Timer getting stuck

techman65

Well-known member
Dec 12, 2013
132
Augusta, GA
I've been having trouble with my Intermatic timer recently. I have the regular pump set to run between 2 and 7 each day and the booster pump from 2 to 6. The timer for the pump is regularly getting stuck at the 6:00 position. As an example, this morning I discovered the pump was on and when I checked the pump timer it is stuck right around 6:00.

When I look in the view hole for both timers I can see them both moving. I have an Intermatic PF 1222TB as pictured below. Can anyone help me diagnose this problem?

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2 Questions:

1) What is a "view hole"?
2) Did you ever mess with the screw labeled "Do Not Unscrew"?

It's possible the timer is getting stuck on the "Off" bit. Try removing it and putting it back in. Make sure it's pushed as far in as it can get and screwed tight but not too tight that you won't be able to unscrew it by hand. You may need to change the time temporarily while you do this. If you try to put one of those timer bits on when it's close to the trigger time you might not be able to get it on all the way.

By the way, you should not set the booster to turn on at the same time as the pump. It's unlikely those timers can ever be perfectly calibrated to each other and if the booster pump turns on before the main pump for whatever reason, it could cause damage to the booster pump. It is usually a good idea to set the booster to turn on at least 30 minutes after the pump is set to turn on, and at least 30 minutes before it's set to turn off. If you are going to run the pump from 2-7, I would set the booster from 3-6.
 
@zethacat I'm calling the "view hole" the little hole where you can look and see whether the gears are turning or not.
And no, I have not messed with the screw labeled 'do not unscrew'. I will definitely try changing the run time for the booster pump so it is not so close to when the pump comes on.

@duraleigh Yes, I have made sure the on and off lugs are really snug.

Thanks for your suggestions!


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2By the way, you should not set the booster to turn on at the same time as the pump. It's unlikely those timers can ever be perfectly calibrated to each other and if the booster pump turns on before the main pump for whatever reason, it could cause damage to the booster pump. It is usually a good idea to set the booster to turn on at least 30 minutes after the pump is set to turn on, and at least 30 minutes before it's set to turn off.

Depending on your setup, you might be able to disregard this advice. In my previous pool, I had the exact same setup. However, the power to the booster pump timer came from the main pump timer, so it didn't matter if my timers were not synced up. The booster pump could not come on unless the main pump was already powered up and running.
 
@JayBauman I have the same setup you describe. Booster pump can't turn on unless main pump already running.

Still scratching my head over this issue. Could it be something as simple as the COLOR of the timer trippers I'm using on the main pump? I noticed in another thread that The T-100 series requires the green trip, while their other series of timers require the silver one. I do have the green 'on' trip for the booster pump, but not the main one.
 
Still having trouble with this timer issue. I have had some time off over the holidays and tried an experiment. I previously had the timer set to run from 2-6pm. I found the timer would get stuck in the 6pm position and I would have to manually turn pump off or it would run all night. I tried changing the run time from 1-5pm and discovered the pump turns off at 5 as expected but then gets stuck at 6pm and will not turn the pump on the next day.

Any speculation on what is causing the timer to get stuck at 6pm? Any fix for this aside from replacing the timer?
 
I'm still struggling with this timer issue. It has been manageable during the offseason having to reset the timer each day, but would like to find a resolution before pool season starts.

I just noticed that the timer is very loose right around the 6pm position. I can freely move it around 1/4 inch in each direction. Is this an indication the timer needs to be replaced? Can I fix this by just replacing the timer or is there likely more to it?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
 

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I wanted to send an update on this thread I started a while ago. Over the weekend, I got tired of having to continually reset the timer manually. So, I went to Lowe's, picked up a replacement timer (Intermatic T-104M) and swapped it out. There are several YouTube videos out there that tell exactly how to do it.

Glad to report that everything is working great now. :D
 
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