Where Did My In Line Chlorinator Go & New Pump Failure

[KeriCarter]

Forget what @1poolman1 was asking about an actuator on the suction valve. Your water features actuator lead him to think you had a spa.

I hope your Pool Guy has a direct line to Hayward support. This is where Hayward makes their setup very complicated even to pool guys.

He has been on the phone with Hayward for 2 hours. He said they keep hanging up on him and aren’t being helpful.

So why would the slide and bubblers actuators not work now when they were working before he tried to hook the new pump to the OnCommand?

Normally what I would do on my remote is turn off the pool, that puts in in spa mode. Then I push valve 3 button to turn on the slide. Or I turn the valve 3 button off and it makes the bubblers work.

I can hear the pool guy cussing in frustration. I feel horrible for him, but I’m more worried this won’t be corrected.

 

[1poolman1]

I’m worried there is a leak with all that popping and cracking at the top of the filter and with all the air bubbles in the pump pot. The pot is full but lots of bubbles flying around in there.
I don’t see any water coming out though. He’s still here. Maybe I can figure it out before he goes.

Water with air in it makes noises, that's normal. If you don't see water at the equipment pad coming from a pump, pipe, fitting, filter connection, heater connection, etc. the noise is not a water leak. With a small suction leak air will enter the system each time it shuts off and then make noise the next time the pump comes on. The air moving in the pot is normal, especially in that condition. A small amount of air won't cause major problems, most older pools have small suction leaks somewhere. Would love to eliminate them permanently, but that seldom happens.
The pump union, the valve body and stem O rings are the usual suspects. Even a new pump that the lid O ring hasn't completely settled in can cause some, or a drain plug that isn't completely tight. The air will return to the pool through your filter.

 

[ajw22]

So why would the slide and bubblers actuators not work now when they were working before he tried to hook the new pump to the OnCommand?

I can't say.

I will observe that the OnCommand is Haywards low end automation system and they are trying to kludge it to do something it was not directly designed to do.

 

[1poolman1]

He has been on the phone with Hayward for 2 hours. He said they keep hanging up on him and aren’t being helpful.

So why would the slide and bubblers actuators not work now when they were working before he tried to hook the new pump to the OnCommand?

Normally what I would do on my remote is turn off the pool, that puts in in spa mode. Then I push valve 3 button to turn on the slide. Or I turn the valve 3 button off and it makes the bubblers work.

I can hear the pool guy cussing in frustration. I feel horrible for him, but I’m more worried this won’t be corrected.

Does he have the manual? It really helps. Attached.

 

[1poolman1]

Forget what @1poolman1 was asking about an actuator on the suction valve. Your water features actuator lead him to think you had a spa.

I hope your Pool Guy has a direct line to Hayward support. This is where Hayward makes their setup very complicated even to pool guys.

Thanks, I think. The On Command is a very old and simple, but limited, automation system. I installed 20 -25 of them when they were available and within the reach of many pool owner's budget. It can be easily set up to do what it was doing in the past, according to the manual that I sent to the OP.

 

[KeriCarter]

I can't say.

I will observe that the OnCommand is Haywards low end automation system and they are trying to kludge it to do something it was not directly designed to do.

I asked him about the popping and cracking in the pvc and the bubbles racing around in the pump strainer basket and he is mad, but he’s looking at it.

 

[KeriCarter]

Does he have the manual? It really helps. Attached.

Thank you! I texted it to him. I’m not sure that put me on his good side

 

[KeriCarter]

I can't say.

I will observe that the OnCommand is Haywards low end automation system and they are trying to kludge it to do something it was not directly designed to do.

He said he doesn’t understand how it was configured before. It worked fine this morning. Now he wants to sell me a new automation system so that he can understand how it works better.
I’m not sure I want to pay for his pleasure.

 

[KeriCarter]

Thanks, I think. The On Command is a very old and simple, but limited, automation system. I installed 20 -25 of them when they were available and within the reach of many pool owner's budget. It can be easily set up to do what it was doing in the past, according to the manual that I sent to the OP.

I texted it to him. If he can’t figure it out, maybe my husband can. I can’t see buying a new automation system over this.

 

[ajw22]

I texted it to him. If he can’t figure it out, maybe my husband can. I can’t see buying a new automation system over this.

Sometimes it is best to clear the memory and restore to factory defaults and start the setup configuration from the beginning. That assumes you have a complete understanding of the physical equipment and how to describe it in the OnCommand Configuration.

 

[KeriCarter]

Sometimes it is best to clear the memory and restore to factory defaults and start the setup configuration from the beginning. That assumes you have a complete understanding of the physical equipment and how to describe it in the OnCommand Configuration.

That’s very helpful. Thank you!

 

[KeriCarter]

Hey guys!
I am hoping for some help from the experts here with this issue.

The pool guy came out and installed the VSP, SWG, and filter. He told me he spent hours on the phone with Hayward tech support trying to figure out how to re-program the On Command, but he didn’t get the help he felt he needed.

Now the valves only work with the switches not with the remote or control panel and the lights are permanently on. The control panel and the remote both show it is sending the command when the buttons are pushed, but the valves never actually move and the lights never cycle off. The valves work fine if I use the buttons on the back of them. The lights show to be turning off and on, but are not.
My husband and I read the manual and took the advice of you guys and did a reset and set it back up for the equipment we have, but we are still having the same problems.

