Having a pool built and need advice

[voidpointer]

I think this is the problem. I think when you do the dipswitch 3 it should just appear.

What is the problem? Are you talking about the speed preset names? Should I do the "reset to defaults" button when you select your pump in the VSP configuration page?

 

[voidpointer]

I switched the label to Speed4 and went back to edit again, and it says "Spillover". I cannot tell if this one is custom or built in. I'm able to select it in the list.

Ok it appears this one is built in. If I go to the other speed preset labels, the one intended for the default is always at the top, instead of sorted alphabetically.
However, I am 100% certain after initially switching to spillover mode, I didn't see it and entered my own manually. Maybe that confused it, I'm not sure.

 

[PoolGate]

What is the problem? Are you talking about the speed preset names? Should I do the "reset to defaults" button when you select your pump in the VSP configuration page?

I think the problem is that it is not recognizing that you have dipswitch 3 enabled. But try now after seeing that pre-set and see if it works. If not, then do the power thing.

 

[voidpointer]

I powered off the aqualink, toggled dip switch 3 OFF then back ON, then powered back on. No difference. Should the aqualink be powered on/off between toggling the dip switch so that it recognizes it is off? Should I do "Restore Speed Defaults" on this page?


How long should it take for the VSP to change to "Spillover" after I enable it?

I'm not sure what else I should do...

 

[PoolGate]

I powered off the aqualink, toggled dip switch 3 OFF then back ON, then powered back on. No difference. Should the aqualink be powered on/off between toggling the dip switch so that it recognizes it is off? Should I do "Restore Speed Defaults" on this page?
View attachment 478588

I'm not sure what else I should do...

Assign that spillway speed to aux3 and see what happens

 

[ajw22]

1. Power the Aqualink OFF
2. Flip dip switch #3 OFF
3. Power the Aqualink ON
4. Take a screenshot of your VSP Speed Setup page
5. Power the Aqualink OFF
6. Flip dip switch #3 ON
7. Power the Aqualink ON
8. Take a screenshot of your VSP Speed Setup page
9. Show us if there was a difference between the VSP Speed Setup pages

 

[voidpointer]

Assign that spillway speed to aux3 and see what happens

You mean preset 3?

 

[voidpointer]

1. Power the Aqualink OFF
2. Flip dip switch #3 OFF
3. Power the Aqualink ON
4. Take a screenshot of your VSP Speed Setup page
5. Power the Aqualink OFF
6. Flip dip switch #3 ON
7. Power the Aqualink ON
8. Take a screenshot of your VSP Speed Setup page
9. Show us if there was a difference between the VSP Speed Setup pages

Spillover switch off:

Spillover switch on:

 

[voidpointer]

Here are some pics of how it's wired and the switches

 

[ajw22]

Spillover switch off:
View attachment 478599
Spillover switch on:
View attachment 478600

Great!

That shows Speed4 is being changed to Spillover when you turn on dip switch #3.

Before you turn on Spillover mode are you in POOL mode at 2500 RPM or SPA mode at 3100 RPM?

When you have two modes active - POOL + SPILLOVER or SPA + SPILLOVER the higher speed will take priority. Since 2500 and 3100 is higher than 1750 the VSP does not slow down.

Typically POOL mode is run at about 1800 RPM and SPILLOVER is maybe 2400 RPM.

• Set your POOL mode speed down.
• Set SPILLOVER speed to be higher then POOL speed
• Set schedules for AUX3 Spillover as to when to run during the day

 

[voidpointer]

are you in POOL mode at 2500 RPM or SPA mode at 3100 RPM

POOL mode

Set SPILLOVER speed to be higher then POOL speed

I don't want the spillover at a higher speed. If I make it higher, the pressure in the system goes up way too high and the way the water spills over the spa looks terrible. I'll do it as a test, though, to see if that's actually the issue.

 

[voidpointer]

Ok I just tested pool mode at 1500 and spa at the same 1750 and it indeed did work and switch over as it should. That's pretty frustrating. Why would Aqualink arbitrarily decide we don't want to lower RPMs when we switch to something?

I guess the only option, assuming it works, is to maybe try OneTouch and schedule it, or on a schedule specify the speed along with the spillover mode. Is there a way to make it go to a lower RPM without any fuss?

EDIT: Also worth maybe blaming the plumbing here? The only return in spillover mode are the spa jets. Whereas the suction comes from two skimmers and two drains in the pool. That seems like an issue to me, not to mention the way the stair-steps for the spillover don't look good when there's a huge rush of water

 

[PoolGate]

The higher speed always wins.

 

[voidpointer]

The higher speed always wins.

I understand that now. It's just unfortunate that I have to choose between insufficient skimming in my pool or niagara falls for my spillover

 

[ajw22]

Nothing to blame on your plumbing. Higher speed always wins on all the automation systems.

Why do you need your pool running at 2500 RPM?

What is the maximum speed your Spillover does not splash out?

 

[voidpointer]

What is the maximum speed your Spillover does not splash out?

These are the speeds I'm going with for now, just to make sure my pool is a lower speed than everything else:


EDIT: Misread your question. About 1750 is the max. That's why I have it set there. I sat outside with my laptop and went down by increments of 250 until I found something that looked nice.

 

[ajw22]

These are the speeds I'm going with for now, just to make sure my pool is a lower speed than everything else:
View attachment 478624

EDIT: Misread your question. About 1750 is the max. That's why I have it set there. I sat outside with my laptop and went down by increments of 250 until I found something that looked nice.

Let's say you want to run your Spillover at 9AM to 9:15AM and 2PM-2:15PM.

Set your POOL speed to 1700 RPM.

Set High Speed to your Skimmer speed - 2500.

Your skimmer will already run at 2800 RPM the times your cleaner is scheduled.

Schedule High Speed to be those times you want better skimming when the Cleaner and the Spillover are not scheduled.

Note that you had your Pool Heat set for 2250 RPM and with Pool set for 2500 you would never had run at 2250. Same if you have High Speed for skimming running and your heater turns on it will stay at the High Speed.

Rethink your speeds now that you understand that higher speed always wins.

 

[voidpointer]

Here is a video of the Spillover at 1750. Still seems too fast to me but I can try going up.

Streamable Video

Watch this video on Streamable.

streamable.com

 

[ajw22]

Here is a video of the Spillover at 1750. Still seems too fast to me but I can try going up.

Streamable Video

Watch this video on Streamable.

streamable.com

That Spillover looks fine and you can go for more flow if you run it for 15-20 minutes at a time.

How long do you plan to run the spillover for?

 

[voidpointer]

That Spillover looks fine and you can go for more flow if you run it for 15-20 minutes at a time.

How long do you plan to run the spillover for?

I found a post from you, about 4 years ago or so, where you said you had yours set up for 30 minutes at the start of the day, 15 in the middle, and 30 at the end. The advice given later in that thread was that you could get away with removing the one that runs 15 minutes in the middle of the day. So I was going to try twice a day, 30 mins each. But I don't know what is enough or too much. I also don't know how you experiment with it. Another thread said to test CL separately in the spa during a time when the spillover hasn't run in a while.