Troubleshooting Waterfall Randomly Turns On?

[cyf]

Hi Everyone, Been reading the forums for a while (learning a lot "yay!") and I now finally have a reason to register and post (not so much "yay").

I have a Aqualink RS OneTouch that controls a waterfall-only pump. I also have a Spa Side 4-function controller http://www.polytecpools.com/jandy-spa-side-4function-remote-100-cord-white-p-287.html in the spa. I've inherited the pool system as it was put in by the previous owner, and I am still learning the particular details of the system.

I've been noticing that, after 3-years, the waterfall has now started randomly turning on. Although it HAD been staying off after I shut it off for a few days, the frequency of it randomly turning on has shortened, to now where I think it would remain on if I just left it on. I have not performed a full reset of the system, though I have had to turn the power to the system off by shutting off the main breaker to the pool recently to replace the main single speed pump motor with a 2-speed pump. Any scheduled programming in the Aqualink was lost by that reset (that's how I also found out that the 9V battery was dead), but not the labels.

I've checked the wiring, and everything looks solid--I've even re-stripped and connected some of the wires in the control center that were a little "sloppy".

Any suggestion would be welcomed. Should I try a full reset (was hoping to avoid this because I didn't want to reprogram the labels)? I have currently shut off the breaker to the waterfall, so at least it's not going off anymore. I also have a suspicion that it's the Spa Side 4-function controller, as that has controls for the waterfall. Is there any way to disconnect the Spa Side 4-function controller to see if that's causing the problem?

BACKGROUND: Being an electrical engineer that's done his own wiring (both network and power) for my previous residences, I'm not completely clueless when it comes to various control systems. However, this is my first pool and I've learned to not take things for granted--even when I think I "know" what I'm doing, haha.]

Link to Aqualink RS OneTouch http://www.zodiacpoolsystems.com/~/medi ... /6593.ashx

 

[msgtdan]

Welcome

Hopefully someone will be along to help soon.

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

Not sure how to properly fix it. But, what happens if you change the polarity on the switch on the actuator ... would that at least maybe keep it "OFF".

Could be a short in the actuator cable somewhere? Or maybe something is going wrong in the board.

If you want to keep it from turning on, you could just put the actuator switch in the OFF position so it will not move regardless of electrical inputs.

 

[mas985]

Try Locking out the Spalink in the Lockout menu and see if the problems disappears. Unless I am mistaken, it doesn't appear that there is any pairing of the Spalink to the controller so so any Spalink could control your equipment. So check to see if your neighbor has one. :lol:

 

[cyf]

Hi Y'all, Thanks for everyone's welcome. I've been busy so haven't been able to work on this--being done with work late at night these last couple of days has not allowed me to work on it with daylight--I didn't want to poke around in the dark with just the flashlight (Lord knows I've gotten myself into many a mess because of that...). My replies below. Will try to troubleshoot today as I plan to put in the two-speed motor relay for the main pump.

Welcome to TFP!!!
Not sure how to properly fix it. But, what happens if you change the polarity on the switch on the actuator ... would that at least maybe keep it "OFF".
Could be a short in the actuator cable somewhere? Or maybe something is going wrong in the board.
If you want to keep it from turning on, you could just put the actuator switch in the OFF position so it will not move regardless of electrical inputs.

What do you mean by the "actuator"? Are you referencing the 24v relay? What I've done is temporarily shut-off the circuit breaker for the pump that services the waterfall in the Power Center. I can still hear the relay clicking away like a telegraph operator is tapping it, so I have to go and actually unplug the relay. I'm really hoping it's not any of the boards.

Try Locking out the Spalink in the Lockout menu and see if the problems disappears. Unless I am mistaken, it doesn't appear that there is any pairing of the Spalink to the controller so so any Spalink could control your equipment. So check to see if your neighbor has one. :lol:

Actually, I realized after I first posted that the "SpaLink" is not the same thing as the "Spa Side 4-function controller". However, you do have a point and I have to try to see if I can isolate issue by removing the Spa Side 4-function controller. My first inclination is to unplug it from the system. I think this can be done at the multiplex board?

One other thing is that I've noticed that the backlight on the OneTouch has been flickering on/off (yes, as if there is a loose/faulty connection), so I have to check this too.

[One last thing I should also mention is that I have taken out the lamp in the pool light as it burned out a couple of weeks ago and needs to be replaced. Probably not related whatsoever...]

 

[jblizzle]

The actuator is the box sitting on the valve that actually turns the valve. But given that you are hearing the relay clicking back and forth, sounds like a problem in the controller and not in the actuator or wires to the actuator.

 

[cyf]

The actuator is the box sitting on the valve that actually turns the valve. But given that you are hearing the relay clicking back and forth, sounds like a problem in the controller and not in the actuator or wires to the actuator.

Ahhh. I see where our disconnect is. I have one pump that is just being used for the waterfall feature, and this is the pump (let's call it "waterfall_pump") that keeps turning on and off. The pool builder actually has the water pathway for the waterfall feature (i.e., inlet->waterfall_pump->waterfall_outlets [I have 2 waterfall outlets]) separate from everything else. Thus, there is no motorized valve involved for the waterfall (hence no actuator). The relay that controls the waterfall_pump ("waterfall_relay") is the one that is turning off/on (i.e., "clicking"), thereby causing the waterfall_pump to turn off/on. As in my previous post, I've shut the circuit breaker to the waterfall_pump and will now disconnect the waterfall_relay for now while I track this bug down.

Sorry for the confusion. I should have been more clear as everyone's setup is different--I'm still trying to figure out mine as I haven't identified all the inlets/outlets, valves, etc., yet.

 

[jblizzle]

Ah. Must be a problem in the controller making the relay toggle.