Jandy VersaTemp JRT Series

The VersaTemp JRT series is Jandy's heat pump for pools and spas, and every model heats and chills. Jandy's manual covers four: the JRT2000R, JRT2500R and JRT3000R on single phase, and the three-phase JRT3000R3. All four have a scroll compressor, a titanium heat exchanger and 2 in. unions. Jandy's sell sheet adds its SoundShield noise reduction. The manual says a heat pump won't heat a pool as fast as a large gas heater, and that it can take several days to bring a cold pool back up.

Jandy also lists a larger 160,000 BTU VersaTemp, the JRT4001R, with its own manual. Jandy's website refuses automated access, and that manual wasn't available anywhere else Jandy publishes documents, so this page doesn't cover it.

What the rating becomes in cooler air

Jandy rates each model at 80°F air and 80% humidity, again at 63% humidity, and at 50°F air. The water is 80°F in all three. At 50°F the output is 60 to 65 percent of the headline number:

• JRT2000R: 103,000 BTU/hr, falling to 62,000 at 50°F
• JRT2500R: 116,000, falling to 70,000
• JRT3000R: 130,000, falling to 82,000
• JRT3000R3: 130,000, falling to 85,000

The COP at 50°F is 4.0 to 4.4, with the three-phase model the highest. The two smaller models are the most efficient in warm air, at COP 6.4 and 6.5. For spring and fall, size on the 50°F rating.

Heat, chill and cold plunge

Every JRT model has the chiller feature. At the heat pump's own controller, pool mode can heat or chill, and chilling starts when the water rises 1 degree above the set point. Heating starts when it falls 1 degree below. Either way there's a 5-minute delay before it runs. The factory set points are 80°F for the pool and 102°F for the spa.

Connected to an AquaLink, the Maintain Heat and Maintain Chill modes let the heat pump run the pump around the clock to sample the water temperature. The manual says those modes only work with an AquaLink.

Cold plunge: the manual says a JRT can chill about 800 gallons or less down to 40°F. For that, it has to be switched to Air Defrost mode in the service menu.

Defrost

The manual describes two defrost modes, both chosen in the service setup menu:

• Hot Gas, set at the factory. Hot refrigerant vapor from the compressor's discharge side warms the evaporator coil and melts the ice.
• Air Defrost. The heat pump briefly runs in reverse, as if cooling, which warms the outdoor coil. This is the mode a cold plunge needs.

To reach the service setup menu, turn the control off, then press and hold MENU, POOL and SPA for 5 seconds.

Flow, height and plumbing

• Maximum flow: 70 gpm on every model. Above that, add an external manual bypass.
• Minimum flow: 20 gpm for the JRT2000R and JRT2500R, 30 gpm for the JRT3000R and R3, per the specification table. The pressure switch section asks for 30 gpm on every model.
• Optimal flow: 42, 48 and 57 gpm, smallest model to largest.
• Height: the pressure switch copes with the heat pump up to 10 ft below the pool surface or 5 ft above it. Outside that range, the manual says an external flow switch may be needed.
• Order of equipment: pool, pump, filter, heat pump, check valve, then any chemical feeder or chlorinator. Don't put a shutoff valve or any variable restriction between the heat pump outlet and the pool.
• Chemical feeders go downstream of the heat pump, with a check valve between them. Back-siphoned chemical water damages the heat pump.
• Other heat sources, gas, electric or solar, are plumbed in series. More than one heat pump goes in parallel.
• Salt: chlorine generators are fine, with salt up to 4,500 ppm.

Where it can go

• Outdoors. The specifications say outdoor use only, and the manual says indoor installations aren't recommended.
• Clearances: 24 in. at the front and 12 in. at the sides and rear are the minimums. For service, Jandy recommends 36 in. and 24 in. Leave 5 ft above it if there's an overhang.
• From the pool: at least 5 ft from the inside wall, unless a 5 ft solid fence or other permanent barrier is between them. Canada requires 3 m.
• The pad: flat, and pitched no more than 1/4 in. per foot toward the front of the heat pump, level side to side.
• Anchor clamps come with the heat pump. The manual recommends them everywhere and says Florida requires them.
• Keep sprinklers off it, and don't put it under a roof edge without a gutter.

The electrical side

The single-phase models come wired for 230 V. The JRT3000R3 is three phase, 208 to 230 V. Minimum circuit ampacity runs from 38 A on the JRT2000R to 40 A on the JRT3000R. The maximum breaker is 40 A on the JRT2000R and 50 A on the other three. There has to be a disconnect within sight of the heat pump. Bond it with 8 AWG solid copper, or 6 AWG in Canada.

Automation. Three ways to connect it, from the manual:

• A 3-wire pool-off-spa selector, set as HI-LO-COM in the service menu.
• A 2-wire thermostat connection to an AquaLink RS or a remote thermostat. This can control heating or chilling, but not both.
• RS485, 4 wires, to an AquaLink RS. This controls both heating and chilling, though only in pool mode; spa mode heats only. It needs revision N or later on the AquaLink RS and software 3.0 or later on the heat pump. Jandy's wire for it is part 4278.

Once an AquaLink RS is online, the heat pump's own buttons are disabled. Pressing MENU hands control back to the heat pump, until you cycle its power or re-enable the remote in the user setup menu.

