iAqualink Setup and automated JVA's?

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D

Dave00

Member
Jan 10, 2021
11
Houston, TX
I'm new to this forum and I need some advise. I have an in ground - saltwater pool (approx 18K gallons) and I installed a Jandy iAqualink system last year and have been extremely happy with it. The one issue that I've had is my spa (slightly above the pool) drains down a bit when the pool shuts off to match the same level of the pool. My check valves are functioning properly as I've checked them, cleaned them and they seal just fine. I have two - on on the spa drain line and one on the main return to the pool and spa - before the JVA. Now, a couple of questions:

1) Does the automated JVA's with the Aqualink system have the programming capability to turn the valves to the closed position when the pool shuts off (this might prevent my spa draining down)? I believe my problem is I have the spa JVA cambered to leave it halfway open when in pool mode so that my spa get's a little of the return flow as well during the daily cycle to allow for spa to turn over and spill over into the pool. Therefore, when the system is shut off it will level itself out with the pool water level (or equilibrium).

2) I've been thinking of getting the smart JVA controller so I can set the valve position (with out having to set the camber internally), but not sure how it works with the preset modes the Aqualink system has (Pool and Spa mode) and if I set it to be at 15% would it override these modes?

Any advise is greatly appreciated.

Dave
 
Dave,

Most pools with a spillover spa, have something called a make up valve which sends a little water to the spa when in the pool mode.. If you have a make up valve you would not need to offset your Return valve..

Show us several pics of your equipment pad.. Use the Icon just to the left of the camera..

You can also just set up the "Spillover" mode in your automation system.. Then just schedule the system to run the spillover a couple of times a day to keep your spa chlorinated.

Let's see if we can get some of our Jandy people onboard.. Calling @PoolGate

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
The SmartJVA is great I have it but you cannot set a macro to open/close a valve and include the JVA % setting. This is quite maddening since it would be purely programming for Jandy to correct this design flaw.

Once you set a valve at a certain position, you can save it and it will remember that for the next time. "Turn Off" below sets the valve to 0. So the answer to your question 2 above is that it will go to whatever percent you last saved.

When you install the SmartJVA board, whatever JVA you choose to control, you'll re-set both limit switches in the JVA to full travel and allow the SmartJVA to control where it stops from that point on.

If you want/need only 2 positions for your JVA, there is no point to installing a SmartJVA board.

FYI: Once you plug a JVA into a SmartJVA controller, you will no longer be able to use the forward/reverse/off buttons on the JVA controller. Each JVA that you wish to control incrementally requires a SmartJVA board. They are around $100 each.

1610306169881.png
 
Jimrahbe said:
Dave,

Most pools with a spillover spa, have something called a make up valve which sends a little water to the spa when in the pool mode.. If you have a make up valve you would not need to offset your Return valve..

Show us several pics of your equipment pad.. Use the Icon just to the left of the camera..

You can also just set up the "Spillover" mode in your automation system.. Then just schedule the system to run the spillover a couple of times a day to keep your spa chlorinated.

Let's see if we can get some of our Jandy people onboard.. Calling @PoolGate

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...

Hey Jim and PoolGate thank you both for your input. As requested here is a pic of my setup (it's been raining a lot here so sorry for the mess). I just recently labeled everything so you should be able to get a good over all view of the setup (pretty simple). I don't have a makeup valve that allows for a little extra flow to the spa. As you can see my main suction valve (JVA) is cocked a little open on the suction from the spa to just pull a bit and allow the spa to over flow (spill over waterfall). Any advise here?20210111_100836.jpg
20210111_100901.jpg
 
Dave,

I'm puzzled as to how offsetting your Intake valve would cause your spa to overflow???

The way it should work, if you don't have a make-up valve, you would offset your Return valve so that when in the pool mode, a little water always goes to the spa.. The Spa's drain, which is attached to the Intake valve should be shut off.. This will cause the spa to overflow into the pool..

