Hi There:
We recently sold our house and moved into a rental that is owned by a friend of a friend. Nice house, impressive looking pool, great view. It'll be a nice transition for the next year or so until we figure out where we want to go and if we'll buy again soon. This is my first pool.
The pool was built in the late 80's. The estimate is that it's around 27,000 gallons. It has an attached spa (which is above the pool, about 4'). There's still some lingering damage from the 1994 Northridge Earthquake that was not addressed by the then-owners.
The spa has an air button that leads to a Len Gordon FF-1000 that looks like it's been at the bottom of the Pacific for 20 years. The wires are live, but the stepper motor doesn't seem to be working (a 4S-3G-120v).
The pool and spa is also controlled by a Chardonnay Corp. Autospa IV with X10 modules. We initially didn't have the controller, so nothing worked, but the landlord found it and so now we have the rosetta stone for the automation.
As I'm now a renter, unencumbered by the shackles of home maintenance
, I've got time on my hands but tend to fiddle and this is really the one major system in the house that needs attention. I have a pool guy who's great for maintenance and advice, but he is petrified of the X10 system because he's been burned by them in the past and doesn't want to dig into a never-ending rat's nest.
Over the course of the last 4 weeks, I was able to get the spa booster pump running, clear the jet lines, change the nozzles to actually get venturi aeration, and figure out what each of the X10 switches do. As a lurker, I found some really good info on this board during troubleshooting, so thanks for that. We went from warm bathtub to real spa with actual, massaging jets!
Going forward, I need feedback and/or resources for the following. Where do you suggest I post for the best response?
As both the Chardonnay and the Len Gordon systems are really old and NLA, there's not a lot of good info on the web. I've found some pictures that have helped identify some of the connectors, but none of this has been a substitute for a proper diagram.
My landlord is OK with these shenanigans. Apparently in 20 years, he never got the spa to do anything more than barely blow 1 jet, despite multiple pool experts looking at it.
I also have to be mindful not to make all this work so well that he wants to move back in or raise the rent!
Thanks in advance.
We recently sold our house and moved into a rental that is owned by a friend of a friend. Nice house, impressive looking pool, great view. It'll be a nice transition for the next year or so until we figure out where we want to go and if we'll buy again soon. This is my first pool.
The pool was built in the late 80's. The estimate is that it's around 27,000 gallons. It has an attached spa (which is above the pool, about 4'). There's still some lingering damage from the 1994 Northridge Earthquake that was not addressed by the then-owners.
The spa has an air button that leads to a Len Gordon FF-1000 that looks like it's been at the bottom of the Pacific for 20 years. The wires are live, but the stepper motor doesn't seem to be working (a 4S-3G-120v).
The pool and spa is also controlled by a Chardonnay Corp. Autospa IV with X10 modules. We initially didn't have the controller, so nothing worked, but the landlord found it and so now we have the rosetta stone for the automation.
As I'm now a renter, unencumbered by the shackles of home maintenance
, I've got time on my hands but tend to fiddle and this is really the one major system in the house that needs attention. I have a pool guy who's great for maintenance and advice, but he is petrified of the X10 system because he's been burned by them in the past and doesn't want to dig into a never-ending rat's nest.Over the course of the last 4 weeks, I was able to get the spa booster pump running, clear the jet lines, change the nozzles to actually get venturi aeration, and figure out what each of the X10 switches do. As a lurker, I found some really good info on this board during troubleshooting, so thanks for that. We went from warm bathtub to real spa with actual, massaging jets!
Going forward, I need feedback and/or resources for the following. Where do you suggest I post for the best response?
- Wiring diagrams or install manual for Chardonnay Corp. Autospa IV.
- I've got nearly a dozen electrical junction boxes in this system, and at least 1 of the X10 modules has been removed, so I'm not sure what's been hacked. I've dug into everything but still find random hot wires here and there when I think I've killed all the proper circuits. The plan is to do the least amount of damage, get the system back to "stage 0", and add an X10 WM100 wifi bridge. It's no Aqualink, but it also ain't my pool.
- Wiring diagrams or install manual for Len Gordon FF1000 spa control.
- The wiring has been exposed to the extent that I'm not even sure what colors some of them were originally. If this system is wired in parallel to the Chardonnay, then it may be best (safest) to disconnect it.
As both the Chardonnay and the Len Gordon systems are really old and NLA, there's not a lot of good info on the web. I've found some pictures that have helped identify some of the connectors, but none of this has been a substitute for a proper diagram.
My landlord is OK with these shenanigans. Apparently in 20 years, he never got the spa to do anything more than barely blow 1 jet, despite multiple pool experts looking at it.
I also have to be mindful not to make all this work so well that he wants to move back in or raise the rent!
Thanks in advance.