Faults on the display

• NO FLOW: low or restricted flow, a bypass valve in the wrong position, or a failed flow switch.
• LOW REF PRESSURE: the low pressure switch has opened. In cold air, the manual says, suction pressure can drop enough to cause it.
• HIGH REF PRESSURE: head pressure too high, usually from restricted water flow.
• HIGH WATER TEMP: water at or above the maximum allowed temperature. The heat pump shuts off unless it's chilling.
• SHORTED or OPEN COIL SENSOR, and SHORTED or OPEN WATER SENSOR: a sensor has failed or come unplugged.

Before calling anyone, the manual's table has a few checks. A heat pump that won't start with a working display may just be in its 5-minute delay, or set to cool. One that runs without heating should be blowing cold air out of the top. A newly installed unit, or one heating a pool that has cooled right down, needs 24 to 48 hours of continuous running.

A water leak is usually condensate: 3 to 5 gallons an hour is normal while it runs. Turn the heat pump and the pump off for an hour. If water still drains from the base, the manual suspects an internal leak.

Water chemistry

The manual's table: free chlorine 1 to 3 ppm or bromine 2 to 4, pH 7.2 to 7.8 with 7.4 to 7.6 ideal, total alkalinity 80 to 120 ppm, calcium hardness 175 to 400, cyanuric acid 30 to 50, and total dissolved solids 1,000 to 2,000 ppm, not counting salt. Jandy's warranty sets its own limits, which aren't the same; see below.

Winterizing and upkeep

Winterizing: turn off the power at the breaker, shut off the water, and disconnect both unions so the heat pump drains. Cover only the top. The manual says not to wrap the sides in anything that holds heat or moisture. It also says failing to winterize may void the warranty, and the warranty excludes freeze damage outright.

In spring: inspect the top and sides, reconnect the unions, run the pump and check for leaks, balance the water, then turn the power back on.

Yearly: the manual calls a technician's inspection at least once a year a requirement. The checks include the wiring, the pressure switch, the limits and temperature control, the evaporator coil, and the condensate drain. The flow check is simple: with the heat pump on and the pump's time clock off, the heat pump must not start.

Refrigerant work is for a technician. The JRT uses R-410A, and the manual says the EPA requires certification to buy or use it.

Parts

The manual's parts list, on pages 28 and 29, gives every numbered part on the exploded views, with the models each fits. A few things to know before ordering:

• The compressor make varies. The list gives a CP compressor for the JRT2000R and JRT3000R3, and LG for the JRT2500R and JRT3000R. Canadian units have their own compressor numbers. The run capacitor and compressor plug depend on the make, and the manual says the model information is on a label next to the run capacitor.
• Heat exchangers: R0936700 for the JRT2000R and R0936800 for the JRT2500R and JRT3000R. The list gives none for the JRT3000R3.
• Two filter driers are listed for all models, a standard one and a bi-flow one, without saying which a unit takes.
• Two temperature sensors are listed, a temperature sensor (7790) and an air temperature sensor (R0935600). The list doesn't say which is the water sensor and which the coil sensor the display refers to.

For parts, the manual sends you to a Jandy dealer or distributor, then to Jandy at 800-822-7933.

Where Jandy's documents disagree, or are unclear

• Minimum flow. The specification table allows 20 gpm on the two smaller models. The pressure switch instructions say 30 gpm is the minimum for safe operation, and the salt note gives 30 to 70 gpm for every model.
• Height above the pool. The specification table lists a "minimum" height above water level of 5 ft. The plumbing and pressure switch sections treat 5 ft above the pool as a maximum.
• Where the water connections are. One section puts the inlet on the lower rear and says both inlet and outlet are on the left. The spring startup steps put the unions on the lower front panel.
• The bonding lug. The wiring sections put it on the right side of the heat pump. The bonding section says the bonding point is on the bottom.
• The factory defrost mode. The defrost section says Hot Gas is set at the factory. The cold plunge note says the JRT comes from the factory in "Power Defrost" mode.
• The transformer. The parts list says every model but the JRT3000R3 takes one. The three-phase electric box drawing and wiring diagram both show a transformer.
• Run capacitors. The capacitor rows mention CP versions of the JRT2500R and JRT3000R and an LG JRT2000R, none of which appear among the compressors.
• Water chemistry. The manual allows total dissolved solids to 2,000 ppm and gives calcium hardness 175 to 400 and cyanuric acid 30 to 50. The warranty's limits are dissolved solids under 1,500 ppm, not counting salt, total hardness under 800 with 200 to 400 ideal, and cyanuric acid 30 to 100.
• A gas warning on an electric appliance. The manual's opening warning mentions carbon monoxide and flue gases, which an electric heat pump doesn't produce.
• The warranty itself. The manual says only that the heat pump has a limited factory warranty. The two-year, five-year terms are in Jandy's separate warranty document.

Buying it

Buy a VersaTemp from a Jandy dealer and have it installed by a licensed pool contractor. Jandy's warranty doesn't cover a heat pump bought online at all, and it never pays for labor. Keep the installation date and the installer's name, because a claim needs both, along with the model and serial number from the rating plate.

For how a heat pump compares with gas, see pool heater types compared. If one has stopped heating, pool heater not heating walks through the checks first.