New Jandy/Zodiac Spa Side Remote w/ Aqualink RS4 - button 3 not working

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H

HackerPool

0
Feb 8, 2018
21
Dallas
I just bought a new Jandy/Zodiac spa side remote switch (4 button 7443) to replace the old one that failed years ago (sun deterioration followed by a short, presumably). Before fishing the line through, I connected the terminal (wired the same as the existing one) and plugged in to my controller (Aqualink RS4 - from around 2001, 6522 Rev 1). Hit reset. Check switch assignments on RS4: 1 = spa, 2 = heat, 3 = blower, 4 = light.

When I tested the buttons, 1, 2 and 4 all work, but 3 does not (and the red LED on the remote is always on). I tried swapping assignments for 3 and 4 and sure enough, button 4 turned the blower on and button 3 did nothing. So I got a replacement from vendor. Same result. So 2 brand new remotes, both with button 3 not working. I checked to make sure all lockouts were not enabled, still button 3 does nothing. (Also tried assigning it to other functions - same result).

Is my controller bad or just too old? Or is it something else?

Thanks.
 
We replaced the exact same one last year. Since you installed a second one, the only common thing is your board and the connection to the board. Have you ruled out the connector? After you fish that line through, you have to wire up the 6-pin black connector piece. Did you use a new connector the second time or reuse the same one? Did you triple-check that one of the pins on the board side of the connector is not bent or corroded?


edited: The always-on red light is interesting. I believe that should only go on to designate Spa Mode. It flashes when Spa Heat is on and trying to reach the setpoint. It is off when in Pool Mode or Spillover Mode. This is probably a secondary sign of a faulty connector or RS-4 board.
 
Thanks - posts were all straight and looked pretty clean. Wiring to new terminal/connector is as follows: 1: blue, 2: brown, 3: white, 4: green, 5: black, 6: red. This is the same as the old one (which is still in the box until I'm sure the replacement is working).
 
HP,

Sounds like you have miswired the unit... Here is the schematic for the Pentair unit.. the color codes are different but the design is basically the same.. Pushing S1 applies a ground (from BLK) through the switch to 1R... You have your led and the switch 3 wires backwards.. and that is why the LED is on all the time and S3 does not work..

dbtgallery.php


Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Very interesting Jim.

In that case, would button 3 toggle the LED on and off (like it would do for the Blower)?

Or would his Blower be constantly on when in Spa Mode (like the LED is supposed to be?)

Sorry, I'm not that good with electrical diagrams.
 
HP,

The first rule in troubleshooting someone else's problem is to never believe what they say... :p

I'm sure you believe that your wiring is correct, and it may be, and I may be full of 'stuff'... But, based upon how the system should work and how your system is working, what you say does not work for me.

Let's look at the Pentair diagram and see how it works...

The four switches all work the same, so we will only look at S1... There is a voltage at 1R and to trigger an input we need that voltage to go low (gnd). When you push the momentary S1 button, the ground from the black wire pulls 1R to ground momentarily and tells your automation to turn on Aux 1 (Or whatever you have set up)

Now let's look at the LED... The orange connector only has voltage when the heater is on.. When on, this voltage passes through the LED to the BLK (ground) making the light turn on.

If the LED is on all the time, it makes sense that it is getting voltage all the time. It can only get continuous voltage from one of the 4 switch connections.. in your case Switch 3..

While I could be wrong, (have been about a 100 times today alone) what I have proposed is the only logical way that I can see that will make your unit work the way you have described.

What have you got to lose over swapping two wires?? :confused:

Good luck with your project,

Jim R.
 
Thanks Jim. This explanation of the electronics behind the switches and led is really good.

(My apologies if you might have attributed my question to HackerPool.)


Jimrahbe said:
The four switches all work the same, so we will only look at S1... There is a voltage at 1R and to trigger an input we need that voltage to go low (gnd). When you push the momentary S1 button, the ground from the black wire pulls 1R to ground momentarily and tells your automation to turn on Aux 1 (Or whatever you have set up)

Now let's look at the LED... The orange connector only has voltage when the heater is on.. When on, this voltage passes through the LED to the BLK (ground) making the light turn on.

