wiring review Black and Decker w/ automation to Aqualink pannel / experience random pump stop and restart

[dfwmj]

Hello all need someone to help me understand if I have wired this right. Could the helpful experts from the forum let me know if this is sound?
Following guidance from here I have wired this up. Thanks @gkw4815

1st my previous wiring:



Line came into the spa blower 1st then was carried to the filter pump or waterfall pump.

Here is how I wired the VSP automation box:

I flipped the iAqualink dip switch for 2 spd pump. I believe that was previously suggested. Here here is my final wiring diagram with the cleaning pump no longer wired: please see revisions below.







Also here is by sub breaker box. I am not sure where the booster pump breaker lands since there is no dedicated line there.

Based on the wiring looks like the "booster" is actually wired to the waterfall pump.


Thanks so much in advance!

 

[dfwmj]

So looking at this now I think it will not work.

Since the heater piggyback on the aux 2 "booster" and I am not sure where a safe post is for the vsp wiring. I believe the yellow medium should sit on the 2nd laod terminal on the 1st port pool filter perhaps I can link the heater to the filter pump and remove the daisy chains? Heater should only have power when the filter is on?

But where would the common 5v fron the vsp boad go amd the lines to feed relays aux2 (slow) and aux7 (high)?

 

[dfwmj]

Ok here is a version 3? Does this look right?

Moved the heater and pump to a L1/L2 bundle and bridged then from the line in/breaker or the spa blower. Then run the 5v common to the filter line, and vsp medium to the load. Piggyback the line to line on Aux 2 then white vsp to load, and finally Piggyback from load on the filter pump to Aux 7 the vsp black to load.

I could maybe even move the heater load lines to the waterfall line in vs dropping them in bundle? Only trouble is with the original wiring the heater only had power when the filter pump was on. Now the heater would have continous power? Not sure if issue or not.

 

[dfwmj]

Ok did more thought here. Version 4 what do you think? Is 3 or 4 better?

Moving the 2 120v w/ the 20 amp breakers to direct wire the new B&D VSP. Then replace the 2 120 lines w/ 20 amp breakers on (Waterfall) Aux 3 with 2 120 w/ 30 amp. Daisy chained the lines to Aux 1 A/B (Spa Bubbler) then bridged to the (Heater). Still leaves the heater always on, instead of the prior set up where it only had power when the "filter pump" was on. Is this any issue or concern?

 

[ajw22]

AUX3 is used for SPILLOVER mode on Aqualink.

If you put a relay on AUX3 you will not have the ability to schedule your SPILLOVER.

Running a spillover whenever in POOL mode causes aeration which causes pH to rise rapidly.

Jandy Aqualink RS - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[dfwmj]

AUX3 is used for SPILLOVER mode on Aqualink.

If you put a relay on AUX3 you will not have the ability to schedule your SPILLOVER.

Running a spillover whenever in POOL mode causes aeration which causes pH to rise rapidly.

Jandy Aqualink RS - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Unfortunately the pool was built to always have overflow from the spa on when the filter pump is on. Aux 3 is the waterfall breaker and we hardly ever use that.

Right now all but the 2pd pump which I manually flipped are marked off.

My Ph always rises like crazy and I would definitely want to look at can we shut that down in the future. I'm hoping the lower speed pump may lower the impacts of that too.

 

[ajw22]

Unfortunately the pool was built to always have overflow from the spa on when the filter pump is on.

That can easily be fixed with a shutoff valve installed.

. I'm hoping the lower speed pump may lower the impacts of that too.

It will not

You need to shutoff the spillway and schedule the spillover mode.

 

[dfwmj]

Well bummer so even the slower waterflow.. I have an automated divert valve but not sure if it's in the right section or what I need and would need to figure out how what and when to enable that at some point.

Thanks for looping and including me in that concept. My Jandy pump died about 2 weeks ago which started this journey and just have to figure out how to nail the wiring so I can start turning the water again etc.

 

[ajw22]

Post pics of your equipment pad and valves.

 

[dfwmj]

 

[ajw22]

It is builder malpractice to not label pipes..

One of the 4 pipes on the right is probably feeding your spa in POOL mode. Probably the one with the check valve.

Turn them off one at a time and see when your spillover stops flowing.

 

[dfwmj]

It is builder malpractice to not label pipes..

One of the 4 pipes on the right is probably feeding your spa in POOL mode. Probably the one with the check valve.

Turn them off one at a time and see when your spillover stops flowing.

Yeah they didn't do me favors in alot of places. However I do have photos of all the pipes before they were buried so maybe I can track them back? Maybe a needle in a hay stack but can try.

