What Valves Should Get Actuators? AquaLink RS8

[pigskintd]

The pool company is finishing up my equipment installation and I want to be sure they install actuators on all of the valves that they should. I went with the RS8 so I can manually go to the pool equipment as little as possible. Can you please help me understand what valves should get actuators so I know what to look for? I appreciate any help.

 

[dfwnoob]

In most pool+spa setups, you will have actuators on the return and drain lines between the spa and pool sides, just as you do in your picture. This allows the Aqualink system to automatically move the valves to run the spa or spillover.

I can't quite read the labels on your other valves. Do you have any water features?

 

[pigskintd]

In most pool+spa setups, you will have actuators on the return and drain lines between the spa and pool sides, just as you do in your picture. This allows the Aqualink system to automatically move the valves to run the spa or spillover.

I can't quite read the labels on your other valves. Do you have any water features?

We just have a bubbler on the sun shelf and a dedicated vac line. No other water features.

 

[pigskintd]

Is it normal to have them put an actuator on the sun shelf bubbler and dedicated vac line? I don’t want to walk to the pool equipment to adjust these.

 

[Poolbreh]

Is it normal to have them put an actuator on the sun shelf bubbler and dedicated vac line?

Actuators on water features are common, you can do one on the dedicated vac line if you’re going to go with a suction side cleaner, but it would work better with a 3 port valve. 3 port sharing with skimmer and vac allow one or the other to be completely closed off and you would be able to adjust rpms to run each separately. The 2 port only allows one to close or open. You also have a heater bypass valve. You can put an actuator on it if you wish. They probably should have went with the versa flo on the heater, it’s a built in bypass that doesn’t require a actuator and from other posts I think it extends the warranty of the heater to 5 years. The consensus here is robots are the best. So it comes down to what you want to be automated so you don’t have to go over to the equipment or what is the most energy efficient.

 

[pigskintd]

Actuators on water features are common, you can do one on the dedicated vac line if you’re going to go with a suction side cleaner, but it would work better with a 3 port valve. 3 port sharing with skimmer and vac allow one or the other to be completely closed off and you would be able to adjust rpms to run each separately. The 2 port only allows one to close or open. You also have a spa bypass valve. You can put an actuator on it if you wish. They probably should have went with the versa flo on the heater, it’s a built in bypass that doesn’t require a actuator and from other posts I think it extends the warranty of the heater to 5 years. The consensus here is robots are the best. So it comes down to what you want to be automated so you don’t have to go over to the equipment or what is the most energy efficient.

What is the purpose for a spa bypass valve? Sorry this is my first pool.

 

[Poolbreh]

I’m sorry I meant a heater bypass. The heater reduces flow when it travels through and increases flow when bypassed allowing energy savings. It’s also nice to have if something goes wrong with the heater.