Intellibrite Controller and Timer for LED Lights

Jump to latest Follow Reply
D

Drmtesta

0
Jul 26, 2015
10
San Diego California
Hi all,
We are redoing our pool and it made sense to swap out the lights in both the pool and spa to LED. We are going to use an intellibrite controller and I want to have it turn on automatically for about 2 hours each night. Is it possible to do this with a timer attached? I'm asking because I just noticed the controller has a push button switch. Does it mean it cannot be used to automatically turn the lights on? Or can it be left in the on position just controlling the power through the timer?
Thanks in advance!!
 
Drmtesta said:
Hi all,
We are redoing our pool and it made sense to swap out the lights in both the pool and spa to LED. We are going to use an intellibrite controller and I want to have it turn on automatically for about 2 hours each night. Is it possible to do this with a timer attached? I'm asking because I just noticed the controller has a push button switch. Does it mean it cannot be used to automatically turn the lights on? Or can it be left in the on position just controlling the power through the timer?
Thanks in advance!!
Click to expand...

Yes it can be left in the on position. Just make sure the timer works off 110. My intermatic panel with timers requires 220, which means I can't connect my 12v transformer to it for my lights.
 
Corleone said:
Yes it can be left in the on position. Just make sure the timer works off 110. My intermatic panel with timers requires 220, which means I can't connect my 12v transformer to it for my lights.
Click to expand...


Thats awesome, thanks. I'll grab a new timer at Home Depot. They are like $50.
Another quick question apparently the Intellibrite does not fit neatly into a traditional electrical box. Where do you get a larger one? Or do you need to modify a smaller one?
Thanks again.
 
I don't think that will work. I would call Pentair's 800 customer service number and ask them.

As I understand it you want to know if your timer can interrupt power to your intellibrite led lights and when power is restored they will turn on and return to the prior setting without intervention by the controller.

A pool automation system can do that but I don't think that will work with just a timer.
 
gwegan said:
I don't think that will work. I would call Pentair's 800 customer service number and ask them.

As I understand it you want to know if your timer can interrupt power to your intellibrite led lights and when power is restored they will turn on and return to the prior setting without intervention by the controller.

A pool automation system can do that but I don't think that will work with just a timer.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's exactly what I want to do. Why wouldn't it work if the Intellibrite can be left in on position?
 
Your second question has me lost.

Do you mean the light fixture does not fit into the light niche on the side of the pool?

On another note if you use a timer it has to be wired before the junction box. Technically it can be after the transformer but it has to be before the pool junction box where the cord from the pool lights terminate.
 
gwegan said:
Look at the installation manual here: http://www.pentairpool.com/pdfs/IntelliBrite 5G OM.pdf

It looks like your timer thing will work ( see page 1) And I would advise buying the controller.

But I don't get the box thing. See the wiring diagram on page 7.
Click to expand...

I know why. I'm talking about the Intellibrite Controller not the light or the light fixture. Fitting the panel into the electrical box.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
So my pool guy installed the spa light, pool light and Intellibrite controller with an intellimatic type timer. It is set up to sync both lights. The issue I am having is that the spa light will only go on every 5 or 6 times I power up the controller. Sometimes it goes on for 5 or 6 seconds then shuts off, and others nothing at all. Just bizarre. My guy was here today and of course it worked before he left. I went out 20 min later and only the pool light. Thoughts???
 
Drmtesta said:
So my pool guy installed the spa light, pool light and Intellibrite controller with an intellimatic type timer. It is set up to sync both lights. The issue I am having is that the spa light will only go on every 5 or 6 times I power up the controller. Sometimes it goes on for 5 or 6 seconds then shuts off, and others nothing at all. Just bizarre. My guy was here today and of course it worked before he left. I went out 20 min later and only the pool light. Thoughts???
Click to expand...

Yes, I had that same exact problem. First time I hooked up the controller, everything worked great. Then the next day, the spa light turned off after about 10 seconds.

After troubleshooting, I discovered that my feed wire to the j box was too small. What size wire do you have feeding into your jbox to power your lights?

I pulled the wire I had and replaced with 10 gauge and it's worked perfectly.
 
Corleone said:
Yes, I had that same exact problem. First time I hooked up the controller, everything worked great. Then the next day, the spa light turned off after about 10 seconds.

After troubleshooting, I discovered that my feed wire to the j box was too small. What size wire do you have feeding into your jbox to power your lights?

I pulled the wire I had and replaced with 10 gauge and it's worked perfectly.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply. I really thought it was something like that. My installer said the light was probably bad but I figured it wouldn't work at all if it was. Which wire do you mean specifically? I have the light wires meeting at a Jbox halfway to the pool equipment and then wire running from there to the controller. Are you saying that second run might be the problem?
Thanks again.
 
Drmtesta said:
Thanks for your reply. I really thought it was something like that. My installer said the light was probably bad but I figured it wouldn't work at all if it was. Which wire do you mean specifically? I have the light wires meeting at a Jbox halfway to the pool equipment and then wire running from there to the controller. Are you saying that second run might be the problem?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...

The wire would be where the lights connect to the j box. The pool light should be 12ga and the spa light 16ga.

It really depends on the distance the j box is from your panel. Mine is about 100 feet and I needed 10 gauge wire to compensate for loss.

I'm not positive that's the issue, but for my situation I went through everything and after reading the specs, the only thing I could come up with was that. My jenky electrician used 16 gauge to feed into the j box. I had questioned it from the beginning, but he was certain it would be sufficient for two 12v lights. Since I had already questioned that, it's what I focused on first, and after reading the manual, I felt confident it was the cause.

I attached 10 ga and pulled it through, replacing the 16ga, and it works perfect now.
 
I have regular 14 gauge supplying the controller and transformer. Do people have smaller wires in the house (16)?

In my setup a timer would have to be hard-wired before the transformer. The controller I believe would work if you wanted to leave it on and switch with timer.

On the controller installation, it's not entirely clear in docs but the Intellibrite controller is designed for outdoor only. You will probably not find a box that it will fit into, other than a PVC wetherproof box (usually surface-mount) which it was designed for. Mine had to go in the kitchen to replace the old SAM light switch, and if I understood my wife correctly she was opposed to a grey, surface-mount box beside the dinner table. ;-) I had to channel Macgyver to get that job done.

*some codes may have been harmed during the installation of this controller*
 
According to Pentair, you should have at minimum 12 gauge.

http://www.pentairpool.com/pdfs/intellibrite5gOM.pdf

I have 12v lights, so I also followed the instructions from the transformer's manual which is where I figured I would need 10 gauge for my particular set up. The price difference is very little, so if you're able to, I recommend upsizing whenever possible. It won't hurt anything to have larger wire than necessary, and I prefer it because I'm not an electrician and I don't really understand the proper calculations to figure out loss of voltage over distance.

http://www.intermatic.com/~/media/Intermatic/Documentation/Pool_and_Spa/Specialty_Controls/PX_Series/PX100_and_PX100S.pdf
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply