Aqualink RS4 unable to turn off spa and switch to pool once spa is turned on.

[Morketh]

Okay my inside aqualink RS4 unit looks just like the one in the picture. It is getting cold and my freeze protect has been used 2 nights in a row.
I woke up this morning and it seemed to be stuck in spa mode and was not circulating the water in the pool.
I tried to turn the spa off (when spa is on, the first 2 buttons are lit red) so I pressed the spa button and it tells me it will turn off in a bit (those black knobs in my pool equipment have to turn and close the pipe to the spa and open the one to the pool). Once that is done I would think the water would then flow to the pool but it just turns the spa right back on.
Yesterday I was able to turn the spa off for the first time, I just kept pressing the spa button and then started double pressing it and somehow I was able to turn it off and then I turned just the pool pump on.
Today I was not able to repeat the same, I had to go outside and put it in service mode which turned it all off then I switched it back to auto and then went in and the freeze protect automatically turned on the pool pump and waterfall which is what I wanted. I didnt want it stuck in spa mode.

Anyone know anything about this?
My temporary solution is to take the spa OUT of the freeze protect, BUT I am not sure if there would then be pipes water is sitting still in and could possibly freeze and burst the pipes.
What I dont want to happen is the freeze protect turn the pool pump on, circulate that, then turn the spa on to circulate it but get stuck in spa mode and then the water in the pool pipes freeze up and burst.

Is there some button combo press I need to do to turn off the spa and move it back to pool?

 

[PoolGate]

Freeze protect runs the freeze protect program. If you have the spa in the freeze protect program it will turn it on and leave it that way until it gets above the set-point for freeze protect.

 

[Morketh]

Yes I understand that. I do have the spa in the freeze protect program, but it is running Spa in spa mode which moves the valves to cut off circulation from the pool so no water is being circulated to the pool.
I want the water to circulate in the spa and the pool at the same time, isnt that a possibility? I feel like when I turn just the pool pump on there is also circulation into the spa right? So I should be able to take the spa button out of freeze protect and just leave the waterfall and pool pump (which would have both pumps running) in freeze protect and water would circulate through all pipes, yes?


keep in mind, I do have the problem outside of freeze protect of the aqualink in the house sticking to the spa mode when I press the spa button and not being able to get out.
When in spa mode, the pool filter pump button number 1 and the spa button number 2 are both lit up. If I press the filter button it tells me it cannot turn off while spa is running, which is correct. If I press the spa button it tells me it will turn off in a second and starts blinking (the valves are turning during this time)... shortly after it turns back on and the spa continues to run and it stays in spa mode and I can get it back to pool mode unless I go to the outside units and turn it to service mode, then it shuts everything off and the valves turn back and I can put it back to auto and turn the pump back on and it stays in pool mode until I select spa mode again.

Yesterday though I was like double pressing the spa button over again and I did manage to completely turn it off and switch to pool mode from the inside unit which was the first time. Is there some button combo press I need to do to do this? I should video it to show you accurately what Im talking about maybe.

 

[PoolGate]

Sorry still a little confused. On mine I set what devices will be in the freeze protect program and it turns them on when freeze is active. If I wanted it a specific way when freeze protect kicks in, I would have to add/remove devices to get the desired affect. Mine is a web-based visual screen that is easy to manipulate. If you don't have any mode that works how you want it then you may not be able to set it to achieve total system freeze protection. This would go back to initial system design up to and including putting JVAs in that would only activate in freeze-protect mode.

 

[Morketh]

Yours looks a bit nicer than mine haha, I dont have a web interface. I will make a video when I get home and upload to youtube of my problem.

 

[Dodger]

If I select both Pool and Spa for Freeze Protect, Aqualink automatically switches the valves back and forth every 30 minutes until temp rises above Freeze Protect setpoint. I can select these either through the fancy iAqualink interface, or through my OneTouch panel, which is similar to your RS4 panel. The functionality is the same, so I don't know that it's a button combination problem for you.



The root problem is probably related to the non-freeze protect issue you describe, where it keeps returning to spa mode. That may be a valve malfunction, a programming issue, a temp sensor issue, or something like that. Your video may help decipher.

Also wondering if you might have a sticky spa button on the RS panel. If it were me, I'd take off the front cover and inspect it.

One more thing to note: if you select Spa mode on your RS panel while the system has already engaged Freeze Protect, I'm pretty sure this will override the Freeze Protect process.

 

[Morketh]

Yes you are correct, it is related to the non-freeze protect issue. I was able to again get it out of the spa mode yesterday without having to go to the outside panel. The valves don't seem to be the problem, they turn off and on no problem when I control it at the outside panel.
I was able to once again get it out of spa and back to pool yesterday after pressing the spa button like 20 times lol so maybe it is a sticky button or something I dunno. I'll take the cover off and check it this weekend.