Jandy Freeze Protect Cycle Spa/Pool

[middleseat]

It looks like that the Houston area will get a rare arctic blast in a couple of days (highs in the 20s, lows in the teens).

I have a Jandy RS-8, and currently have the Filter, Cleaner, and Waterfall pumps scheduled to turn on when the freeze protection cycle kicks on.

In our last pool, we had Pentair equipment, and I remember the freeze protection logic cycling between pool and spa mode every 30 minutes. Is there the same logic on the Jandy system?

In the meantime, I have added Spa to the list of items that will activate in the freeze protection cycle. Will that cycle between pool and spa mode for a certain interval?

Thanks in advance!

 

[HermanTX]

It looks like that the Houston area will get a rare arctic blast in a couple of days (highs in the 20s, lows in the teens).

I have a Jandy RS-8, and currently have the Filter, Cleaner, and Waterfall pumps scheduled to turn on when the freeze protection cycle kicks on.

In our last pool, we had Pentair equipment, and I remember the freeze protection logic cycling between pool and spa mode every 30 minutes. Is there the same logic on the Jandy system?

In the meantime, I have added Spa to the list of items that will activate in the freeze protection cycle. Will that cycle between pool and spa mode for a certain interval?

Thanks in advance!

If you have checked the box for both pool and spa to go on at freeze protection then they will activate. I am not sure of the time cycle between the 2 as I have never done that. In pool mode, I have flow to my spa for spillover - it is always on so I do not set the spa for freeze protection.
Not sure what type of cleaner you have but if it is pressure side cleaner like a Polaris then in Pool mode the water naturally flows through it. The purpose of the booster pump is to create the higher pressure needed to push the cleaner.
Also, it would be good to cover your equipment pad with a tarp. Tie it down so it does not blow and ensure nothing can touch the pump motor. Also, do not turn on your heater. With the pump running under the tarp, it should generate sufficient heat to keep the surface pipes above freezing. Just ensure there is some ventilation under the tarp for pump to not overheat.

 

[MSchutzer]

If filter mode is active and then you also activate spa mode my RS system goes into spa mode. If both the filter mode and spa mode are checked for freeze protection I would image spa mode would also take priority.

You may want set the freeze activation temp to something above your current outdoor temp so that the freeze protection activates so that you can see how it behaves regarding the filter and spa modes?

 

[middleseat]

Thanks for the replies so far.

HermanTX, I have a Paramount IG cleaner (which has its own pump), so I figure I’d keep that water flowing during freeze protect as well. Good call on the tarp. I put one over the equipment and pipes, held on with bungee cords.

So I’ve raised the freeze protect temperature to test, and it doesn’t go into Spa mode (at least the couple of times I’ve checked).

Really, the only thing I’m worried about is the valve that toggles between spa and pool mode. But, since I now have the tarp over everything, it may render that a moot point.

The poor pool equipment is going to be running nonstop for almost a week!

*** UPDATE: Just checked, and it just cycled to Spa mode. I don't know when it did it, but if I had to guess, it was at the 30 minute mark. ***

 

[PaigeMark]

*** UPDATE: Just checked, and it just cycled to Spa mode. I don't know when it did it, but if I had to guess, it was at the 30 minute mark. ***

Keep an eye on that actuator valve switching cycles in this weather. Three days ago when Tulsa began the ice/sleet event leading into this frigid week, my valves stopped cycling completely in freeze protection mode. We didn’t realize it until the spa drained way down and the top jets began spraying what was left all over the yard. After inspecting the suspect actuator valve, it had started to form ice in the time it took for the cycles to change in freeze protection mode. I have a spillover from my spa, so after refilling the lost water, I manually set the actuators to 80/20 so water would constantly move through the pool loop and spa loop without that freeze protection cycle delay. Once the valve was where I wanted it, I switched the actuator to “OFF” so it would stay put. So far, so good.

