anonymouscuban

Thought I'd add an update in case anyone ever finds themselves with the same issue or any stripped threads in PVC. To fix this, I got a bit creative. I used a 2-part epoxy to "rethread" the female PVC fitting since I could not remove it. Here is what I did: Mixed the 2-part epoxy together to activate it. You know, the stuff that looks like clay. Pressed the epoxy around the inside wall of the female PVC fitting where the threads used to be. With a male threaded fitting lined with teflon tape, I screwed it into the PVC fitting, basically molding or creating the threads in the epoxy that I stuck inside the female fitting. Let the epoxy set so it was pretty hard. Removed the male threaded fitting. Let the epoxy cure overnight. And there you have it. New threads in the female PVC fitting. Hope that makes sense and ends up helping others out. Alex

My pool has an auto pool filler. Uses a valve with a float to top of the pool when the water level drops. I've replaced the valve a few times. They last a couple of years before they lever mechanism stops swiveling. Well, when I removed the old valve, the PVC female threads basically broke to pieces, so the female fitting where the valve screws into is now stripped. You can see it in the photos below. I tried removing the white female fitting. Figured it just screws into the housing but it won't budge. I don't know if this piece comes off, to then replace it with a new one or if it's a piece of the housing. Poor design if it is since threads break or strip like with mine. Anyone have any clue if this piece comes off? I need to either replace it or somehow attach a new female fitting so I can attach the float valve. Thanks for the help.

Hi all, Hope you guys can help me figure out what is wrong with my Aqualink RS Controller. I noticed my pool pump didn't start up this morning and when I checked the Aqualink control panel, the Auto light was turned on (solid) but no other lights were on. I pressed the button to toggle to Service Mode but it didn't respond. Tried all of the other buttons, again, no response. I tripped the circuit breaker to cut power to the box, waited a few seconds and flipped it back on. All the lights on each button light up at once, and then turn off one at a time, from left to right, in sequence. Kind of like a marque sign or in a wave. It does this over and over again for a couple of minutes. Then they all turn off. I can get it to do anything. Any ideas of whats wrong? Thanks, Alex

So... the Jandy Service guy came out yesterday. It took him all of 20 minutes to find the problem. The Flame Sensor was disconnected. Pretty anticlimactic if you ask me. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely happy that the heater is working. I am just a bit dissapointed that it took almost 2 years to get it working. Part of that is my fault for procrastinating. But I had 2 supposed Authorized Service guys look at the problem and they were not able to figure it out. If not for the fact that I am pretty handy and know just enough about gas lines and mechanical stuff to get me in trouble, I would have ended up shelling out several thousands of dollars running a larger gas line and redoing part of my stamped concrete decking. I do have to say that I am pretty impressed with the heater. I fired it up yesterday, for the first time, after the Service Guy left. It took about 30 minutes to warm my spa water from 72 - 98 degrees. I will probably heat my pool next weekend to see how long that takes. Thanks to everyone that made suggestion and gave input on the problem. Hopefully this thread will help someone else out that finds themselves with the same problem.

I received the new valve today so now I am waiting for the manometer. Also, I got my hands on a Jandy troubleshooting guide for this heater so I now have some direction on how to tackle this problem. I will keep you guys updated. Update... So I received the new valve and the gas manometer. I replaced the old valve with the new gas valve and tested the gas pressure before and after the valve. Pressure before the gas valve inlet is 8.75" WC. Pressure at the gas valve outlet was about 3.5" WC but I adjusted it down to 3.0" WC. Basically, pressure is now what the specs call for... still no dice. So at least I have rulled out gas pressure or the gas valve as the problem. I called another Jandy Service Guy who will be coming out on Thursday afternoon. Hopefully, he will be able to get it working. I will update you guys on progress and findings.

I received the new valve today so now I am waiting for the manometer. Also, I got my hands on a Jandy troubleshooting guide for this heater so I now have some direction on how to tackle this problem. I will keep you guys updated.

