Pentair SunTouch Tips

Yesterday I installed a Pentair SunTouch with an Intelliflo VS+ pump.

This is a nice simple setup that allows the pump to change speeds depending upon whether it needs more power to send the water up to the solar panels on the roof or more water to satisfy the flow demands of a gas heater or the spa jets. So, for a basic pool & spa system with solar it is nice and simple.

However, there is a bit of a learning curve and some surprises in store for those not used to the SunTouch. The first is: HOW DO I STOP THIS THING?

On most pools, it is easy to turn off the pump to clean the basket. With the old mechanical time clocks, you just have to flip the switch in the timer. With the EasyTouch, IntelliTouch, Jandy Aqualink, and Jandy PDA you just press one button to switch from Auto mode to Service mode and the pump goes off.

Well, the same principle applies with the SunTouch, but it takes quite a few button pushes to get there. To turn the pump off if a schedule has turned it on, you need to switch from Auto to Service.

On the SunTouch:

1.       Press Menu button 14 times until you see “Service Mode 14/14.”
2.       Right arrow into the service menu.
3.       Use up or down arrow to change from Auto to Service.
4.       Press right arrow to select Service mode.
5.       With the pump in Service mode, clean the pump basket or filter as needed.
6.       To restart, repeat steps as needed this time changing from Service to Auto mode.
a.       In addition to Service and Auto, there is also a Time Out mode. It is like the Service mode, but it will automatically switch back to Auto after a 3 hour delay.

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Programming a Pentair EasyTouch controller to work with a Pentair IntelliFlow VS pump

First, there are some things you should be aware of before you start programming:
• The Filter Pump button will only work in the Auto mode. It will not turn the pump on in either Service or Timeout mode. For those familiar with EasyTouch controllers and single speed pumps, this is unusual. For this reason, it is nice to set up an Auxiliary button to turn the variable speed pump on to a speed that is appropriate for vacuuming or running an auto cleaner. Your pool service person will need this.
• The pump will often be told conflicting directions as to what speed it should run at. For instance, a program may call for one speed and the heater may call for a different speed. If there is a conflict between two different speeds, the pump will always run at the higher speed.

Conceptual programming strategies:
• You will want to program the “Pool” to run at the slowest speed that you want the pool to run at. If you do this, you will not need to set up an additional “low speed” speed/schedule.
• You will want to set up a “Feature” (Feature 1—for instance) to run at a medium to high speed. At scheduled times during the day, this feature will ramp up the pump to a sufficient speed to operate an auto cleaner for a couple of hours a day. You will set the time for this in Schedules and the speed in the Intelliflo menu.

Programming Steps


To avoid confusion, start by assigning circuit names:

• Label your auxiliaries (pool light, spa light, blower, etc.)
• Name one auxiliary “Manual Clean.” (Use one that is not connected to a relay or one whose relay is not being used.) In a later step, you will assign a pump speed to this auxiliary that is appropriate for vacuuming. Later, (in Schedules) you will also set this up to operate as an “egg timer.” You or your service person will be able to select this speed (by pressing its Auxiliary button when in the Auto mode) the pump will then ramp up to a speed appropriate for vacuuming. This is very useful for service personnel. Since this will be set up as an “egg timer,” the pump will revert to its normal settings after the egg timer has expired.
• Name one Feature circuit “High Speed.” Later, (in Schedules) you will program this to operate once or twice a day to ramp up the pump to run an auto cleaner.

Assign the circuit types:

• Assign the Manual Clean the generic type. You will be tempted to assign it the “Master Cleaner” type. Resist this urge, as doing so will result in a delay before the pump ramps up to your desired speed.
• Assign the “High Speed” the generic type.

Setup your Schedules:

• Set a schedule for the “Pool” to run for about 12 hours a day. Remember that this will be your lowest (and most economical speed).
• Set a schedule for the Feature Circuit that you have labeled “High Speed.” Set this to come on one to two hours once or twice a day. For small pools, one to two hours in the morning is enough. For larger pools or pools in windy areas, it may need to run twice a day (once in the morning and once in the evening). Your utility company prefers that you set this to run during off peak hours. This speed can either be programmed within the time set for the “Pool” speed (the lowest speed) or outside of that time. If it is programed within the “Pool” time, the conflict will be settled by the pump running at the higher speed that you labeled “High Speed.”
• Set up the Auxiliary that you labeled “Manual Clean” to work as an egg timer. You do this in the Schedule menu. I recommend setting the count down time between 3 and 8 hours depending upon the size of the pool and usage. You pool service person can use this speed to ensure that the water filters after chemical additions or use this for vacuuming or other clean up purposes.

Assign the Speeds in the Intelliflo menu under Settings:

• Assign the “Pool” speed the slowest setting that you want the pump to run (1200-1900 rpm). Make sure that this speed is sufficient to activate the flow switch on a chlorinator.
• Assign “Manual Clean” and “High Speed” a medium speed that runs the auto cleaner at a good pace (2400-3100 rpm).
• Assign the “Heater” a medium speed. Tying this speed to heater operation will ensure that the heater always has adequate flow, even if it happens to be turned on during a time in which the pump is running at a slower speed that would not otherwise give it enough flow.
• Assign the “Spa” the highest speed (3100-3450 rpm). When the valves are switched from pool to spa, the pump will ramp up to this highest speed so that the jets will give the expected action.