 

[dphanes]

Keep an eye on that actuator valve switching cycles in this weather. Three days ago when Tulsa began the ice/sleet event leading into this frigid week, my valves stopped cycling completely in freeze protection mode. We didn’t realize it until the spa drained way down and the top jets began spraying what was left all over the yard. After inspecting the suspect actuator valve, it had started to form ice in the time it took for the cycles to change in freeze protection mode. I have a spillover from my spa, so after refilling the lost water, I manually set the actuators to 80/20 so water would constantly move through the pool loop and spa loop without that freeze protection cycle delay. Once the valve was where I wanted it, I switched the actuator to “OFF” so it would stay put. So far, so good.

“Camming” the actuator to 80/20 is a great idea, but doesn’t that mean that there is no water actually flowing through the spa main drain. If spa mode is off, how do you keep gge water flowing through the spa main drain.

Thanks

 

[ericandcrystalh]

Adding onto this post. We have an iAquaLink system. Our pool has a separate spa with spillover that is plumbed to the main pool VSP. There are separate suction lines from the pool (3 suctions which you can see on the right, 1 for main drains and 1 for each skimmer) and spa the spa suction is on the other side of the valve (shown closed in pic). There are also separate return lines to the pool and spa (right side of pic with pool return to left of Jandy actuator and spa return to right).

The spa itself gets return water from 1 of 2 ways. In pool mode there are 2 lower (foot-level) jets that receive water that flows through a check valve. In spa mode, the spa receives return water after going through the Jandy actuator/valve and the pool receives no return water. Plumbing picture attached (it was taken during setup so that’s why there was no suction from the spa (far right) and the return was going to the pool and spa simultaneously (far left). The lines with the red manual actuators are our ledge bubblers. The other valve closest to the concrete has always been as-is sending water to the pool returns (right side) and lower spa returns (left side with check valve).

So with freeze protect, should I manually open the Jandy actuators to allow some flow through the (sole) spa suction and return while allowing water to flow to the pool suction and return too? Or what will happen if I check “Spa” in the freeze protect settings?

Thanks all for your help!

 

[HermanTX]

Adding onto this post. We have an iAquaLink system. Our pool has a separate spa with spillover that is plumbed to the main pool VSP. There are separate suction lines from the pool (3 suctions which you can see on the right, 1 for main drains and 1 for each skimmer) and spa the spa suction is on the other side of the valve (shown closed in pic). There are also separate return lines to the pool and spa (right side of pic with pool return to left of Jandy actuator and spa return to right).

The spa itself gets return water from 1 of 2 ways. In pool mode there are 2 lower (foot-level) jets that receive water that flows through a check valve. In spa mode, the spa receives return water after going through the Jandy actuator/valve and the pool receives no return water. Plumbing picture attached (it was taken during setup so that’s why there was no suction from the spa (far right) and the return was going to the pool and spa simultaneously (far left). The lines with the red manual actuators are our ledge bubblers. The other valve closest to the concrete has always been as-is sending water to the pool returns (right side) and lower spa returns (left side with check valve).

So with freeze protect, should I manually open the Jandy actuators to allow some flow through the (sole) spa suction and return while allowing water to flow to the pool suction and return too? Or what will happen if I check “Spa” in the freeze protect settings?

Thanks all for your help!

Checking SPA in the freeze protection screen will allow the automation to cycle between Spa and Pool Modes when Freeze Protection is active. You also have your water feature 'checked" so that will also turn on if that is a separate pump.

 

[generessler]

It's been skipped in newer manuals, but the older ones have a little note in a figure:

If you select SPA to be freeze protected, water circulation will switch between pool and spa every 30
minutes during freezing conditions once freeze mode is active.

@ericandcrystalh I have a similar system and do what you propose because I hate the idea of valves cycling for days on end. The point about them jamming in freezing rain is also excellent.

So I set the suction diverter valve at 50/50 manually (little 3-way switch on the valve's side) and leave it. Also put the heater bypass at 50/50. I blow out the deck jets and air lock the extra pump that powers the spa bubblers. With this setup I need to keep the pump running at 1100 rpm 24 hours, else the spa drains backward through the returns. But that's 100 watts, 48 gal/min, ~2psi. It's overkill, but I have the freeze protect rpm at 1700, 75 gpm to make sure the check valves are open and the booster pump circuit has flow.

tl;dr consider every item down to the frost line - in Texas and NC, that's 10 inches. Make sure water will move through each.

