power setting on AutoPilot

[brent.roberts]

Hi Sean

I just installed a new Autopilot Digital with a 48 cell about a week ago and I'm not getting the power setting settled down very well.

Every time I look at it, the power setting is different and sometimes miles from what I set it at. I started running at level 2 with 50%, the factory default.
With 12 hours running a day 6AM till noon and 6PM till midnight I was getting
too much. So I tried setting it back to 40 > 30 > 20 then reset the power level to 1. I've set it as low as 10 % only to find an hour later it says it's outputting 41% or 60% ... seems like a random number generator.

Is this all the auto temp compensation ???
How am I supposed to know if my original setting of say 25% is OK if it says its been jacked up to 55%. If I re-set it while it says 55% ... what am I really re-setting, because my base number that I put in was 25%.

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Can you also give me the power ratios for the different levels 1, 2 and 3?
The book does not even say which is the highest output. One assumes 3 is the greatest output but you know where assuming can get you sometimes.

[rmeden]

what's your water temperature? I think the temp compensation is for water in the 60s and below.. not much of a summer problem.

Do you have a computer connected to your autoPilot or is it stand alone? It sounds like your trying to control the output percent at two places (Pilot console and a computer) and they're fighting each other.

Sean can probably speak to this possibility, but maybe you're using a computer and the serial circuit is noisy? Sean, is there a CRC?

I recommend you call AutoPiliot support tomorrow... they're very helpful.

Robert

[brent.roberts]

the water temp cycles between 82 and 88 daily on a solar system.

The autopilot has nothing connected to it put the pump. The solar system has a separate pump and controller. No interconnect at all.

[Poolsean]

Brent,

This is the temperature compensation feature adjusting the output automatically. I think what's happening is that the higher water temperature directly from the solar panels are increasing the output. To check this, observe what the Pool Pilot is displaying the water temperature to be when the purifier % increases.
I've heard other people say that the difference in the inlet vs outlet water from the solar panel can be up to 20 degrees split! That would certainly affect the temp compensation.
The water temperature as measured in the pool may seem steady at 82 - 88 degrees, but the solar panel will dump alot of heat directly out of the panels.
Regardless of what the temperature compensation is fluctuating the purifier % to, make your adjustments from what the display shows.

Hope this explains it.

[brent.roberts]

thnaks for the responses. The solar discharge is about 5 degrees warmer than the pool water. It is taken from the pool and discharged back into it through independant plumbing. No mixing. The intake for the filter/chlorinator is unaffected by the solar discharge. The temp on the Autopilot is always within 2 degrees of the actual pool water temp. So for practical purposes we can ignore the solar system. The only effect is the slow climb in temps through the day and cooling at night.

[Davenj]

Mine swings from low 20's in the morning to mid to high 40's during the day. If the pool goes into the upper 80's the output goes to the low 50's. Power level 2 with a 48 cell also.