Hooking Irrigation Valve to Jandy PDA

[john1158]

Moved from here... Hooking Automatic Irrigation Valve to Jandy PDA

I am doing some automation where I plan on using a Jandy Aux to pull in a 24 v relay coil. May I ask why you assigned the Aux to a JVA and used the JVA connection instead of directly connecting the sprinkler valve to an Aux connection? On my pool an aux connection is pulling in a relay to run a cleaner booster pump so I am thinking it should be the same.

 

[PoolGate]

All JVAs are assigned an AUX in Jandy Aqualink. You cannot disassociate them. Using the JVA activates the AUX (and any connected relay whether you need it or not). I used my spare "solar" JVA/Aux to activate my landscape lighting. I renamed "solar" to "Garden Lights" and when I activate it, the relay energizes a 120 volt outlet that the low voltage transformer is plugged into.

 

[john1158]

Thank you for the information. I think we are on slightly different pages in our communication. While all JVAs may be assigned an Aux the Aux may be activated independently/directly without involving a JVA. So my original question was about why you chose to use the JVA output and not Aux output for your projects. I could not recognize the benefit but I do not know all of the specs / conditions of an Aqualink RS system.. In any case I had a spare Aux connection and I went with the Aux direct for my project and it works. I have AqualinkD running on a Raspberry Pi 3 and I wanted to be able to choose Spa Fill and Spa Drain from AqualinkD. These modes are only available at the control center in Service Mode on Aqualink RS systems. So I did the following I have implemented my Spa Drain / Spa Fill work around. I purchased a 24v coil DPDT relay and wired the Jandy return valve control wires (red and white) through the normally closed contacts and cross wired the the red / white wires through the normally open contacts. I then wired the coil to aux 5. So now with Aux 5 off the Pool mode and SPA mode work normally. In Pool mode when Aux 5 is engaged the return valve reverses from discharge to pool to discharge to Spa. the fill mode. In SPA mode when Aux 5 is engaged the valve reverses to discharge to pool the drain mode. What I am going to do next is add code to the web page to label the Aux 5 feature with a pop up and confirmation the user wants the SPA drain / fill action as well as executing the correct combination of mode and Aux 5. Note: I could not find a properly sized 2 pin connector for the 2 pin Aux connection and I used to single pin jumpers from a breadboard set I have and it works great. The current requirements of the relay coil are very low so conductor size was sufficient.

 

[Dodger]

I have AqualinkD running on a Raspberry Pi 3 and I wanted to be able to choose Spa Fill and Spa Drain from AqualinkD. These modes are only available at the control center in Service Mode on Aqualink RS systems. So I did the following I have implemented my Spa Drain / Spa Fill work around.

John, your project sounds very cool. I have been toying with the idea of building the Raspberry Pi controller option. I've only done one Pi project before (LAMP server for my Wordpress family genealogy website.)

But I wanted to ask a clarification. You say that Spa Fill is only available from the service panel. This sounds like the Spillover mode (Pool intake, Spa return combination of valve positions.) That automation DOES exist with the standard Jandy controller by flipping a dip switch on the RS control board, which designates Aux3 as Spillover mode.

Did I misunderstand?

ETA: On the other hand, Spa Drain is NOT available in standard Jandy automation.

 

[john1158]

My Pool mode is spill over, it has pool intake and splits the discharge to mainly pool and a small amount of Spa. The spill over from the Spa to the pool is a waterfall that looks better with full flow over the waterfall created by a true Spa Fill mode where water is only returning via the Spa or alternately I can reduce the speed of the pump still get the water feature. My Jandy control panel has Pool Mode and Spa mode as selectable via the remote all button panel. It has Spa Fill and Spa Drain options in the main panel that you can choose only in Service Mode. The valve positions are identical to what my modification produces. The Jandy valve actuator on my return only supports 2 positions, Spa only or Split between Pool and Spa. Now I could adjust the actuator to for the Pool mode to Pool only since I can run the fill mode on demand but I do not have a need for pool only return and the amount of water going to the Spa does not stop the drain mode from working.

I recommend AqualinkD if you want to do Raspberry Pi integration. It integrates with the existing system via the 485 bus so you do no loose any existing functionality and gain control from your phone or home automation system. if you google AqualinkD and Sean Feakes you should find a link to the Git Hub site. It has comprehensive instructions for the Pi install.

 

[Dodger]

Okay, so of the 4 combinations of intake and return valves:

Your Pool Mode is modified to have a partial spillover since the Return actuator stop is set before closing off the spa return completely. (This is not uncommon, but is an issue for those people battling rising pH.)

Spa Fill is a full spillover that sends the Return actuator the other way and closes off all return to the pool. In your case, you are doing this via AqualinkD. Jandy also provides this Spillover functionality in their automation options, not just via the Service Mode at the panel. However, this automation is not factory set, and needs to be set via a dip switch on the RS control board for those who want it automated to Jandy remotes.

Your Spa Drain closes off intake from the pool, and returns mostly to pool because of your return actuator stop position mentioned above (sufficient for your purposes). I believe this is the only valve combination where you have added AqualinkD automation that is not possible from Jandy remotes.

Spa Mode closes off the pool on both intake and return valves. No changes here.