How to program two different speed settings on Jandy ePump with iAqualink RS?

[richard-ssv]

Hi All,

Just finished building our first ever pool a month ago. I'm still waiting on the PB to finish hooking up gas to our heater, so we haven't technically had a "pool school" yet to learn how to use our equipment. However, since I plan on maintaining the pool myself I have already dug into many of the features of the iAqualink system, but I can't seem to figure out how to run two different speeds at different times of the day. The after plaster care portion of our start up has been completed and when the pool guy doing the after plaster care was here on his last visit he mentioned that I could program different settings for my VSP pump.

We have an 18" raised spa overflowing into our pool. In order to get a uniformed sheet of water flowing into the pool from the spa they have the pump set at 3450 rpms with the filter pump running from 8am-6pm daily. The plaster care pool guy was telling me that I could set a schedule to where the pump could run at a lower speed during the day while we're at work (8am-5pm). Doing so will still keep the pool circulating, but the water coming over the spa into the pool would be at more of a trickle than a sheet of water. He said that we could then have a different program setting that would bump up the speed to 3450 rpm, say from 5pm-8pm, that would push the water from the spa into the pool in a sheet like we like to see it, once we are home from work.

The problem I'm having is I can't see where you would do this in the iAqualink menus? I see that you can program different groups, but it looks like that is used more for different dates of the year than different times of the day? Can anyone point me in the right direction?

 

[Dodger]

From your iAqualink Home screen (Web option on the app), click Menu->System Setup->VSP Setup ->Speed Setup.

For a special speed that's not tied to a valve setting, just link that speed line to a free Auxiliary via "Assign to Aux" on that Speed Setup page. Then you can use the Label Aux option (Menu->System Setup->Label Aux) to give that Aux a name that works for you and place that button on your iAqualink Home Page.

By the way, running at max 3450 is going to be costly on electricity and probably contribute to a fast rising pH that youll have to manage with very frequent additions of Muriatic Acid. I would expect that the "uniformed sheet of water" over your spillover could and should be achieved with a lower flow.

 

[richard-ssv]

From your iAqualink Home screen (Web option on the app), click Menu->System Setup->VSP Setup ->Speed Setup.

For a special speed that's not tied to a valve setting, just link that speed line to a free Auxiliary via "Assign to Aux" on that Speed Setup page. Then you can use the Label Aux option (Menu->System Setup->Label Aux) to give that Aux a name that works for you and place that button on your iAqualink Home Page.

By the way, running at max 3450 is going to be costly on electricity and probably contribute to a fast rising pH that youll have to manage with very frequent additions of Muriatic Acid. I would expect that the "uniformed sheet of water" over your spillover could and should be achieved with a lower flow.

Thanks for the quick reply. So if I understand this correctly, I'm simply choosing an auxiliary setting and naming it to my liking, but it's still going to run the filter pump?

And yes, I have been struggling to keep the PH down. I guess now I know why. Thanks for the help!

 

[PoolGate]

Wouldn't you just go into the scheduler and schedule the time and speed for the secondary setting? Menu | Schedule

Also I thought spillover spas were set up to turn off the spilway.

 

[Dodger]

PoolGate, you are correct that I forgot to mention the Schedule part. But I believe you have to define the speed first in VSP Setup before it will show up in your Devices list on the Schedule screen.

Also, the spillover function can be automated so you only run it about 30 minutes per day. I don‘t have time right now to explain in detail, but it is the “Aux 3” dip switch setting. To go that route, you need to understand how your PB has set up spillover currently (valve tweak or programming.)

Richard, I would advise you to assess how your spillover uniformity looks at low speed, and make sure the PB is not advising the high speed of 3450 to disguise a design or install flaw on the spillover wall.

 

[richard-ssv]

PoolGate, you are correct that I forgot to mention the Schedule part. But I believe you have to define the speed first in VSP Setup before it will show up in your Devices list on the Schedule screen.

Also, the spillover function can be automated so you only run it about 30 minutes per day. I don‘t have time right now to explain in detail, but it is the “Aux 3” dip switch setting. To go that route, you need to understand how your PB has set up spillover currently (valve tweak or programming.)

Richard, I would advise you to assess how your spillover uniformity looks at low speed, and make sure the PB is not advising the high speed of 3450 to disguise a design or install flaw on the spillover wall.