My suggestion is to set both your automated Return and Intake valves to either fully open or fully closed.. Then set up the "spillway" function of your automation.. Then you can schedule the system to run the spillway an hour or so per day or when you just want the spillway to run.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
Dave,

I'm puzzled as to how offsetting your Intake valve would cause your spa to overflow???

The way it should work, if you don't have a make-up valve, you would offset your Return valve so that when in the pool mode, a little water always goes to the spa.. The Spa's drain, which is attached to the Intake valve should be shut off.. This will cause the spa to overflow into the pool..

My suggestion is to set both your automated Return and Intake valves to either fully open or fully closed.. Then set up the "spillway" function of your automation.. Then you can schedule the system to run the spillway an hour or so per day or when you just want the spillway to run.

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
The offsetting the SUCTION/INTAKE will reduce the removal of water from the spa and cause the flow to the spa to spill over a bit due to more being sent then being removed. If you look at my setup you'll see that I have a very simple split to SPA and POOL for the RETURN back and my JVA is set right in the middle to give both the Pool and the Spa the same amount of return flow and this setting allows my JVA to shut off the return to the pool when in SPA mode or visa versa when in SPA Drain mode. I don't have any Smart JVA's so how do you go about setting up a Spillway function in the iAqualink system?
 
Thank you guys for the suggestions and the Spillover feature worked like a charm as I enabled it and reset the JVA cams for full on/off sweeps. However, I have an issue and I'm going to have to revert everything back as it turns out I have a RS4 and lost the ability to run my Air Blower for the SPA as it was hooked up to AUX3 and for the spillover I had to move it, only to find out that AUX4 for me is dead. Don't feel like dropping $500 right now to add one AUX by getting an RS6 or RS8 board. Anyone have any other ideas or am I just up a creek until I upgrade the board? Also, if I do upgrade the board can you recommend what REV numbers to look for so I get one that is running the latest firmware and will be compatible with my IAqualink setup as well?
 

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Ok, thank you all!!! I figured it out and had to rewire the relay as well as plug it into the Solar Pump Aux port and it works like a charm. I've changed the details for the Air Blower in the menu and I changed the JVA cams and all is working perfect as well as scheduling the Spillover to happen twice a day.

Now, I have another question that maybe you guys can help me out with? In my spa I have 5 jets and one of them is directly connected to the Pool as when the return is shut off to the spa, this one jet sill has flow and keeps the spa full. As you all said earlier there is typically a valve on most pools (with a connected spa) to allow some connection between the two to keep the spa level, however I don't have a valve that controls this and it seems it may just be T'd off somewhere in the spa plumbing? This one connected jet allows cold water to enter the spa, when in spa mode to just isolate and heat the spa, therefore taking much longer to heat the spa and I believe it also allows the spa to drain down to the same level of the pool each night when the pump shuts off. Has anyone seen this before and have any suggestions?
 
Looking at your pictures, it does not appear you have a dedicated make up line. If as you say you have one jet into the spa that runs when you are in spa mode that still makes the spa spillover, something is not plumbed correctly. I would plug that jet in the spa.
 
mknauss said:
Looking at your pictures, it does not appear you have a dedicated make up line. If as you say you have one jet into the spa that runs when you are in spa mode that still makes the spa spillover, something is not plumbed correctly. I would plug that jet in the spa.
Click to expand...

Just wanted to follow-up with everyone and say thank you as my pool is working great now. I capped off that one connection jet and now my spa remains full at night and also correcting the JVA's to be fully closed or open instead of cammed to custom settings. The spillover function works very well and I've setup my spa to do 30 mins of spillover in the morning at the beginning of the daily cycle and then near the end of the daily cycle for another 30 minutes to turn over the water in the spa. I might eventually get a Smart JVA board to allow me to customize the position of the Return so I can dial in the spa over flow and pool return for specific events or situations.
 
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