JANDY Aqualink RS-P4 ?'s

[Electron Mover]

I have been researching the Jandy aqualink RS-P4 system and had decided to price one with the PB (I will be installing it) until I read this thread:

jandy-aqualink-rs6-indoor-panel-not-responding-t31504.html

I then did some research looking to see what could cause this type of random problem and found Jandy part #6908. This is listed as a surge protection kit and sells for almost as much as the RS-P4 and doubles the warranty on the aqualink system from 1-2 years but it is not listed in any of the aqualink installation manuals, except under warranty information!! It is only listed as an accessory. This makes me uneasy for several reasons...

is the aqualink system more susceptible to surges than competing systems which don't have "surge suppressor" add on's?
Why is it so expensive?
Do aqualink installers routinely install these or only in places with severe and frequent thunderstorms?
Can you buy the Jandy extended warranty without one of these installed?
Is an extended warranty a good idea?

By way of background, I am a Ham radio operator and have a excellent power ground and RF ground at my house. I have equipment which is very sensitive to RFI and voltage surges which are almost always the result of nearby lightning strikes (nothing will save you from a direct strike) and have had no problems. My PB deals only with Jandy and has never done a automation install....I did ask him about this and he had a Jandy rep call me, but the rep. could not answer my ?'s and was going to have a engineer call me back...no one called and I am meeting with the PB tomorrow to finalize the build. I really like the internet access of this system and am hoping that people with the RS system or better yet some RS installers can tell me that the system is robust and when properly installed, with good grounding, the 6908 is not necessary.

If not, how is the Hayward comparable system with internet access?

Thanks so much for any and all help!
Bill

 

[bsnelson]

Hi Bill, I'm new to the board, and while I can't speak to the Jandy branded surge protector, I can say that the Aqualink RS system is susceptible to damage during nearby lightening strikes. I've had two main boards and one inside controller get "fried" by lightening within the last 3 or 4 years. I, too, thought about installing the Jandy surge protector, but I've been very wary due to the emphasis that the unit is for POWER surge protection, making me wonder if it's even designed to combat what we're talking about.

The communication between the main board and the controller(s) of the "All Button" system (the only one I'm familiar with) is via a RS-485 serial link (two wires) with an additional pair for power. As close as I can tell, there's not any means by which to ground the cable or inside controller, so I suspect there is some room for problems there.

What I'm thinking of doing is purchasing a general RS-485 surge protector for inside and/or outside (B&B Electronics is a good source for this kind of gear) to install on my third main board when I install it later this week.

Having said this, I can't say if it's more or less susceptible to damage than the Hayward or any other system, but again, I can say that it does happen. The symptom that's seen over and over on the Internet is basically "My indoor controller has all lights on and won't respond to commands"; the controller does a power on self test when power is applied, and the test completes when the RS-485 handshake with the main board is completed. Absent that handshake (in the case of a bad main board), the controller stays lit, displaying its part and revision numbers on the display.

Sorry, this ended up being longer than I had intended, and I still don't know that I answered your questions, but it's a least a little experience from my installation. For what it's worth, I did have the system for probably 7 or 8 years before I lost the first board, so it's not like it's happened to me a bunch, but still, the boards are expensive ($300 or so used/refurbished on eBay, often twice that or more for new parts) and two boards in the last 3 years doesn't make me happy.

Brad

 

[Electron Mover]

Brad,
Thanks for the response. I think we are saying the same thing. After seeing all the problems related to power surges/power outages/lightning strikes with the Jandy system posted on the internet, I have decided to not purchase one. I think they are aware of the problem as they make a add on surge suppressor which to me is charging someone over $300.00 for a additional year of warranty!!! Not very confidence inspiring. On top of that they no longer interface with the end user but only with their reseller. My pool installer has never installed one and told me they think it is a waste of money!! So, much as I would like a system which would enable me to check on the pool while out of town, I will research other units and defer the purchase for now.
Thanks again for responding and please let me know if the aftermarket surge suppressor gets your system to last a reasonable length of time.
Regards,
Bill