Switching from tablet feeder

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waxhawk

0
Feb 15, 2017
7
Waxhaw, NC
New here. I'm looking to remove my tablet feeder and replacing with a SWG. My question is that I know it needs to run when the pump runs but how can I hook this up so it does that. This will be the second year of a new pool. Went with the tablet feeder the builder put in with the thought of "see how the year goes" to see if we want to replace it with a SWG. After seeing CYA go high because of Trichlor, decided to self install the SWG next month.

I can't seem to find much about where I can hook up the SWG to run with the pump. The pump is a Jandy VS 2.7 with a standard digital controller. During the season I had it run 24/7 on 50% unless we wanted water features, so the SWG would not be a problem then. During winter I run it nightly from 11p-7a to keep the water filtered. All I can find for the SWG is tying into the power on the time clock but my pump does not run on the standard time clock although there is still one there.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

This is the controller I have for the pump:

http://www.zodiac.co.za/admin/Content/cms/za-content/FloPro%20ePump%20Instruction%20Manual.pdf
 
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wax,

Welcome to TFP... A Great resource for all your pool questions... :shark:

This is the one downfall of VS pumps.. The workaround is to use a separate timer and keep it in sync with the program you use in your VS pump.

So, if you run your pump from 11p to 7a, then I would set the timer for the SWCG to run from 11:30p to 6:30a, just to have some overlap.

A lot of people here have the same problem and that is the standard workaround.

Thanks for posting, and good luck with your SWCG installation, you will love it!!!

Jim R.
 
That pump actually has a smart feature. It has an auxiliary load relay. You can wire power from the pump to the swg. The pump has two lines coming in to provide 230 volts. The wires go to L1 and L2.

To get power to the SWG, run conduit from the pump to the SWG. Then you run a wire from L1 to the auxiliary load relay "IN". Then you run a wire from the auxiliary load relay "OUT" to the SWG. Then you run a wire from L2 to the SWG. Then run a ground wire from pump ground to SWG ground.

The auxiliary load relay only cuts one leg of the power, so you have to remember to shut off power to the pump when working on the SWG.

See manual for wiring diagrams. Verify that you have the relay. Have an electrician wire everything to local code.

The relay opens below 1725 and closes at 1725 rpm or higher.

In my opinion, all VS pumps should have this and all SWGs should have a "fireman's" switch for remote cutoff.
 
Well, they prefer that you buy their automation box. But, many people aren't ready to spend that much.

It should be easy. The pumps and SWGs both have communication links. They "should" be able to communicate and cooperate directly without the need for automation.

The relay can be used to control power to a SWG or if the SWG had a fireman's switch, it could control the SWG that way.

The 1725 rpm set speed to open or close the relay seems arbitrary. I don't think that it's adjustable. It should be adjustable. If 1400 rpm gives you enough flow, you should be able to set the relay trigger rpm to that.

Maybe 1,000 rpm might be a good lower limit. It's a 2.7 hp pump, so it's still going to have good flow below 1725 rpm as long as the system is properly designed.
 
JamesW said:
Well, they prefer that you buy their automation box. But, many people aren't ready to spend that much.

It should be easy. The pumps and SWGs both have communication links. They "should" be able to communicate and cooperate directly without the need for automation.

The relay can be used to control power to a SWG or if the SWG had a fireman's switch, it could control the SWG that way.

The 1725 rpm set speed to open or close the relay seems arbitrary. I don't think that it's adjustable. It should be adjustable. If 1400 rpm gives you enough flow, you should be able to set the relay trigger rpm to that.

Maybe 1,000 rpm might be a good lower limit. It's a 2.7 hp pump, so it's still going to have good flow below 1725 rpm as long as the system is properly designed.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll look into that. I have the manual packed away. Thanks for everyone's input.
 
You have another option. The pump controller has a remote control interface (see below) which you can select one of the 4 programmed pump speeds by closing the selected contact. This will override anything going on with the pump. This means if you have the SWG close this relay when you run it, it will make sure the pump is running at the desired speed.

The AutoPilot PoolPilot Digital SWG is one which has the means to add an external relay which you can wire to perform this closure. It has programming internally so you can select the run times for the SWG. This is also nice because if you need a boost of chlorine - i.e. lots of people over - you can select the boost on the SWG which will again make sure the relay is triggered and the pump is running. The PoolPilot would be configured to think you are triggering a single speed pump, as the "normal" operation would be to route the 110/220v through the relay and power the pump. But by using their optional external relay you can use the low voltage signal provided by the pump. My pump (Pentair SuperFlo) has this same type of interface, and I am going to do a modified version of this. Note- with my pump, for the remote mode to be able to work, the pump has to be on - not necessarily running, but not physically powered off or off with the on/off switch, as you want to be able to switch off the pump at times (i.e. when switching valve positions).

Zodiac-Remote.jpg
 
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I would recommend against removing the tablet feeder. It comes in handy during the winter months when the SWG does not produce chlorine during temperature drops. You do need to keep an eye on your CYA. I did this all winter in Houston and my CYA is only 60 ppm after 4 months and it was a high of 90 ppm. My pool needs a higher CYA since it is in the sun most of the day and it helps maintain the chlorine levels. The rain during the winter helped keep my CYA in check. Just my 2 cents.
 
Thanks for the suggestion. My only problem is it's a Jandy Nature feeder and requires a cartridge from Jandy that needs to be replaced. I have read stories on here that the cartridge broke and the metal pellets scattered in the pool. I just want to get rid of it altogether. Besides, that is where I plan to put the SWG.
 
The AutoPilot Pool Pilot Digital (or total control) have a some nice features.

1) It will automatically adjust the chlorine level based upon water temperature. So say you set to 25%, if water gets warmer, it will increase it, and if colder, it will decrease it. It seemed to work very well with this for me.

2) Has freeze protect mode. If you have it connected to pump, like I described above, then it will automatically turn on pump when the temperature approaches freezing. Although you zodiac controller already has this feature.

Whatever SWG you go with, make sure you size it at least 1.5x your pool size and larger if possible, especially if you get a lot of direct sun and if your water temp gets warm. The unit my pool builder installed was rated for 20,000 gallons and at 100% running 24/7, it could not generate enough chlorine. I get full sun most of the day.

3) It has one of the lowest needed flow rates at 15GPM. I can run my VSP as low as 650 RPM and provide sufficient flow to generate.

4) It has 3 power levels to the cell. They from 0-100% generation. So think of it like power level 1, 0-100, then power level 2, 0-100, then power level 3 0-100. So you can really dial it in more precisely (like having 0-300). I bought a cell (RC-52) that is rated up to 52,000 gallons for my 19,000 gallon pool and was running at the lowest power level between 25-50%. I did replace later in the season, but will see how it goes this summer once peak heat comes.
 
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