Easytouch setup with Pentair Heater & Aquacal Tropicool Chiller

[ttam202]

I finished installing the my Aquacal Tropicool. It’s downstream right after my pentair gas heater. I want to tie it into the Easytouch panel.

I have read and watched online what I have been able to find and the wiring between the chiller and the easytouch makes sense - wire B port on chiller to RS485/COM port on easytouch and add solar sensor.

Once I wire everything up, I need to enable “heat pump” via the easytouch menu.

The question I have - will the Easytouch regulate the temperature once I enable the chiller/heat pump? Example - If I turn on the pentair heater, will easytouch disengage the chiller?

Everything I’ve read / watched discusses a heat pump with cooling/heating ability and thus when enabling the heat pump in easytouch you enable it for heating and cooling. Since my heat pump is a chiller only, I assume I only set easytouch to enable chilling.

Thanks- this forum has been excellent thus far in working on pool things!

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Maybe @mknauss @Jimrahbe has ideas.

Why did you get the Tropicool Chiller instead of the Glacier Cooler?

 

[mknauss]

Sorry I have no idea! Do you have the owners manual for the ET and the chiller?

 

[ttam202]

AJ-
A few reasons. Convenience was probably the biggest reason- my neighbor was getting a pool built last year and had the same chiller. His builder had access to another one and worked with me on a deal. His plumber piped it up and I handled the power.

Additionally, with the humidity in Houston, I had some concern about getting the temp drop I was looking for - in the height of summer my pool gets 10-12 hrs of sun and will hit 94 degrees with me wanting to get to 85-87. I don’t recall the specs put out by glacier but I felt more comfortable getting the drop with the Tropicool. Don’t hold me to it but I recall adding plumbing considerations (eg extra valves) and some considerations for water pressure going into the pool return.

Lastly, I have relatives that have a glacier unit on their smaller pool. Automation-wise I liked the heat pump ability to set a target temp and run automatically.

 

[ttam202]

Sorry I have no idea! Do you have the owners manual for the ET and the chiller?

I’ve got it for the chiller and I can find it for the ET. Chiller instructions stop once you make the hardwired connection into the easytouch (or any automation panel) and put the chiller into “smart” mode to be controlled by ET. I found a video online that shows the integration of a pentair heat pump with heat/cool functionality and what looks to be a standalone gas heater on the system videoed. The literature in general seems to lack cool only with a heater. I don’t want them working against each other.

I don’t mind doing trial and error with the programming, and figure enabling the chiller and not enabling the “heat” feature will work as long as the ET manages the logic so the chiller doesn’t engage when the heater warms the water. I could make the argument to enable the “heat” feature if that’s what ET uses to disengage the chiller.

 

[mknauss]

I would just set it up in ET as a heater/chiller but only schedule the chill part. If it requires a Heat set point, make it ridiculous (like 104F) such that the pool water will not get there.

Do you have ScreenLogic? The computer SL Config makes this pretty easy.

 

[Jimrahbe]

202,

Sorry, but I don't have any experience with chillers.. I do have serious doubts that it will talk with the EasyTouch via RS-485 com port. I would not count on this unless it is explicitly stated in the manual.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ttam202]

I would just set it up in ET as a heater/chiller but only schedule the chill part. If it requires a Heat set point, make it ridiculous (like 104F) such that the pool water will not get there.

Do you have ScreenLogic? The computer SL Config makes this pretty easy.

Makes sense. I tried loading SL onto my Mac but had issues. Trying to find a pc to borrow to install and config.

I’ll report back in a couple of weeks.