The theory is that the pool will always have a bunch of water below frost, which makes it "hotter" than 32F. Pipes won't freeze if this "warm" water circulates through and back under the frost before it cools to 32F. Even in bitter cold, it doesn't take much flow to guarantee this. A few gallons per minute are probably enough.

Power outage would be bad. I have a free phone app called "Power Failure Monitor" that would wake me. Draining stuff in the middle of a dark, freezing night is bad. Fixing burst equipment would be worse.

 

[dphanes]

It's been skipped in newer manuals, but the older ones have a little note in a figure:


@ericandcrystalh I have a similar system and do what you propose because I hate the idea of valves cycling for days on end. The point about them jamming in freezing rain is also excellent.

So I set the suction diverter valve at 50/50 manually (little 3-way switch on the valve's side) and leave it. Also put the heater bypass at 50/50. I blow out the deck jets and air lock the extra pump that powers the spa bubblers. With this setup I need to keep the pump running at 1100 rpm 24 hours, else the spa drains backward through the returns. But that's 100 watts, 48 gal/min, ~2psi. It's overkill, but I have the freeze protect rpm at 1700, 75 gpm to make sure the check valves are open and the booster pump circuit has flow.

tl;dr consider every item down to the frost line - in Texas and NC, that's 10 inches. Make sure water will move through each.

The theory is that the pool will always have a bunch of water below frost, which makes it "hotter" than 32F. Pipes won't freeze if this "warm" water circulates through and back under the frost before it cools to 32F. Even in bitter cold, it doesn't take much flow to guarantee this. A few gallons per minute are probably enough.

Power outage would be bad. I have a free phone app called "Power Failure Monitor" that would wake me. Draining stuff in the middle of a dark, freezing night is bad. Fixing burst equipment would be worse.

With the suction at 50/50 and the returns at 50/50 do you get a nice waterfall effect with the spillway or does it just run down the rocks?

 

[generessler]

With the suction at 50/50 and the returns at 50/50 do you get a nice waterfall effect with the spillway or does it just run down the rocks?

The returns are set up so that it's either both on or just spa in spa mode. So it's just suction at 50/50 and returns are all open. I played with pump speeds and found the spillway had steady slow flow at 1100 rpm. Not a waterfall. There's an overhang so it's not running over the rock face. Rather it's drip and gurgle, a pleasant sound. Freeze protect switches to 1700, which is 70 gpm on the flow meter. Here there's more of a waterfall.

Here's my back-of-the-envelope numbers: There's about 1/2 gallon of water in 1 foot of 2" pipe. There's definitely less than 30 feet of pipe above frost in my system or 15 gallons. The filter tank holds less than 30 gallons. So 50 gallons at freezing temps with a bump for pumps and valves. At 70 gpm the exposure to cold temps should be on the order of a minute, which seems quite safe even if the water gets close to 32F (it's currently 42F). Heat does not move through PVC that quickly.

 

[dphanes]

The returns are set up so that it's either both on or just spa in spa mode. So it's just suction at 50/50 and returns are all open. I played with pump speeds and found the spillway had steady slow flow at 1100 rpm. Not a waterfall. There's an overhang so it's not running over the rock face. Rather it's drip and gurgle, a pleasant sound. Freeze protect switches to 1700, which is 70 gpm on the flow meter. Here there's more of a waterfall.

Here's my back-of-the-envelope numbers: There's about 1/2 gallon of water in 1 foot of 2" pipe. There's definitely less than 30 feet of pipe above frost in my system or 15 gallons. The filter tank holds less than 30 gallons. So 50 gallons at freezing temps with a bump for pumps and valves. At 70 gpm the exposure to cold temps should be on the order of a minute, which seems quite safe even if the water gets close to 32F (it's currently 42F). Heat does not move through PVC that quickly.

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