The sticky valve issue came later than the solar project. There are two sets of jets in the spa, one for spa mode and one for pool mode (ie overflow into the pool). Instead of installing an expensive check valve, they put nozzles with check valves built in. I put a JVA on the valve splitting pool jet returns and the spa return (pool mode side). Will get pics later.
Solar Heater Overheating Pool with Jandy Controller
- Thread starter MaxSmart
- Start date
Connected the new JVA to the "Cleaner" plug. Tried to assign it using the control panel, it allows me to tie it to the spa or pool light but not to the spillway button, pool button, or spa button.
Would help if you can list out all of your equipment.
What is connected to your Aux plugs at the control board?
#3 should be empty, as it is for the Spillway by virtue of the dip switch and the software usually auto-labels it.
Which Aux are your Lights plugged in?
What equipment or feature, if any, is in the other Aux slots?
What is connected to your Aux plugs at the control board?
#3 should be empty, as it is for the Spillway by virtue of the dip switch and the software usually auto-labels it.
Which Aux are your Lights plugged in?
What equipment or feature, if any, is in the other Aux slots?
So, if the spillway is not a powered device (eg, a separate accessory pump) but rather just a JVA that sends some of the pool return into the spa, causing overflow into the pool, is it not possible to control it with the "Spillway" button? This is basically what I was trying to set up (again, this is a separate project I embarked upon after we started this thread, but seems my understanding of one thing might help with the other).
That is how it should work. The dip-switch setting basically assigns Aux3 to the following functionality: Intake valve takes water from Pool + Return valve sends water to the spa.
We can trouble-shoot that if it doesn't seem to be working. If I understand, when you hit the Spillway button on your remote, the valves are NOT moving as I described. Is that right?
Have you tried selecting Spillway from the control panel? You have to put it in Service mode.
Correct, the spillway button presently does nothing. The way it is set up there are separate returns in the spa for spillway vs spa mode. The spillway jets have a valve which splits between pool returns and these. It was manual until I just yesterday installed a JVA. I set the JVA such that it is 75% pool/25% spillway in one position, 100%pool in the other position. Besides it being neat to be able to switch the spillway on and off, I realized this would prevent the spa return from siphoning through the pool returns should one of the spillway jets jam open after switching to spa mode (assuming I have it turn spillway off while in spa mode). "Cleaner" was the only open JVA plug on the board, so I plugged it into there, went to the panel inside the house, selected "assign JVA", selected "Cleaner", it said to pick an Aux to assign it to, wouldnt let me select "Spillway", said this isn't an Aux.
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It's probably just me, but I'm wondering if this is the right interpretation or description. Are you talking about the standard RETURN valve?
Standard Jandy functionality does not require specific jets for what they call "Spillover". If you think about the 2 basic JVAs (Intake and Return), there are 4 combinations of the 2 valves that give you the following functionality.
1. POOL MODE (100% from and to the Pool)
2. SPA MODE (100% from and to the Spa)
3. SPILLOVER (FROM POOL through INTAKE valve, TO SPA through RETURN valve)
4. DRAIN (FROM SPA through INTAKE valve, TO POOL through RETURN valve) - this is commonly used for servicing the spa jets, etc.
So, the SPILLOVER mode that Dip Switch #3 triggers usually sends through the RETURN valve to the normal jets.
Again, a picture of your equipment pad would really, really help narrow down the discussion!!
Will try to get picture tonight and/or draw schematic. There are two different sets of jets for spa mode and spillway mode. Thanks!It's probably just me, but I'm wondering if this is the right interpretation or description. Are you talking about the standard RETURN valve?
Standard Jandy functionality does not require specific jets for what they call "Spillover". If you think about the 2 basic JVAs (Intake and Return), there are 4 combinations of the 2 valves that give you the following functionality.
1. POOL MODE (100% from and to the Pool)
2. SPA MODE (100% from and to the Spa)
3. SPILLOVER (FROM POOL through INTAKE valve, TO SPA through RETURN valve)
4. DRAIN (FROM SPA through INTAKE valve, TO POOL through RETURN valve) - this is commonly used for servicing the spa jets, etc.
So, the SPILLOVER mode that Dip Switch #3 triggers usually sends through the RETURN valve to the normal jets.
Again, a picture of your equipment pad would really, really help narrow down the discussion!!
Here is my setup, as you can see they did 2 separate returns for spa in "spa mode" and spa being overflowed into the pool during "pool mode". The latter utilizes nozzles with built-in check valves, rather than having a check valve on the PVC pipes. These nozzles can get jammed open, and when it goes into spa mode, water siphons from "SPA SPILLWAY JETS" to "POOL JETS". By installing "NEW JVA", I intended to have it close the "SPA SPILLWAY JETS/FOUNTAIN" off from the "POOL JETS" by programming the "Spillway" button to turn off (setting the JVA to 100% "POOL JETS") at the same time Spa Mode is programmed to come on.
Hope the picture clears up my bad descriptions!
Hope the picture clears up my bad descriptions!
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Here's the RS4 panel. It has a "Menu" button and a "Cancel" button. They for the most part complement each other - for example the "menu" menu has the option to program a schedule to a button, "Cancel" menu has the option to delete it.
Just noticed an option called "Spa Switch" which asks me whether I want 1, 2, or 3 switches? What's this for?
