Aqualink questions

[Kingmiwok]

I have a pool with an Aqualink RS power center with the iaqualink internet connection. I'm a pretty handy guy, but this controller frustrates me. It's not configurable to the degree I'd like, and it does some things I do not understand. I have a few questions I was hoping to get help with.

We had a pool guy do the initial setup a number of years ago, but he's unavailable now. Our current pool service folks have changed a few things and I'm not always happy with the results, and it's hard to get concise answers from them. It's basically working, so I'm just looking to understand it better and change/add a couple things.

1) The pool light was configured and assigned to a relay. If you program it, or select it, and the light would go on. Sounds good except the pump would also go on. I can not find a way to decouple that. Why is that happening? How do I decouple?

2) I have a couple of manual valves you adjust to balance the pump flow between the moving cleaner and the skimming function. It does not skim well and also run the cleaner at a good speed. I had the thought to add a JVA to the manual valve to the skimmer. Then for a couple hours a day I'd open the valve up more and give it a good skim. I currently only have one JVA on the system (to direct water to the roof solar panels), but in the system 3 of the 4 JVA positions are already "used". (?!) Can I use the 4th on the for my skimmer idea?

3) Is there a good manual for this thing?

Thanks so much. Please ask If I need to provide more details.

 

[HermanTX]

1) The pool light was configured and assigned to a relay. If you program it, or select it, and the light would go on. Sounds good except the pump would also go on. I can not find a way to decouple that. Why is that happening? How do I decouple?

How are you turning on the light? On the app there are 3 tabs or screens at the bottom - Home, One Touch and Equipment. Which are you using to turn on the light. The One Touch screen allows you to have multiple things to execute on 1 button whereas the Equipment screen is individual control

2) I have a couple of manual valves you adjust to balance the pump flow between the moving cleaner and the skimming function. It does not skim well and also run the cleaner at a good speed. I had the thought to add a JVA to the manual valve to the skimmer. Then for a couple hours a day I'd open the valve up more and give it a good skim. I currently only have one JVA on the system (to direct water to the roof solar panels), but in the system 3 of the 4 JVA positions are already "used". (?!) Can I use the 4th on the for my skimmer idea?

This indicates you have a spa where you have a JVA on the suction side and the return side to switch between Pool Mode and Spa Mode. It also indicates you control the Solar JVA. So there is 1 remaining JVA that you could add to control some other function

 

[HermanTX]

3) Is there a good manual for this thing?

This is one I found on Jandy.com. I seem to remember having a more detailed one but I am not on my computer. I will look later.

https://www.jandy.com/-/media/zodiac/global/downloads/0748-91071/6594.pdf?rev=8ef7e65bffb247efb962fe23e434b87e?force=1

 

[Kingmiwok]

How are you turning on the light? On the app there are 3 tabs or screens at the bottom - Home, One Touch and Equipment. Which are you using to turn on the light. The One Touch screen allows you to have multiple things to execute on 1 button whereas the Equipment screen is individual control


This indicates you have a spa where you have a JVA on the suction side and the return side to switch between Pool Mode and Spa Mode. It also indicates you control the Solar JVA. So there is 1 remaining JVA that you could add to control some other function

Thanks for the reply. The light was wired into a relay that was plugged into Aux1 for control. Aux1 was labeled "Pool light". Then in the schedule, I programmed the "pool light" to go on at night. Also if I just pushed the Aux1 button on the physical controller panel, it would go on. And if I pushed the button on the web home screen, it would go on. But so would the filter pump. (I could then turn the filter pump off with it's button, and just have the light, but they always both started together, even if only the light was programmed, or started.)

We do not have a spa, just a pool. We have just one JVA that sends water up to the roof for solar heating. (For a full accounting, we have a pool, solar heating, heat pump heating, chlorine chem pump. See photo.) In any case, it sounds like I can add a JVA and implement the skimming idea.

 

[Kingmiwok]

This is one I found on Jandy.com. I seem to remember having a more detailed one but I am not on my computer. I will look later.

https://www.jandy.com/-/media/zodiac/global/downloads/0748-91071/6594.pdf?rev=8ef7e65bffb247efb962fe23e434b87e?force=1

Thanks for the manual. That looks better than the one I had found. I'll read through.

 

[Kingmiwok]

On the app there are 3 tabs or screens at the bottom - Home, One Touch and Equipment. Which are you using to turn on the light. The One Touch screen allows you to have multiple things to execute on 1 button whereas the Equipment screen is individual control

To clarify; I've never used the one touch screen, nor programmed it. Perhaps someone else programmed it. I'm using the button on the Home screen, or the schedule. Where is the Equipment screen?