He said our unit is old and probably a failure but it was working fine before he came. He is recommending a new automation system, but they also are telling me they don’t know how to program the OnCommand and no one at their store has ever dealt with one. He is telling me how much more we could do with a new system and how awesome it would be, but I’m not sure I need any more functionality than I already have. Also, wouldn’t the new system he’s recommending negate the new Aquarite they installed?

The pool guy said he checked the board three times on the OnCommand and it shows fine. I know he’s as frustrated as we are.

It was all working fine up until the install. Here’s how it would work on the remote before.

On the remote I would push the pool button to put it in spa mode and then I would push the valve 3 button off or on to switch between either the slide or the bubblers. I would push the light button to turn it off and on, no problem. Aux 1 would turn the booster pump off and on, but the pool guy said he removed that programming since we didn’t use the booster after we got the dolphin. We never went to the pad to control anything, only to backwash the sand filter.

Thank you guys so much for all the help. We are lost.

If anyone local to us can come help, we can pay in cash, beer, or smoked brisket.

We haven’t turned the SWG on yet because my the Taylor salt test hasn’t arrived yet and I have other levels I want to fix first.

 

[ajw22]

Does anything on your OnCommand work now?

Can you turn the light on and off?

 

[KeriCarter]

Does anything on your OnCommand work now?

Can you turn the light on and off?

Yes. The OnCommand works to set schedules for pump run times, turns the pump on and off, the filter on and off, all of the buttons on it and the remote show to work for turning lights and off and on and for working the valves, but the actions don’t complete. The panel says it’s doing those things, but it’s not.
I can use the toggle switches on the valves and switch from pool to spa and the water features, but nothing I do will turn the lights off.
I can run get a video if that helps.
Thank you!
Keri

 

[ajw22]

Yes. The OnCommand works to set schedules for pump run times, turns the pump on and off, the filter on and off, all of the buttons on it and the remote show to work for turning lights and off and on and for working the valves, but the actions don’t complete. The panel says it’s doing those things, but it’s not.

You start by saying yes and then at the end you say its not.

Is it ONLY the valves that are not working?

Does the OnCommand control of the lights and pump VS speeds work properly?

 

[KeriCarter]

You start by saying yes and then at the end you say its not.

Is it ONLY the valves that are not working?

Does the OnCommand control of the lights and pump VS speeds work properly?

Thank you for merging the threads. I couldn’t find the other one to reply to it.

I’m sorry. I see now where I was confusing. That is my fault.
Yes it’s only the valves that are not working. When I use the toggle switch at the valves, it shows up on the OnCommand screen, but the OnCommand itself won’t work the valves. The lights also show to be turning off and on, but they are permanently on and aren’t actually being controlled with the OnCommand.
We programmed the VSP in and the OnCommand works it perfectly on a schedule and also it will turn the pump on and off and change speeds with the button on the OnCommand and remote.
I hope this makes more sense. Sorry.
Thank you,
Keri

 

[1poolman1]

Thank you for merging the threads. I couldn’t find the other one to reply to it.

I’m sorry. I see now where I was confusing. That is my fault.
Yes it’s only the valves that are not working. When I use the toggle switch at the valves, it shows up on the OnCommand screen, but the OnCommand itself won’t work the valves. The lights also show to be turning off and on, but they are permanently on and aren’t actually being controlled with the OnCommand.
We programmed the VSP in and the OnCommand works it perfectly on a schedule and also it will turn the pump on and off and change speeds with the button on the OnCommand and remote.
I hope this makes more sense. Sorry.
Thank you,
Keri

Hopefully the toggles on the valve actuators are not in the "middle" position. They must be in either of the two others depending on which one defaults to the normal "pool" operation (determined by the pool plumbing). If the switch is in the middle the actuator is "off." The OnCommand will not indicate anything when the switches are changed manually.
Turn power to the system off. Open the panel and unplug the light relay from the board. Re-power the system with the relay unplugged. Are the lights still on? If so the relay could be bad or the wiring is wrong.

 

[ajw22]

Yes it’s only the valves that are not working. When I use the toggle switch at the valves, it shows up on the OnCommand screen, but the OnCommand itself won’t work the valves.

How does it show on the Oncommand screen?

The lights also show to be turning off and on, but they are permanently on and aren’t actually being controlled with the OnCommand.

Then the lights don't work properly????

We programmed the VSP in and the OnCommand works it perfectly on a schedule and also it will turn the pump on and off and change speeds with the button on the OnCommand and remote.

And the VS pump controls work fine with the OnCommand.

 

[KeriCarter]

How does it show on the Oncommand screen?
Then the lights don't work properly????
And the VS pump controls work fine with the OnCommand.

Sorry, the pool man is here and I asked him about the screen, but I was wrong. He said it’s not showing up when the valves are changed using the toggle switches.

I am assuming the lights might be a different issue?

Yes, the pump is able to be controlled by the OnCommand. No problem. We were able to program a schedule into it to work automatically and we can also change the speed and turn it off and on with the remote.
I think I’m just overwhelmed. The poor pool man is too. I guess there aren’t many of these in use anymore.
Thank you so much!

 

[ajw22]

I am assuming the lights might be a different issue?

It is likely.

Do you know how to operate a multimeter or do you need to put your husband on the line?