AquaLink Touch RS-8 Combo - Weekend/Weekdays Schedule

[marbro67]

I've been struggling with how to program my pool to have different schedules on weekdays and weekends.



Even though the schedule is set to start at 1:00pm and off at 3:00pm on weekdays, the system seems to ignore the "wkdays" setting and runs this schedule everyday. I've read in other posts that it may be necessary to delete the entire schedule and reenter it. I've done this with no success.

Any suggestions? and thanks in advance.

 

[HermanTX]

Welcome to TFP
Can you show the entire schedule you have for the pool? It is only showing the High Speed schedule.
Do you have a Filter Pump schedule?
Also show a screen shot of the Speed Settings for your pump>
What type of pump do you have?

 

[marbro67]

I have a Jandy VSP but I'm familiar with the model number. Here are the speed settings.


Here is the full schedule. Page 1

Page 2


My goal is to increase the high speed during the times we're more likely to be in the pool. Then during the week switch to filtering the pool during the least expense time of use which is at night. What appears to be happening is that the system does not like duplicating a circuit and using the weekday and weekend variables.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

[HermanTX]

There are a couple of things I see.
There a Circuilt called High Speed but there is no Speed Label with that same name. Is High Speed a One Touch label?
If so then do not schedule a One Touch circuit. Those are designed to be manual operated to perform an action you wish to do outside of the scheduled action.

You want to name one of your speed labels High Spd or something else other than High Speed so there is no conflict with the One Touch.
Then you want to schedule High Spd by going to schedule then select Add then select VSP Spd Adj then select High Spd

There is also something called Booster Pump - is that a booster pump for a Cleaner or is that a booster pump for a spa pump? The reason I ask, if you have a Booster Pump for a pressure Side Cleaner then that should be automatically labeled CLEANER on the 3rd speed line. Currently yours is labeled Speed 3

Lets stop there and see what the results are or if you have questions.

 

[marbro67]

Not sure why there is no speed label for the high-speed circuit. I can confirm that there is no one touch configured, and the booster pump is for the spa. (I was told it was a good idea to run the booster pump once in a while, so I choose a few minutes a day)

If I'm understanding correctly, these are the changes I've made.

Renamed a couple of circuits to include Low Spd 1, Low Spd 2, High Spd 1 and High SPd 2.


Per your instructions, I added 2 circuits from the VSP Spd Adj. as shown below.

I then repeated the same process and added 2 circuits for high spd.


let's see how this works out and thank you for the help.

 

[MSchutzer]

You don’t want to mess with the filter/pump function name and speed name Pool. I doubt that low spd 1 will work correctly due to the default names being renamed.

 

[HermanTX]

Not sure why there is no speed label for the high-speed circuit. I can confirm that there is no one touch configured, and the booster pump is for the spa. (I was told it was a good idea to run the booster pump once in a while, so I choose a few minutes a day)

If I'm understanding correctly, these are the changes I've made.

Renamed a couple of circuits to include Low Spd 1, Low Spd 2, High Spd 1 and High SPd 2.

View attachment 602280
Per your instructions, I added 2 circuits from the VSP Spd Adj. as shown below.
View attachment 602281
I then repeated the same process and added 2 circuits for high spd.
View attachment 602285

let's see how this works out and thank you for the help.

As stated by @MSchutzer - change LOW SPD1 back to POOL. That is a default as is SPA. You can change all the other labels as indicated.
Also no need to have LOW SPD1 and LOW SPD 2 at same speed. Just schedule the Filter Pump as you had earlier which becomes the baseline for all schedules.

The way the automation is set up - POOL should be the lowest speed you wish to run. When there is a conflict or overlapping schedules the automation will always run at the higher speed of any overlap.

 

[marbro67]

So, I'm still a bit confused. I renamed Low Spd 1 back to pool but there appears to be another label that confusing me. When I select Schedule, Add, I'm presented with "Devices".

This is where I was originally selecting Filter Pump. I then entered 2 schedules, one for weekday and one for weekends. But that didn't work because only the first instance of the schedule would run. Based on the previous instructions, I'm now selecting VSP1 SPD Adj. Is this somehow different than devices?

Assuming VSP1 SPD Adj is the more appropriate way to achieve my goal, I've made the following changes:

The schedule now looks like this.

Am I getting closer?

Again, I thank you both for your patience and assistance.

 

[HermanTX]

This is where I was originally selecting Filter Pump. I then entered 2 schedules, one for weekday and one for weekends. But that didn't work because only the first instance of the schedule would run. Based on the previous instructions, I'm now selecting VSP1 SPD Adj. Is this somehow different than devices?

Yes. Devices refer to things connected to the power Relays. Your spa booster pump, the lights. the heater. I assume your Wtr Feature is a separate pump as well?

When you select VSP Spd Adj you are then selecting different pump speeds based on your speed labels.
Remember - before VS Pumps, the single speed pump is just an on/off switch. Now there is a way to select speeds that can be scheduled.

So now on Weekdays the Filter Pump will start at 12am and turn off at 6am at 1200rpms. Then at 12pm the Filter Pump will start again at HIGH SPEED setting (3450rpm) for 2 hrs and turn off at 2pm.

On Weekends the Filter Pump will start at 10am at 1200rpm. Then at 1pm it will ramp up to High Speed 3450rpm till it all shuts off at 4pm.

