR-E2R (2.5mm pitch idc connector), but I haven't found a good source for it.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Tom,

As I'm sure you know, there are four "special" relay drivers on the back side of the card.

Electric Heat
Solar Booster/Aux Extra
2-Speed Filter Pump
Spa Mode..

All of them will drive a standard Pentair relay (or any other 24 VDC relay). Only Aux Extra is designed to be used as an "official" Aux relay. But you can use all of them to drive additional relays as long as you know what to do to turn them on/off.

In my case I use three of them.. I use the Aux Ex to control my fill line and control it like any Aux relay...

I use the Spa mode and Electric heat output to control the heater in my standalone spa. The Spa mode driver turns on any time the system is in the Spa Mode (Duh!!) and turns on a relay that changes the temperature probe input from the pool to a temperature probe I have in the spa.. I use the Electric Heater driver to turn on a relay in my spa that controls the voltage going to the stock spa heater.

You can do anything you want with these relay drivers, but you can't control how they turn on.. In other words, the heater driver will only turn on when the system "thinks" it needs heat. The Spa mode only turns on when in the Spa mode, etc...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[djust]

Thanks Jim that might help me get landscape lighting control from the Easy Touch Panel, I ran 2 separate 1" electrical conduits from the equipment pad to the west side of my pool deck just for what if's like speaker wire or landscape lighting.

 

[Telemachus]

I know this is an old thread but you can certainly add extra relays to an easy touch 4 and make it an 8. It involves soldering the missing resistor back on below the main display, then all of the other 4 relay controls become active. Search here and you'll find pictures.