 

[PoolGate]

Your OneTouch commands do multiple things but the one on the home screen should just turn the light on. Check your speed settings and see if one is assigned to that light aux port. Also check out a SmartJVA controller. It will allow you to set your JVAs in 5% increments. It's a small daughter board that goes in the aqualink box.

Also go to your setup menu and customize home and see what that light button is from. It doesn't look like a standard button.

 

[HermanTX]

Where is the Equipment screen?

On both the phone app and ipad app (I use Apple products), there are 3 screens available as shown below . See the bottom tab for Home, One Touch and All Equipment. In the Equipment screen, the slider should only turn on that specific equipment


If the pump is coming on with a light, then you may have an aux. assigned to a pump
Need to go to the Web set up as you have shown in your photo you posted.
Go to the menu, then set up and pick VSP setup. Go until you see the following screen for you main pump set up.
Note on right side there is column for Assign to AUX. Touch on it and determine if a pump speed is linked to the same aux as the light. Then undo it. All of mine are not linked and show N/A. But if I click on N/A, then it opens up a screen to select an Aux.



Hope this helps. If not, get back to us and show us your VSP set up.Screens.

 

[generessler]

Hi. The manual @HermanTX posted is good. This one is a bit newer, but both have been useful.

The AquaLink is 90's tech at its best/worst. You'd think given the amount we pay for these systems that Jandy could hire a UX engineer to straighten out their interfaces. It's just not that hard.

I agree based on everything you've said so far that a VSP speed setting is inadvertently hooked to the aux relay that controls your lights. This feature is meant to allow aux functions that need certain flow rates to turn on the pump automatically: heaters, water features, etc. For example I have a JVA that turns on deck jets. That's hooked to a high pump speed to ensure the jets really jet. Somehow your lights got the same treatment. HermanTX's screen shots show where to fix it.

 

[Kingmiwok]

On both the phone app and ipad app (I use Apple products), there are 3 screens available as shown below . See the bottom tab for Home, One Touch and All Equipment. In the Equipment screen, the slider should only turn on that specific equipment
View attachment 463946View attachment 463947View attachment 463948

If the pump is coming on with a light, then you may have an aux. assigned to a pump
Need to go to the Web set up as you have shown in your photo you posted.
Go to the menu, then set up and pick VSP setup. Go until you see the following screen for you main pump set up.
Note on right side there is column for Assign to AUX. Touch on it and determine if a pump speed is linked to the same aux as the light. Then undo it. All of mine are not linked and show N/A. But if I click on N/A, then it opens up a screen to select an Aux.
View attachment 463950


Hope this helps. If not, get back to us and show us your VSP set up.Screens.

Thanks for the idea. (I've been doing other more urgent projects, so just got back to this.) Bingo!

Speed 3 is assigned to the Aux called Pool Light. To verify what this means functionally; if Pool light is activated, then the pump turns on and runs at Speed 3, correct? Because that is exactly what was happening. I turned it off. Thanks!

 

[generessler]

Yup! Delete that and you should be good,

 

[Kingmiwok]

Hi. The manual @HermanTX posted is good. This one is a bit newer, but both have been useful.

The AquaLink is 90's tech at its best/worst. You'd think given the amount we pay for these systems that Jandy could hire a UX engineer to straighten out their interfaces. It's just not that hard.

I agree based on everything you've said so far that a VSP speed setting is inadvertently hooked to the aux relay that controls your lights. This feature is meant to allow aux functions that need certain flow rates to turn on the pump automatically: heaters, water features, etc. For example I have a JVA that turns on deck jets. That's hooked to a high pump speed to ensure the jets really jet. Somehow your lights got the same treatment. HermanTX's screen shots show where to fix it.

Thanks for the manual link. Thanks for the explanation. Yep, HermanTX was correct.

 

[PoolGate]

Thanks for the manual link. Thanks for the explanation. Yep, HermanTX was correct.

LOL you're welcome!

Your OneTouch commands do multiple things but the one on the home screen should just turn the light on. Check your speed settings and see if one is assigned to that light aux port. Also check out a SmartJVA controller. It will allow you to set your JVAs in 5% increments. It's a small daughter board that goes in the aqualink box.

Also go to your setup menu and customize home and see what that light button is from. It doesn't look like a standard button.