Is your Booster Pump connected to a different set of Jets in the Spa? When you go to Spa Mode, is there a different set of returns for that?

Note - why run at 3450rpm? I have never run my VSP at 3450rpm. I even have the Prime speed set at 3250rpm. It is high energy consumption with little benefit. My normal high speed (I call it mix speed) is at 2750rpm. Just a suggestion. See the graph below that provides an example of how Speed relates to energy consumption. The higher the RPM the energy consumed is exponential. Roughly you can save 1000watt by slowing down from 3450 to 2750rpm

 

[MSchutzer]

If you just schedule VSP speeds without the filter pump function I think you will find that the pump will be running, but the pool temperature display will be blank. See this post, where the poster talks about a missing pool temperature display as a result of scheduling VSP speeds without the filter pump function active.

iAqualink not showing pool temp when other pump speeds selected.

There’s a device called “filter pump” which runs at 2800 rpm and I’ve got devices defined called “2000 rpm” and “3450 rpm”. App won’t show pool temp unless “filter pump” is running. Is there a way to change that?

www.troublefreepool.com

The thread wanders around a bit but I confirmed on my setup that it is a problem if you schedule VSP speeds without Filter pump active. To the software filter pump is the pump on/off trigger, and VSP speeds adjust the speed up and down from there.

The software really wants to use the filter pump function any time the pump is running, and the software behaves wonky if you schedule just VSP speeds without using also having filter pump active. Exceptions to this are the cleaner function (which you don't have enabled) and SPA as they are standalone. Spa is a little confusing because there is a SPA function and a SPA VSP speed that is linked to it. But I digress.

I think you really want to schedule filter pump any time the pump is running, and it will automatically pick up the pool speed, there is no need to schedule the pool speed as it's auto associated with filter pump. Any time filter pump is active you can schedule a higher speed as a subset of the time, and when that schedule ends the pump will drop back to the pool speed, or the faster of any active speeds. For your high speed run times you want to schedule both the filter pump function and the VSP speed "high speed" so they overlap.

Your issue with schedule not working on weekends is not because you used Filter pump in the schedule, there may be something else going on.

 

[marbro67]

I assume your Wtr Feature is a separate pump as well?

Yes, Booster Pump and Water Feature are separate single speed pumps.

Note - why run at 3450rpm?

Ignorance. This how the system was set up when I purchased the home. Based upon your recommendation, I have reduced the pump speed to 2750.

I scheduled the pool to use VSP Spd Adj and selected Pool. The schedule was to run last night and when I checked it this morning, it appeared not to have activated. I've returned the system back to its original configuration using FILTER PUMP and HIGH SPEED. I scheduled it to run this morning while I watched, and it worked as intended.

I appear to be back where I started which is the inability to schedule different programs for weekdays and weekends. My two goals was to run the pump at the lowest cost time of use rates and keep it clean while enjoying the pool on the weekends. Given that I'm now saving a 1000 watts by reducing the speed, I may just abandon the weekend schedule and return to all days.

 

[HermanTX]

I scheduled the pool to use VSP Spd Adj and selected Pool. The schedule was to run last night and when I checked it this morning, it appeared not to have activated. I've returned the system back to its original configuration using FILTER PUMP and HIGH SPEED. I scheduled it to run this morning while I watched, and it worked as intended.

Well I think @MSchutzer hit upon the fix as the Filter Pump and High Speed need to be scheduled for the same time in order for the High Speed to work. The automation will always run the higher speed when 2 schedules overlap.
So set that for Weekdays. This brings up another point in your Schedule. I see you selected POOL from the VSP Spd Adj. This needs to change back to Filter Pump. So the Device is Filter Pump and it has a defined speed of Pool (1200rpm for your setup). So the schedule is Filter Pump from 12am to 6am. The pool will run at 1200rpm for Weekdays
Then set up Filter Pump from 12pm to 2pm on Weekdays. and leave the High Speed schedule from 12pm to 2pm on Weekdays. The Pump should start and prime and immediately stay at High Speed rpm until all shuts off at 2pm.

The Weekend schedule that you show should work if you remove POOL schedule and replace with Filter Pump with time of 10am to 4pm. Then the Filter Pump will start at Pool speed (1200 rpm) at 10am then ramp up to High Speed at 1pm then shut off at 4pm. This programing shows High Speed to be "inside" of the Weekend Filter Pump schedule.

Hope this makes sense

 

[marbro67]

Got it! The problem with the original schedule shown in the first post was that I did not have an overlapping "Filter Pump" schedule for the weekday "High Speed". I'm seeing now that these need to paired up for it to run the way I want. I'll give this another try and report back.

Thanks again

 

[HermanTX]

Got it! The problem with the original schedule shown in the first post was that I did not have an overlapping "Filter Pump" schedule for the weekday "High Speed". I'm seeing now that these need to paired up for it to run the way I want. I'll give this another try and report back.

Thanks again

Yes. So you will need 3 Filter Pump schedules then you can schedule any speed changes with schedules that fit within the Filter Pump schedule.

Many of us run 24 hrs Filter pump - so there is only 1 Filter pump schedule and then there are multiple schedules to change speed throughout the day if needed. But since you have a weekend schedule and a weekday schedule then more Filter Pump schedules need to be established.