AquaLink Z4 and very old RayPak heater (Will this work?)

[LVinOC]

Hello - My old heater's control panel was fried. So I am trying to control the heater using a new AquaLink Z4 Controller that I just purchased and installed. I connected the heater to the AUX 1 Relay and I can get the heater to fire up by turning on AUX 1. My problem is that this setup seems oblivious to water temperature. The water temperature settings pool and spa controls (on the AquaLink) do not seem to control the heater at all. The heater doesn't turn on when below the temperature and doesn't shut down when above target temp. I have to manually turn the heater on/off via the AquaLink control panel.

I do not have a "control" wire from the heater.

Anyone have any advice?

 

[Pool Clown]

I do not have a "control" wire from the heater.

Anyone have any advice?

Install a control wire! Not hard to do. There is a connection on the Jandy control board (pins 1 and 2, connect to a green terminal bar).

Raypak Gemini heaters are easy enough to tie your automation wire to. There may be a location at the board where where you tie in the automation wire. It may be a little more complicated to access the main board for that connection. I think you can use one of the wires that comes off the pressure switch. Note: connection there may give you a pressure switch or "check skimmer or pump basket/clean filter error when ever the heater is in the off (from the automation) position. If you still have the owners manual, it will show you the recommended location. When you have the wire attached at the heater, you will turn the heater on and leave it on with both the thermostats turned all the way up. This gives the automation full temperature range control.

You may want to tie the Aquarite to the same relay as the heater. And put them on the filter pump relay.

If you have (letter) O version or P version software on your Aqualink, that should give you pump control through the automation with the (included) control wire connected.
Note: version O has limited control, version P should have more control of the pump.