Dumb question (?) -- can i leave my Omnilogic controller on all winter?

[mbeezie]

Hi all,

I live in the northeast and moved into a home with a salt water pool two years ago. This year, i upgraded the control system to a hayward Omnilogic. It's much easier to use than the previous system. Part of the installation required an electrician, and he wired it so that my outdoor lights around the pool and electricity to my cabana runs through the Omnilogic controller. It's convenient during the summer, but now that the pool is closed and the system is off, i don't have power to the lights around the pool or to the cabana which has outlets. We use the cabana in the winter because we have a fire pit next to it. So it seems i would have to have the main omnilogic controller on all year to be able to use the electricity in my cabana. I turned it back on, and turned off all the relevant pool control functions, along with their associated breakers. But...can i leave this omnilogic controller on all winter? It has a touch screen, i'm worried it could possibly freeze. I don't know if these are valid concerns. Maybe people in the northeast use these all winter to control hot tubs?

Sorry if this is massively stupid question -- just want to check before i do something dumb

 

[1poolman1]

Its always smart to ask this type of question, the smart person knows what they don't know, the wise find the answer.
Your system is, in effect, an expensive on/off switch. There is a transformer internal to the box that can keep the control system warm if you leave the power to the OmniLogic on. You don't even need to change the programming for winter if you remove equipment (pumps, etc), just turn the relevant breaker off. Programs will run but nothing will happen. If you don't remove the equipment for Winter (I live in an all-year state and don't know your process for closing a pool) the installer should have made sure that the built-in freeze protection was not turned off. Either way, no need to turn the OmniLogic off.

 

[mbeezie]

thank you for your kindness and information. I really appreciate it!