The 2 middle valves towards the right are the bubblers on the ledge. The left valve and the right are unknown, but if I had to bet, I would say it's the right one, because there is a check valve on it? Are you recommending just turning it off or if I want to drop an automated valve, that is the line it is dropped on? Without spillover and if the spa is not run, how does that water get turned? Or is that for timing with the aux when I go that route?

I will not be able to test it until I finalize the new wiring unfortunately and power things back up etc.

@gkw4815 did you end up with any issue with perm wiring you heater to the breaker. I too have the jandy and aqualink, it was fed from the filter pump being on.

 

[ajw22]

, I would say it's the right one, because there is a check valve on it?.

I agree

Are you recommending just turning it off

Not until you enable SPILLOVER mode.

or if I want to drop amd automated valve that is the line it is dropped on?

Not necessary. SPILLOVER mode uses your existing RETURN actuator.

Without spillover and if the spa is not run, how does that water get turned?

It doesn’t.

Or os that for timing with the aux when I go that route?

You turn the pipe off when you enable SPILLOVER mode.

 

[gkw4815]

I think version 3 or 4 would be fine. You do NOT want to use version 1 or 2 because mixing low- and high-voltage wiring on the same side of a relay will fry something.

When I installed my VS pump, I also moved my JXI400 heater from the load side of the filter pump relay to constant power. No issues with this. You could say that you're removing one layer of safety by keeping power to the heater all the time, but it is still controlled by the fireman's switch and still has all of its safety switches in place.

My pool has never had a separately controlled spillover mode, either before or after VS pump installation. Water flows from the spa to the pool whenever the equipment is running in pool mode. FWIW, my pH rises quickly in the summer when my SWG runs a lot, but is stable in the winter when the SWG is turned down or off - suggesting that, for me, aeration-induced pH rise is a non-issue. My spillover is only a foot wide and water only spills 1-2" from the spa to the pool. If you have an elevated spa or a large, high-volume spillover, aeration could be more of an issue for you.

 

[dfwmj]

Thank you @ajw004 and @gkw4815 much appreciated! The fireman's switch is basically the button on the aqualink pannel, yes? I may need to pull that out and see the guts behind it. However I know I have to hit the heater button to get heat.

 

[dfwmj]

So just finished hooking it all up thank you all for the ideas and feedback.

Here is my final wiring. The pump is directly wired to 240 w/ 20 amp breakers.

I flipped the dip switch 3 on for the aqualink pannel to "trick" the box to allowing 2 speed with automation. However I have not really gotten to programing that yet as I had to sort out a few union leaks from my layers of PVC work.

So just priming the pump and testing it with the board on service and filter pump on. Pump primes fine after the leaks were fixed however it runs at 2500 for a few random minutes then spins down then right back up again to 2500. I tried a few things checked all wiring and unions but just keeps doing it. This cannot be normal. No error or indication what's going on. Lefy it in service mode. May kill the breaker overnight just to be sure, I had to step away for the night but hope to look again tomorrow.

Any ideas?

 

[ajw22]

Read this thread. I think you have the same automation adapter problem as this member…

Wiring in black & decker vsp to pro logic with automation adapter

So I upgraded from my single speed Hayward pump to a 3hp b&d variable speed pump and I'm having a hard time figuring out how to connect the b&d automation adapter to the pro logic pl-p-4 system. Can anyone assist? Thanks!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[dfwmj]

Read this thread. I think you have the same automation adapter problem as this member…

Wiring in black & decker vsp to pro logic with automation adapter

So I upgraded from my single speed Hayward pump to a 3hp b&d variable speed pump and I'm having a hard time figuring out how to connect the b&d automation adapter to the pro logic pl-p-4 system. Can anyone assist? Thanks!

www.troublefreepool.com

Geez, this is a real bummer. Looks like I am not seeing a solution or work around.

 

[gkw4815]

Your pump controller is set to Manual, correct?

 

[dfwmj]

Your pump controller is set to Manual, correct?

Do you mean on the pump itself? Yes, it was set to manual. What is interesting is that is I leave the breakers off and use start/stop runs flawless. I noticed that speed speed 2 was set to 1500 when I flipped to Program mode or selected speed 2 from manual.

I changed the program speed for speed 2 to 2500 and then stopped it, left it on program at the pump and ran from breaker, it did not have the same behavior.

It got cold and work and stuff so I have been able to test or view it more. Right now I have it running manually at 3250 since we have not run a pump in weeks I needed to get to cleaning. What is interesting is even at the high rpms it does not push as much water as the 2hp jandy that ran around 3400. The spa spill over is almost non existent.