Please help with Aqualink system debug

[dgbretz]

Short post: The console on my Jandy Aqualink controller is not working. Help!!!

Long post:
I have an older Jandy Aqualink controller (circa 1995) that has stopped functioning. The system is actually labeled "Blue Haven BH2100". The owner's manual that the previous owners left when we bought the house identifies the console as from the Aqualink 2/4/8 series (not the newer Aqualink RS).

The system has been working ok for the 3 years we have been in the house. It controls the pump, 3 Jandy actuators to switch between pool/spa/cleaner, heater, spa blower, and lights. The power center is located outside by the pool equipment with a remote console located inside the house (as well as a 4 button remote located near the spa). I did have to replace a blown 1/4 amp fuse at the power center 1 year ago as well as one of the relays 2 years ago.

Now to the problem...
A few nights ago, I noticed the pool was on at an incorrect time. I checked the remote console and the display was lit up but stuck showing a time of 2:39pm. The 'filter pump' and 'spa' LEDS were lit up. It did not respond to any button presses. I hit the reset button (the kind that requires a ballpoint pen) but the console still did not respond.

I went out to the power control box and saw that I was still able to manually control everything in the system (could turn on/off pump, actuators, etc). I turned off power to the entire system for ~15 seconds hoping that would reset the console. It did not. The console came back on but showed nothing on the display and would not respond to button presses.

At this point, I figured there was a battery that was saving the settings so I turned off power for 9+ hours. When I turned power back on, the console did not appear to power up at all (blank display, no LEDs). I've checked that the 2 fuses (3A, 1/4A) at the power center are OK.

I probed around with a multimeter on the console and found expected voltages on some of the components (3.3VDC, 5VDC). However, I don't know what the 'main' power that comes from the cable routed from the power center is supposed to be. I am reading ~75VAC across the red and black wires (I would think these would be 'main' power).

Does anyone know if that's the correct voltage?

A better question is does anyone have any suggestions on where to go from here? While I might not be happy with a suggestion of "you're hosed, buy a new system", it might keep me from wasting my time trying to debug further.

Sorry for the long-winded first post but I'm hoping someone with experience debugging these things will be able to help out a little. I've checked online and cannot believe how much the controller systems cost to replace (and I'm not even sure yet what I need to replace).

[dgbretz]

Scratch that...I double checked and I am reading 32VDC at both the power center and at the other end of the cable at the remote console.

I am not sure why my meter is reading an AC voltage but I found some documentation that says 32VDC is correct.

Still not sure where to go from here...

[thepoolman1]

Basically, "you're hosed, buy a new system." Repair parts are hard, if not impossible, to come by for the older Jandy systems. You really don't need a completely new system. Jandy makes an upgrade kit that will convert your older system to an RS6 or RS8 for far less than the cost of completely new.

You get a new circuit board for outside and new control for the house. You will only need to use 4 of the wires that now enter the back of the existing panel as all of the signals on the new system will be digital.

[dgbretz]

Thanks for the reply! That's what I was afraid of. I have been looking at the conversion kits and even those seem to be at least ~$900! That just seems crazy knowing there's not much to the controls... I even started to think of trying to do something myself with a PC but I'm not sure if I have the time...

Anyways, thanks again. I think I'll try to look around for some replacement parts but will probably wind up with a conversion kit.

[dgbretz]

Ok...so being the cheapskate I am, I went against advice and got lucky finding a replacement indoor console on Ebay for relatively cheap. I figured it was worth a shot.

Bad news...the indoor console wasn't the problem. So now I have an extra...

Good news...I have everything back working again except for the 4-button spa-side remote. After some debug with significantly strange behavior, I've narrowed down to that function. As soon as I switch the 'remote' slider to 'auto' on the outside console, the indoor console freezes up.

So I have a temporary solution in place. My new questions are:

Does anyone know if this could be anything but a faulty spa-side remote? (Something more related to the outside control PCB?)

Assuming it is the remote...are the 4 button remotes that sell with the new Aqualink RS systems compatible with the old Aqualink that I have?

Assuming I can find a new remote on the cheap and they are compatible, how do I install it? (I have a couple of inches of slack on the installed remote but it looks like the wiring is sealed and is not intended to be cut close to the remote for weatherproofing purposes.)

Thanks in advance for any help...

[thepoolman1]

The 4-button remote for the RS series is not compatible with your system. The good news is that the one you need is, generally, still available. You need a 4-button remote for the Ji series Jandy. Not particulary cheap.

Pop the existing button from it's housing (it is just "pressed" in), cut the wiring off the back, attach the new wiring very securely to the old and, using the old wire at the control panel, pull it through the conduit. It is better to have someone at the spa feed the wire, because you cannot pull it if there is a kink in the wire. If you try you will either break the wire internally or pull the splice apart. Bad either way, worse if you break the new wire.

[dgbretz]

Wow! I am thoroughly impressed with the quick response!

In a quick look online, I'm only seeing the RS remotes (744X part numbers). Do you happen to know of a source for the Ji series?

[dgbretz]

Hmmm...I had sent a message to Jandy service at the same time I posted my original question about the remotes and they responded that nothing has changed on the spa-side remotes so a new one should work.

Either way, I'm thinking that these things have to be pretty simple. There's six connections on the box. My guess is PWR, GND, and one for each of the four buttons and that pressing the button simply shorts the button wires to either PWR or GND. I just don't understand why that costs $150 at a minimum (I know, I know...it's because they can).

I'm wondering if I could just repair the existing or make my own