Just noticed an option called "Spa Switch" which asks me whether I want 1, 2, or 3 switches? What's this for?
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Spa Switch is probably for a spa-side remote. Do you have a button near the spa to turn on spa/heater/etc remotely? If not, then this is probably an N/A function for you.
I only see a manual valve before your pump. Am I missing it, or did you remove the JVA that automates that valve?
That's a JVA on the input (blue) side of the pump - diverts between "SPA DRAIN" (Spa Mode) and Cleaner+Pool Drain+Skimmer (Pool Mode).
4 total JVAs, the 3 others (labelled them in the image):
One on right switches between solar roof and a bypass
One at top (not shown, it's behind the chlorine dispenser) switches returns between Spa Jets (Spa Mode) and Spa Spillway Jets+Pool Jets (Pool Mode)
"New JVA" in the middle left is the new one I added that switches between 100% Pool Jets and 75% Pool Jets+25% Spa Spillover
Hmmm. This one marked JVA looks like a manual valve. I don't see the electronic JVA box, but I do see a cord a little to the right of where you marked JVA. I am totally confused (Cone of Silence statement, so no one heard that, right?)
Let me try this question: does the valve before the pump move all by itself when you change to Spa Mode or go back to Filter Pump on the All Button control panel?
The reason I am pursuing this is to make sure all your JVAs are connected properly and behaving as expected. Starting with the 2 basic JVAs and working our way toward the Solar JVA.
Let me try this question: does the valve before the pump move all by itself when you change to Spa Mode or go back to Filter Pump on the All Button control panel?
The reason I am pursuing this is to make sure all your JVAs are connected properly and behaving as expected. Starting with the 2 basic JVAs and working our way toward the Solar JVA.
Hmmm. This one marked JVA looks like a manual valve. I don't see the electronic JVA box, but I do see a cord a little to the right of where you marked JVA. I am totally confused (Cone of Silence statement, so no one heard that, right?)
View attachment 113090
Let me try this question: does the valve before the pump move all by itself when you change to Spa Mode or go back to Filter Pump on the All Button control panel?
The reason I am pursuing this is to make sure all your JVAs are connected properly and behaving as expected. Starting with the 2 basic JVAs and working our way toward the Solar JVA.
Yes, please trust me that there is a JVA there, but the pipe (from the pump to the filter) is blocking your view of it. This function (switching between spa and pool mode, switches both the top and bottom-left JVAs) works just fine (as described above).
Got it. Again, just walking through all the basic functionality to make sure.
So the bottom-left (Intake) and top (Return) JVAs are definitely turning for Filter Pump (Pool) mode and Spa mode. But the Return JVA is NOT turning when Spillway is selected (this has been verified by looking at valve position, as opposed to whether water appears to be spilling over.)
If all that is true, than the dip switch #3 is not working.
I'm not positive you can do this with the All Button remote, but you could try flipping that dip switch to off, freeing up Aux3 and seeing if it becomes available to assign your NEW JVA.
Then, back to the Solar, there may be 2 steps:
1) Inspect, verify and maybe even replace Temp Sensors (e.g. put a known good one in the solar slot)
2) Confirm any other dip switches that may be set, specifically the second set of 4 (S2 bank)
So the bottom-left (Intake) and top (Return) JVAs are definitely turning for Filter Pump (Pool) mode and Spa mode. But the Return JVA is NOT turning when Spillway is selected (this has been verified by looking at valve position, as opposed to whether water appears to be spilling over.)
If all that is true, than the dip switch #3 is not working.
I'm not positive you can do this with the All Button remote, but you could try flipping that dip switch to off, freeing up Aux3 and seeing if it becomes available to assign your NEW JVA.
Then, back to the Solar, there may be 2 steps:
1) Inspect, verify and maybe even replace Temp Sensors (e.g. put a known good one in the solar slot)
2) Confirm any other dip switches that may be set, specifically the second set of 4 (S2 bank)
I will double check but I may only have one set of DIP swicthes. It is an older board. I saw a $660 package that had both a new board and an Aqualink wifi on Amazon, wish I'd pulled the trigger on that because I get the impression this all would be much easier to deal with if I could use an app to program it.
I saw mentions in the manuals that make it sound like you can control either a solar array OR a heat pump. Is this the case, and if so, what makes a heat pump different than a regular heater? Was thinking about getting rid of that very old gas heater (it has a standing pilot light it is so old) in favor of a heat pump. Wondering if that will screw up this solar system I'm spending so much time and effort getting it to work right. Or if I need a different controller that can handle both.
If it were me, I'd either replace the faulty jets with failing built-in check valves, or install a standard Jandy check valve at the blue mark. You'd have to dig into the ground to find space, but using a working check valve(s) seems like a better way to fix this problem than trying to make the 4th JVA do what you want.
Regarding buying a new board, I'm not the best person to advise, but the one thing I would do is get one with more Aux slots (6 rather than 4) so you can expand functionality. You would probably also need to replace your All Button remote panel unless you will exclusively use iAqualink.
Regarding buying a new board, I'm not the best person to advise, but the one thing I would do is get one with more Aux slots (6 rather than 4) so you can expand functionality. You would probably also need to replace your All Button remote panel unless you will exclusively use iAqualink.