Heater comes on with Freeze Protect

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brian

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Oct 12, 2011
47
Frisco, TX
I realized the heater (pool and spa) is coming on when Freeze Protect kicks in. I called my PB and they will come Saturday. I complained about this last winter when the pool was built. They claimed to have fixed it. Well, it looks like for 36 hours my spa has been 100 and pool 80. Probably for 24 hours last week too. Obviously I am ******. I called Jandy and they said there is nothing in their system that would cause this automatically. I looked in the Freeze Protect settings on the PDA and there is not an option for Heater at all. Jandy thinks they wired something wrong. I tried to reset the system to see if the heater would come on and it didnt (still in Freeze Protect).

Anyone have any ideas? It's not me and it happened last year in Freeze Protect. I feel the PB owes me a few hundred dollars that it cost me to have the heat running for that long.

Thanks!
 
I wonder if my system is set up the same way. Freeze protect hasn't been activated in over a year and only on a few occasions so it's not a big deal either way for me. But I still wouldn't want to heat my spa/pool unnecessarily.

My understanding of the Easytouch programming is that when freeze protect mode is activated, it will cycle every few minutes between pool mode and spa mode. In my spa mode the heater comes on automatically. Is there an override of some sort to disable the heater when the spa is activated in freeze protect mode?
 
Looking at the weather for Frisco, TX, I don't think you need freeze protection at all. The temperature doesn't remain below 32 long enough for the plumbing to freeze solid.
 
Generally you don't. It was below 32 for 36 straight hours this week...but still it's questionable if needed I agree.

A few years ago (didn't have a pool then), it was in the 20's for a few days...

It only happens once or twice a year for about a day or two.
 
Brian, I am just south of you. My freeze protection comes on anytime the water gets close to 34 degrees. I also have the Easytouch system. I know that the spa and pool mode alternates about every 15 minutes. My heater does not come on, it just circulates the water.

I can tell you that I had about an inch of solid ice on the grotto wall (rocks) yesterday morning and it stayed that way until today when the sun came out. Even with the grotto waterfall running.

For the past few days the pump has been running probably 20 hours out of a 24 hour period - which is fine. I have a variable speed pump and it runs on low.
 
Yipes! Your gas bill is going to be scary, neighbor!

I wonder if you can just disconnect the automation line to the heater as a temporary workaround—you know, just unplug the RS-485 cable.
 

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PB came this morning. They said the Spa should not be under Freeze Protect. That doesn't make sense to me. However, they put that in their Resolution. Since I reported the same issue last year, I think they basically admitted fault. I just want to recover some money somehow.

Well, I don't think the Spa being in Freeze Protect is the issue. It was cold last night and the heater didn't come on. He said the heater would come on when Spa was in Freeze Protect. I'm pretty sure I saw the heater on for both spa and pool when I've had the isue. Could there be a water temperature setting that kicks the heater on during freeze protect?

The spa is above ground so if that doesn't get circulation when very cold, I'd think that has a good chance of freezing (to some extent).

Summary: To me they admitted fault, but I'm not satisfied with their 'findings' and I bet they will change their mind when I say they owe me $200.
 
I'll double check mine tonite. It is supposed to get to 27 degrees. I thought freeze protect only circulated water thru the pipes.. but I'll double check to see if the heater comes on. Thanks!
 
I did more research than PB did. When pool was out of freeze protect this is what the heater said. I turned on spa from PDA and the darn heater came on. The PDA said heater off. So when spa came on in freeze protect I assume heater came on. But why!! They are coming back out in a few days with the master tech.
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Why does it have spa always set. It does right now too and just the pool is running. The pool has a temp settig too. PB says its not a wiring issue but a communication issue. Either way I assume they did it or something is defective??

Eta. Just went out to try and make it happen. I couldn't. When it freeze protect I think the heater said remote control is off or something like that. Jandy said that is all correct behavior. This is making me crazy.
 
It could be just the way it works. If I have my heater enabled and the spa is turned on, the heater comes on automatically. If I have the heater disabled, it does not. So when not using the spa, just disable the heater. Should be in one of the settings.
 
Jandy said no. They said if the PDA has it set to enabled instead of off it would do that. It wasn't. It seems the easy touch has options but I don't have that system. Isn't this fun. I found another thread about this but they never responded all year with what happened.
 
Brian, I just checked the spa - there is definitely no heat coming out of the jets while in spa FP mode. Just ask my frozen hand.
 
The spa should be under freeze protection as well.

My setup (Pentair automation) cycles between pool and spa mode every half hour when the freeze protection kicks in.

Good luck!
 

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