Running solar system at night with iAqualink

[mrtcereal]

Hi all. I'm in central California and we're heading into a stretch of 105-112F degree days for the next week plus. Today we topped out at 103F and the pool climbed to 90F just from the sun (solar is set to 83 and has essentially been off for the past several days). I'm hoping to run the solar after things cool down later at night to help cool off the pool some so we don't end up with bathwater temps when we hit 113F later this week.

I've done a lot of searching and a lot of poking around in the set up for my iAqualink system, but I can't find any way to program it to come on unless the air temp exceeds the pool temp. Does anyone know of a way to program it to an aux or something so I can turn it on from my phone, or better yet have it automatically come on at midnight? I know I can go out to the controller and turn it on manually, but it would be nice to have it come on automatically without having to climb out of bed.

 

[MSchutzer]

That's a really good question and I too don't see an easy way to do what you want to do. When the solar heat dip switch is turned on the Solar JVA becomes USED and it won't let you assign it to an auxiliary.

I do have a bit of a kludge if you know you won't want to run the solar heat under temperature control for a while.

You could disconnect the solar temperature sensor on the Aqualink RS's terminal block and replace it with a 4.7k resistor. The 4.7k resistor represents a temperature of about 110 degrees F and that should fool the Aqualink board into thinking the solar panels are hot all the time. Then you can set the Pool temp target to something warmer than the current water temp and the Solar heat will then activate any time the pump is on and the solar heat is enabled.

I don't think the air temp sensor really matters it's the solar temp sensor that matters and that would be fooled by the 4.7k resistor.

A bit of a kludge indeed, but it would allow for you to schedule solar heat at night and have it run, I think?

edit: Another thought, you might be able to just disconnect the solar temp sensor. The sensor is required for the system to be able know and control a solar system. With the solar sensor disconnected the Solar JVA might no show USED, and then you may be able to assign that Solar Heat JVA to an auxiliary. Then you could use the Aux to turn the valve.
When you want to re-enable the Solar Heat temperature control just reconnect the Solar temp sensor. You might also have to change the DIP switch 2 position 1 setting to heat pump priority, but maybe not. Might also be worth a try?

 

[mrtcereal]

That's a really good question and I too don't see an easy way to do what you want to do. When the solar heat dip switch is turned on the Solar JVA becomes USED and it won't let you assign it to an auxiliary.

I do have a bit of a kludge if you know you won't want to run the solar heat under temperature control for a while.

You could disconnect the solar temperature sensor on the Aqualink RS's terminal block and replace it with a 4.7k resistor. The 4.7k resistor represents a temperature of about 110 degrees F and that should fool the Aqualink board into thinking the solar panels are hot all the time. Then you can set the Pool temp target to something warmer than the current water temp and the Solar heat will then activate any time the pump is on and the solar heat is enabled.

I don't think the air temp sensor really matters it's the solar temp sensor that matters and that would be fooled by the 4.7k resistor.

A bit of a kludge indeed, but it would allow for you to schedule solar heat at night and have it run, I think?

edit: Another thought, you might be able to just disconnect the solar temp sensor. The sensor is required for the system to be able know and control a solar system. With the solar sensor disconnected the Solar JVA might no show USED, and then you may be able to assign that Solar Heat JVA to an auxiliary. Then you could use the Aux to turn the valve.
When you want to re-enable the Solar Heat temperature control just reconnect the Solar temp sensor. You might also have to change the DIP switch 2 position 1 setting to heat pump priority, but maybe not. Might also be worth a try?

Thank you. The resistor set up might be a little above my head, but I think I might be able to swing your second solution. Now if I could only find a iAqualinkRS manual online that resembles the panel I have.