Thanks for the help guys. I have looked through the settings and am still having a tough time understanding. I downloaded the owners manual from Zodiac, but the terminology in the steps they list doesn't exactly match up with the terms in the settings, so I'm still confused? I think my best bet is to just put some pressure on my PB to finish the punch list and get their guy out here to finish my pool school.

I am afraid that you are going to be correct in that they are simply trying to hide deficient work with higher rpms. I changed the rpm settings to 2200 and the water barely flows over the spillway. I'm just going to get the PB out here and figure this thing out.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it!

 

[Dodger]

Just one point I want to clarify regarding the spillover. It's not really meant to be a gushing waterfall. You probably will need a high pump speed to get something close to that kind of effect.

The possible issue I was trying to point out is when you described wanting a uniform sheet of water. At lower speeds, I've seen some people post that the spillover is not uniform from left to right across the ledge, or that it dribbles under the ledge and down the wall. That can be more of an install issue, but I don't know the specifics. If you find that your PB isn't addressing it well, I recommend you take pics of the low-volume flow that isn't uniform and post it on the Construction forum where you'll get eyes on it from those with expertise on what is acceptable, and what is reasonable to demand from the PB.

Good luck, and come back when you are ready to ask more questions. I highly recommend you read the TFP Pool School.

(edited to add the part about dribbling down the wall)

 

[PoolGate]

Thanks for the help guys. I have looked through the settings and am still having a tough time understanding. I downloaded the owners manual from Zodiac, but the terminology in the steps they list doesn't exactly match up with the terms in the settings, so I'm still confused? I think my best bet is to just put some pressure on my PB to finish the punch list and get their guy out here to finish my pool school.

I am afraid that you are going to be correct in that they are simply trying to hide deficient work with higher rpms. I changed the rpm settings to 2200 and the water barely flows over the spillway. I'm just going to get the PB out here and figure this thing out.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it!

Don't be surprised if your PB has no clue how, why or what the iAqualink is capable of. My PB told me don't worry about any of it and just run my pump on high, all the time. I got NO programming help at all. But you can and should call Jandy's tech support who will provide a lot of valuable information plus they are able to remotely program your entire system.

 

[richard-ssv]

T

Just one point I want to clarify regarding the spillover. It's not really meant to be a gushing waterfall. You probably will need a high pump speed to get something close to that kind of effect.

The possible issue I was trying to point out is when you described wanting a uniform sheet of water. At lower speeds, I've seen some people post that the spillover is not uniform from left to right across the ledge, or that it dribbles under the ledge and down the wall. That can be more of an install issue, but I don't know the specifics. If you find that your PB isn't addressing it well, I recommend you take pics of the low-volume flow that isn't uniform and post it on the Construction forum where you'll get eyes on it from those with expertise on what is acceptable, and what is reasonable to demand from the PB.

Good luck, and come back when you are ready to ask more questions. I highly recommend you read the TFP Pool School.

(edited to add the part about dribbling down the wall)

Thanks!

Yeah, during the after plaster care stage they had it rolling full blast 24/7 to where it was a nice sheet of water going into the pool water. I turned the rpms down to 2200 and it flows into my into the pool, but it dribbles down the wall of the spa then into the pool.

I also noticed that when I turned the rpms down from 3450 to 2200 the pressure on my filter dropped from 20 to 6. Is it normal for the pressure to drop that drastically?

 

[Dodger]

I also noticed that when I turned the rpms down from 3450 to 2200 the pressure on my filter dropped from 20 to 6. Is it normal for the pressure to drop that drastically?

Yes, absolutely. Don't expect it to be a linear correlation. Those are similar values to my equipment and plumbing configuration.

I now run my pump at 1200rpm and get 2psi or less at the filter, depending on if I include a partial heater bypass.
Similarly, my pump uses about 1200W at 3000rpm, and only ~75W at 1200rpm.

 

[richard-ssv]

Yes, absolutely. Don't expect it to be a linear correlation. Those are similar values to my equipment and plumbing configuration.

I now run my pump at 1200rpm and get 2psi or less at the filter, depending on if I include a partial heater bypass.
Similarly, my pump uses about 1200W at 3000rpm, and only ~75W at 1200rpm.

Good to know, thanks.