Adding a timer to pool cleaner

[bhubb]

Not sure if this is right place or not but i am looking at adding a timer for my pool cleaner/polaris robot thingy... (Ya i am new at this). I would like to just run it a few hours everyday. I have a timer on the main pump (timer pictured) but not on 2ndary pump that runs clearer. To my understanding i would have to go out and manually turn it on and off on this set up.

What do you guys do with your cleaner? How often and how long do you run it? Wouldnt a timer be easier?

Here is a picture of the set up. The 2 switches (upper boxes - bottom 2 are outlets for landscape lighting) control the 2 pumps. Only the main pump ( right switch) is wired to the timer ( that i can trace).. The left switch controls the robot pump/jet

 

[jblizzle]

Any chance you can post your pictures directly in the thread using the How To Post Pictures tutorial?

Seems like you just need to add a timer to your booster pump, and ensure that it can not run when the main pump is turned off.

 

[bhubb]

Any chance you can post your pictures directly in the thread using the How To Post Pictures tutorial?

Seems like you just need to add a timer to your booster pump, and ensure that it can not run when the main pump is turned off.

Updated. Yes i will make sure times work so both are on at same time. Is there an electronic timer that will allow me to ditch the 1 t104r and have the ability to time 2 things in series as a safety that one only turns on when the other is on?

i know every pool is different but how long does one usually run the cleaner? If said timer existed

something like the intermatic PE153?

 

[jblizzle]

You would think that a dual timer like that exists, I am just not sure if it does or not

You are seeing the disadvantage of the booster pressure cleaners, it is expensive to have to run 2 pumps to clean a pool.

 

[jblizzle]

I think the ET1125 series of Intermatic timers might have something that would work. You likely do not want a mechanical setup because the time clocks could get out of sync. The digital should only have 1 time clock and then 2 circuits you can set to on/off.

 

[pooldv]

You could power your second timer from the switched power of your main pump timer, that way the booster pump time clock cannot turn on if the main pump isn't on.

Edit: This will not work with two separate timers. See post below.

 

[jblizzle]

But the timer needs constant power to keep time

 

[pooldv]

I need to go look at mine. It is wired that way now and it keeps time. My VS pump (now SWG) is wired to timer A and booster pump is wired to timer B. Timer B only powers the pump on if timer A is on.

 

[jblizzle]

That can work if you have extra power wires that are constant for both clocks.

 

[pooldv]

Ok, checked it out. I don't have two time clocks, I have a single device with 2 timers. This is what I have, Intermatic PF1202T Time Clock

 

[bhubb]

Thank you for input

- - - Updated - - -

Probably a dumb question but what are my other options?

 

[jblizzle]

- Keep manually flipping the switches
- Tie the booster pump into the main pump timer and run it all the time. (which may not be a bad option since you should really only need to circulate the water for a few hours a day.)