iAqualink Question

biggdaddy3456 · Feb 8, 2015

Hi All,

I have a newly installed IAqualink 2.0 system and i noticed a weird thing: i have it on a maintain heat setting (basically it samples the water every 3 hrs and if the temp is lower than what we set it at, the heater kicks on). The water temperature showing on the iAqualink app is all over the place. The heater hasnt been on since 7am (set at 86) and the water temp at 1 point will read 93 degrees....then i check again and its 87. The pool is in the desert but this time of year its 83 during the day, 68 at night. Its impoddible the water has heated up to 90 degrees, or even warmer than the 86 we set it at....im not sure if i have a bad sensor or if the sensor is installed in the wrong place? Maybe the sun is hitting it? Is there any other way the water could be heating up by the equipment right before it hits the sensor, throwing off false readings? Again, the system is brand new...in fact all of the equipment and (heater, pump filter etc) is new!

JasonLion · Feb 8, 2015

It might be reporting the water temperature even when the pump is turned off. The temperature sensor is going to be in a pipe near the equipment pad. It is easy for the water sitting in the pipe without flow to warm up dramatically in the sunlight. Then when the pump turns on it will cool down dramatically as it quickly comes down to the temperature of the bulk pool water.

biggdaddy3456 · Feb 8, 2015

It actually is the opposite. It doesn't read temp at all until the pump turns on. When i turn on the pump, Then the temp will rise 3 to 5 degrees in a matter of minutes. Then if the pump is on for an hr or so, that's when i check and notice the temp is reading 90 or higher degrees.

JasonLion · Feb 8, 2015

Having the reading be a little wild for the first few minutes is normal enough. Just at first the sensor will get a sequence of water that has been in the shade, then in the sun, and then take a while to balance out to the average pool water temperature.

However, once things settle down the problem must be something else, and nothing comes to mind to explain that.

Poolguy1 · Feb 14, 2015

Where is the sensor placed in the system? Also, what are you getting for your air tempature?

malcolmb5325 · Feb 18, 2015

the temp sensor should be installed prior to the heater take off line, normally after the filter but before the heater.

racket · Feb 18, 2015

I typically place the temperature sensor in the line between pump and filter. I have seen a few cases where spas would overshoot their set point if between filter and heater.

Pool Clown · Feb 19, 2015

If you are covering the pool, you may be getting that layer of warm water at the surface. You could get that layer even if you arent covering the pool. That might be why the temp goes up after the pump has been running a few min. The skimmer may be drawing water mostly from the surface. If the sensor is after the filter, you may be sampling the water in the filter tank that has been in the sun not moving.

Temp sensor needs to be in the line between the pump and the filter. That way the automation gets a sample of the pool/spa temp relatively quickly. weather it is in temp maintain or just heating the spa. Problem with having the sensor after the filter is that, when heating, especially heating the spa, once the desired temp is reached (in the spa) that water must first travel through the filter which could take extra time (mixing). Meaning the heater is running longer. Say you like the spa hot, really hot, 104 hot. The spa reaches 104, that's the spa water, not the water hitting the sensor, that water is still 30 sec to 1 min away from hitting the sensor if it first needs to go through the filter. You may not think that is much time, but if your spa is not that large, the temp could hit 106 before the heater kicks off, as racket suggests.