If the LED is on all the time, it makes sense that it is getting voltage all the time. It can only get continuous voltage from one of the 4 switch connections.. in your case Switch 3..

Jim R.
Click to expand...
 

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Think you were replying to someone else. I'm happy to try a wire swap, but there was no change (which is bizarre), but that's not to say I did it correctly...

Here's the original wiring harness:

IMG_4289.jpg

Note: the PCB labels 1-4 correspond to slots 1-4 on the harness, with 5 being power and 6 LED.

I wired my new one the same way. And got the LED on + non-functional button 3.

So I took a voltmeter and played with the switch. With 5 connected to ground, touching the VM lead to 4 and hitting button 4 indicates connection (beep). Same for button/terminal slots 1 through 3. Touching 6 has no effect (LED doesn't light, but I'm a novice with a voltmeter - I assume it needs power to make it light...)

Tried swapping 3 (white) and 6 (red), but the result was the same - button not working.

At this point, I'm thinking the most likely problem is the (17 year old) board itself.

Jimrahbe said:
HP,

The first rule in troubleshooting someone else's problem is to never believe what they say... :p

I'm sure you believe that your wiring is correct, and it may be, and I may be full of 'stuff'... But, based upon how the system should work and how your system is working, what you say does not work for me.

Let's look at the Pentair diagram and see how it works...

The four switches all work the same, so we will only look at S1... There is a voltage at 1R and to trigger an input we need that voltage to go low (gnd). When you push the momentary S1 button, the ground from the black wire pulls 1R to ground momentarily and tells your automation to turn on Aux 1 (Or whatever you have set up)

Now let's look at the LED... The orange connector only has voltage when the heater is on.. When on, this voltage passes through the LED to the BLK (ground) making the light turn on.

If the LED is on all the time, it makes sense that it is getting voltage all the time. It can only get continuous voltage from one of the 4 switch connections.. in your case Switch 3..

While I could be wrong, (have been about a 100 times today alone) what I have proposed is the only logical way that I can see that will make your unit work the way you have described.

What have you got to lose over swapping two wires?? :confused:

Good luck with your project,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
 
HP,

Well, it looks like I am 101 for today, error wise.... :p

I can see where Jandy is switching the power wire, while Pentair is switching the ground wire, but that would make little difference in how they operate.

For the LED to be on all the time, and for switch # 3 to not be working, would take two different failures on your main board...

If you are done screwing with this I understand, but if you wanted, you could swap known working switch #1 with the non working #3. Swap the blue and white wires.. then if pushing the # 3 button turns on the #1 function.. this would tell you that the button and internal wiring inside the remote was ok and the problem was for sure in the main card.

Sorry for any confusion that I might have caused..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
@Jimrahbe: no worries - you couldn't get me any more confused than I already am. :)

So other than some more wiring play (which I may try this weekend), it seems like I can either acquire a replacement board (I assume a Jandy RS-PS4 or RS-PS8 would be the part to get) or I can live with an eternal mini-red-led-flame and a 3 button switch...
 
HackerPool said:
@Jimrahbe: no worries - you couldn't get me any more confused than I already am. :)

So other than some more wiring play (which I may try this weekend), it seems like I can either acquire a replacement board (I assume a Jandy RS-PS4 or RS-PS8 would be the part to get) or I can live with an eternal mini-red-led-flame and a 3 button switch...
Click to expand...

I would have to "assume" if you removed the Red LED wire, the light would go out....

Otherwise, yes.. a 3 button panel...

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Closing the loop on this: I ended up replacing the controller board (see other post - I got an MM revision, which does not work with non-Jandy SWGs - BOO JANDY! - replaced the chip on it with a JJ to resolve the SWG issue) and the switch is now operational (all 4 buttons + LED).

Thanks to all for the help.
 
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