Pump Timer - Too Easy?

[cannoncd]

I inherited a pool when I bought my house....got a quick rundown from the previous owner, but nothing in-depth.

My pump is plugged directly into an in-ground outlet with an on/off switch. It's been running 24/7 since I moved in and I'm pretty sure that's how it ran previous to me taking over. I'm considering putting it on a timer. Would any simple outlet timer (a la christmas lights) work? Or - do the fancy wired timers have some other requirements I'm overlooking? Thanks!

 

[Amail]

Your pump uses a lot more power than christmas lights, so you'd want something a lot more robust. I used mechanical timers like Intermatic T104 208-277-Volt DPST 24 Hour Mechanical Time Switch - Intermatic Timer - Amazon.com, which is great for handling a pump running on 220 VAC. I suspect yours is wired for 220 VAC, but if it's 110 there are similar timers geared to that.

If you're interested in electronic automated control you have a lot of options as well. My company makes an 885 controller board that, when coupled with a large relay, is perfect for your application. Before I switched to a variable speed pump I had a single speed like you have, and the 885 board gave me all the control options I needed as well as inputs for temperature, pressure, atmospheric conditions, etc. If you're interested in learning more about that, shoot me a PM and we can take it off line.

Anyway, the quick simple option is the mechanical timer in the link, but there's a world of other options open to you as well. Good luck!