Aqualink service mode and Pentair VSP

[da2434890]

My pool service person had to quit for health reasons. When he serviced the pool he always put the pool in service mode. I think that he somehow increased the speed of the pump to do the manual cleaning by plugging in the hose to the skimmer return. I have an old Aqualink PDA-PS8 Combo unit and a Pentair VSP pump. When I put the Aqualink in service mode the pump still runs but the control panel on the pump seems inactive. I think I have a "user doesn't know how to operate the system issue". I can change the speed of the filter pump from the remote but this is permanent and it would require a service person to have the remote. What am I missing on the Pentair VSP pump that allows control when in service mode? Or, is there a better means of accomplishing my goal.

 

[ajw22]

I don't know what your service guy did to control the pump speed but I do understand the problem. You are caught in a multi-vendor incompatibility.

The Pentair VS pumps disable their display controls and show "DISPLAY NOT ACTIVE' when the automation RS-485 link is active. Pentair automation drops the RS-485 link when in SERVICE mode so the Pentair pump display becomes active. Apparently Jandy automation keeps the RS-485 link active when in SERVICE mode.

If I had that setup I would put a toggle switch into the Aqualink panel that disconnected one of the RS-485 lines to make the pump display active when I want local control of it.

@PoolGate @Jimrahbe other ideas?

 

[PoolGate]

No clue on this one. Can you call the old service guy and ask him? Maybe he had like a spare PDA or OneTouch he was using when he came to do maintenance.

 

[MSchutzer]

You may have a pump speed associated with one of the Aux buttons. So when your service guy put the panel in Service mode he may have also turned on the Aux button associated with the faster pump speed.

I think you can associate a VSP pump speed with a free Aux button. That’s the only thing that I can think of to independently control the pump speed in Service mode.

What does this page look like in your Aqualink setup?
If one of the Circuit Names is a VSP speed name then the pump will go to that speed when that Aux button is pressed in Service mode.

You can see your VSP speed keywords on this page of the setup menu.

 

[da2434890]

Thanks MSchutzer for your suggestion. With a little more difficulty because of the old PDA which does not display everything you enter and having to free up an Aux for testing I finally tried your suggestion. Enabling Aux6 worked to change the pump speed when entered from the remote in auto mode. However, in service mode pressing the aux6 button did not change the pump speed but I could hear the relay activate. I also tried turning on Aux6 prior to starting the pump and it did the same.

However, in the process of being near the pump and making setting I realized that the pump starts in service mode at the priming speed and remains running at the priming speed. So, my solution for now is to increase the priming speed and then the service person just has to switch to service mode

 

[PoolGate]

Thanks MSchutzer for your suggestion. With a little more difficulty because of the old PDA which does not display everything you enter and having to free up an Aux for testing I finally tried your suggestion. Enabling Aux6 worked to change the pump speed when entered from the remote in auto mode. However, in service mode pressing the aux6 button did not change the pump speed but I could hear the relay activate. I also tried turning on Aux6 prior to starting the pump and it did the same.

However, in the process of being near the pump and making setting I realized that the pump starts in service mode at the priming speed and remains running at the priming speed. So, my solution for now is to increase the priming speed and then the service person just has to switch to service mode

Priming speed only lasts for 3 minutes.