I'm still awaiting the new gas valve so I haven't done anything with the heater since my original post but I thought I won't update the thread. I've also ordered a gas manometer just make sure I am adjusting the valve properly since I know this same symptom can happen if the valve is allowing too much or too little gas into the manifold. I think I mentioned that I actually made my own gas manometer but I thought I'd spend the extra 60 bucks for a professional one. Hopefully I will get the valve this week some time so I can fuss around with the heater this weekend. I will try the flame sensor suggestion as well. I will post an update once I try some of this stuff. Honestly, I went with Jandy because I've heard really good things about them. All of my equipment is Jandy, from the filter and pump to the salt system and controller. Everything else has worked very well and I feel the heater issue is not an example of the normal experience. Just bad luck for me. Regardless, I have promised the wife that her spa will be heated this year regardless of if I have to buy another heater. Keep the information and suggestions coming... something gotta work eventually!

Drip, Thanks for the reply. I will try the things you suggested but I doubt it's a clog. Keep in mind, I've had this problem since the heater was taken out of the box and installed. Also, I do feel heat coming from the manifold so it is lighting. The problem is the valve shuts off after a couple of seconds; I can actually hear when the valve closes. No matter, I will check everything for debris or spiders/webs, etc. just to rule those things out. Hey, that would be great if you can send me that troubleshooting guide. Please email it to me at anonymouscuban@yahoo.com. I will keep you guys posted on what happens after I try the different things you all suggested and also after I replace the valve.

You sound like my wife a little there Just kidding... Yes. The blower does kick on before the ignition attempt. It kicks on, then a few seconds later, I here a click which I believe is the gas valve closing. Then it cycles and does it again, two more times before giving me the AGS error. Then I have to turn it off and back on to reset it and try again. The heater is wired at 240v. I should mention that I have a new Jandy Gas Valve on order since this is pretty much the olnly thing I have yet to try and all my troubleshooting is kind of pointing to it being the problem. Worst case, I spent $200 to rule it out as the problem. BTW, I appreciate the help.

I have a Jandy LX400 Natural Gas Heater. It's almost 2 years old. I have never been able to get the thing to turn on. The heater lights for a few seconds and then shuts off, it then tries again and the same. It goes through three cycles of this and then gives me an error "AGS". The manually says it's not enough gas pressure. I had two Jandy service guys come out, both from the same place. Neither seemed knowledgable to me. I actually felt I knew more about troubleshooting the problem than they did. The first guy told me it was that supply line was too small. When I told him I had a knew 1.25" line put in, which is what the manually specified, he said it's probably clogged with plumbers putty. I asked him if he could measure the WC pressure but he said he didn't have his gauge. He left without fixing the problem since it was a "plumbing issue". To rule his conclusion out, I bypassed the new line and ran a temp line out of 2" PVC from my gas meter to the heater. Same thing... three cycles, no heat. I then made my own gas manometer to measure the level of water columns at the heater's gas valve and then after, before it enters the manifold. With the 2" PVC, I get more than enough pressure at the gas valve. However, I don't get enough pressure after the valve. This is the same with the 1.25" supply line. I took the valve to see if there was anything clogging and found nothing. I then called the second guy. He comes out, takes a look around, listens to my troubleshooting and concludes that my Gas Meter is undersized. I say OK, easy enough. So I call the Gas Company, they ask me for the size of the meter. I give them the model and they say it's largest residential meter I can get. I think it's the gas valve on the heater that's faulty. The Jandy reps say "Oh those things never go bad". I can pick one up for $175 which I probably will do just to rule it out. Maybe I'll get lucky and it will fix the problem. Who knows. So that's where I am today. This has been a royal pain in my @$$ so it's been really easy to ignore the problem. I want to be able to heat my spa this summer so I have decided to get this issue resolved once and for all, even if it means shelling out another $2000 for a new heater. Any help you guys can give me would be much appreciated.