Should I change my current pump for a solar heater?

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jkurl said:
If you add in an actuator you won't need to upgrade to the ps6 and add in another relay. The actuator will hook into the solar port. Your system will automatically see the solar port is used. Go into scheduling and set what time you want you solar on for. Then you can setup your pump speeds. I paid $400 dollars for my upgrade to iaqualink and I got a rs8 board with mine. I still think you can do this with out paying a large amount of money.
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How do you add an actuator? Currently I have 4 devices using the Aqualink, and one is hooked up to the "solar" auxiliary on the Aqualink. So the pool installer thought I'd have to upgrade from ps4 to ps6 to get more auxiliaries.

I spoke with a Zodiac tech support rep who says that it is possible to program it to run at different speeds based on whether using solar or not. She also said that when my pool installer put in iAqualink, it always comes with a PS8, on the lines of what jkurl got. They told me the pool installer should only have changed it to something else if they discussed it with me. I really don't know what responsibility they have to do that, but I'm going to discuss it with the pool installer. Hopefully that will make the discussion of the actuator moot.

So would it be a better idea to use the spreadsheets to calculate the flow rate rather than a flow meter if it adds some back pressure and would probably not be something that I would need to calculate after first setting up the solar heater and determining the optimal/minimal pump speed needed for it?

mas985 - in terms of pump run-time, I had read that page a while ago, but I was thinking about what I read elsewhere here about trying to circulate the entire pool volume per day. I will try reducing the run time as per that article though. Good to know there should be no problem if I downgrade my pump.
 
What is hooked up to the solar auxiliary? The actuator is a electronic valve that you can hook into your solar, return, intake or cleaner aux ports. I think the installer either doesn't know what he installed or he ripped you off. You must have talked to Denise at zodiac. I think that is her name. She is very nice.

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mas985 said:
Why don't you piggy back the blower with the spa pump? They are both on at the same time anyway correct?
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Not always. The blower makes a lot more noise and blows cold air in, so we only turn it on when we need. And sometimes we just heat up the spa a little so the little kids can swim without heating the whole pool.

I'm still working on talking to the pool installer to see about what the Zodiac rep said about the PS8 being standard with the iAqualink. In the contracts, they didn't specify the equipment but somewhere mentioned remote controlling, so I don't really know if it is ok or not what they may have done - mix and match parts they had, i.e. iAqualink hookup with only a PS4 controller.
 
haz said:
mas985 said:
Why don't you piggy back the blower with the spa pump? They are both on at the same time anyway correct?
Click to expand...

Not always. The blower makes a lot more noise and blows cold air in, so we only turn it on when we need. And sometimes we just heat up the spa a little so the little kids can swim without heating the whole pool.

I'm still working on talking to the pool installer to see about what the Zodiac rep said about the PS8 being standard with the iAqualink. In the contracts, they didn't specify the equipment but somewhere mentioned remote controlling, so I don't really know if it is ok or not what they may have done - mix and match parts they had, i.e. iAqualink hookup with only a PS4 controller.
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Haz

I really think they did a mix and match. Which they shouldn't have. If you don't want to upgrade to a ps6 or 8 look on the back of the power center board and you may have a spare aux spot. That may be for the 6 & 8 only. This would allow you to add in another relay if you have the spare aux connection. You can get relays for Bout $25 or less.

Jerry

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Fortunately it looks like my pool installer will switch the PS4 for a PS6 at no additional cost, so no need for any work-around. Thanks all for all the help and input!
 
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