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How to switch modes with a Balboa keypad

How to switch modes with a Balboa keypad - Click to enlarge

GS and GL control systems

There are three operating modes: Standard, Economy, and Sleep. These modes mainly affect heating, and therefore energy consumption.

Standard (Std or St)
This is the most common operating mode, and is sometimes the only operating mode, depending on the system configuration. This mode allows you to heat your spa at any time, as long as the water hasn’t reached the desired temperature. When this mode is on, your spa will heat up to the requested temperature, and stay at that temperature. This means that you can use your spa whenever you want.

Economy (Ecn, Eco, Ec)
The Economy mode can be used when you don’t use your spa that often, or if you want to benefit from cheaper electricity rates during off-peak hours, if you can change when you use your spa to match when your spa is heated. Heating is only possible during filtration cycles, which means that the temperature will drop outside these cycles. Despite the name, you’re not going to save that much money with this operating mode, unless you can time the filtration cycle to be during off-peak hours.

Your spa can be programmed with “hidden” filtration cycles so you can benefit from this mode, even if it is equipped with a 24-hour circulation pump.

Sleep (SLP or SL)
Sleep mode lets the temperature drop to 20°F (11°C) below the requested temperature. For example, if you set your spa to 26°C, your spa will only heat to 15°C. This setting is perfect if you’re going on holiday.

How to change modes?
To change modes, you need to enter a specific key combination, which is different depending on the keypad installed on your spa.

Keypad without Mode key
Press “Temp” then “Light” to change modes.
This works on the VL200, VL240, VL260, VL400, VL401, VL402, VL403, VL404, ML400, ML260, ML240, and ML200 keypads.

Keypads with a Mode key connected to a GS system
Press "Warm" or "Cool" then "Mode".
This works on the VL600S, VL700S, VL701S, VL702S VL801D, and V802D keypads.

Keypads with a Mode key connected to a GL system
Press "Mode" then "Cool" to select which mode you want, then "Mode" again to confirm.
This works on ML900, ML700, ML550, and ML551 keypads.

How to know if you have a GS or a GL system? You might recognise your keypads in the lists above. If not, look at the model of your control box installed on your spa. It is probably easier to try one method then the other, and see which one works.

To find out more, look at your keypad documentation.

BP control systems

Unlike GS and GL systems, the more recent BP range is not equipped with Standard, Economy, and Sleep modes so to speak, but with two modes with equivalent functions.

Double temperature ranges
BP systems have two independent temperature modes with their own adjustments. The high range is shown on the screen with an upwards arrow preceded by a thermometer or “Range” (depending on the keypad) and can be set between 27°C and 40°C. The low range is shown with a downwards arrow preceded by a thermometer or “Range”, and can be set between 10°C and 38°C. These two modes can be used for various reasons. The most common is to have one at your preferred water temperature, and the other as a vacation mode. The spa will keep the water at the requested temperature depending on the selected mode.

Ready and Rest modes
For the spa to heat, a pump needs to send water through the heater. This pump can be a two-speed Pump 1, or a circulation pump. If the pump is a two-speed Pump 1, the Ready mode will make the water circulate every half-hour, using the slow speed, so that the water stays at the same temperature. If you use your spa regularly, you will probably want to use the Ready mode.

When in Rest mode, the spa will only heat during the programmed filtration cycles. If you stop using your spa for a long time, you might want to use the Rest mode.

The Ready-in-Rest mode is a sub-function of Rest mode. This mode activates if the spa is in Rest mode and Pump 1 is activated manually. The spa then thinks that people are using it, and heats the water to the desired temperature. Pump 1 then functions on low speed until the water reaches that temperature or for one hour. After an hour, the control system automatically goes back to Rest mode. It is also possible to set the spa to the mode you want with the adjustment menu.

This works with TP200T, TP200W, TP260T, TP260W, TP400T, TP400W, TP500, TP600, TP700, TP900, spaTouch 2 trapezoid and spaTouch 2T rectangle, spaTouch 3.

How to switch between modes? You need to enter a specific combination of keys, which varies depending on the keypad installed on your spa. Please refer to the “Temperature ranges” and “Heating modes” sections in the user manual for your TP or spaTouch keypad.