How do I set my equipment up with timers?

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M

mrshanes

0
Apr 26, 2011
50
Morgantown, WV
Hi everyone. I'm a new first-time pool owner and I've got some questions. We built a new house last year and a pool to go with it at the same time. Pool build started in July, but when they went to install the liner, it had a defect. It took a couple months to get a new one, which put us into October, so I just had them close the pool before we ever used it. :( Anyway, the weather is warming up and they are coming this weekend to help me open it up and show me how everything works. The pool is a 20x40 Cardinal steel wall with a deep end (30,000 gallons). We have a Hayward Universal H-Series 300,000 natural gas heater, Hayward SuperPump, and a Hayward Aqua Rite chlorine generator. As it is right now, each of those pieces of equipment is hard-wired directly to it's own circuit in a 100 amp sub-panel. I want to be able to automate the pump with a timer so it's not running constantly. I'm looking at the Intermatic timers, but I'm not sure which pieces of equipment should be on timers. Should they be on the same timer? Should each have its own timer? Does the heater really need a timer at all? Will the others go into stand-by mode if the pump isn't running? Help me get this wired up correctly. :?
Thanks,
Shane
 
Welcome to TFP!

For a simple setup you probably want a timer with a fireman switch. The pump is controlled by the timer and the heater is wired directly to power, but told never to turn on when the pump is off by a low voltage connection to the fireman switch. The SWG would normally be wired to the timer with the pump, so it is completely off when the pump is off.
 
JasonLion said:
Welcome to TFP!

For a simple setup you probably want a timer with a fireman switch. The pump is controlled by the timer and the heater is wired directly to power, but told never to turn on when the pump is off by a low voltage connection to the fireman switch. The SWG would normally be wired to the timer with the pump, so it is completely off when the pump is off.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the info. I'm reading the Hayward website FAQs and it states that a fireman switch is not needed as the heaters have Fire Tile that dissipates the heat immediately. Is the fireman switch just good "insurance" or does it sound like I'm OK without one?

http://www.haywardnet.com/contactus/faqs/viewFAQs.cfm?Category=4#q54
 
IMO, you dont need the heater on a separate timer or a fireman's switch, not the newer ones at least. Some people like the belt and suspenders approach. Putting a heater on a timer isnt really for heat dissipation, (although that could be used for that) its mostly for a situtation where the flow sensor potentially fails. IF the low flow switch did fail, then the heater might try and run when there was no water flow. Thats why some people opt for a timer. I have 2 heaters that aren't on any switch; nobody i know has one either. I guess you take the chance something might happen, but I dont tend to worry over that kind of thing. Some do worry so it really depends on your level of paranoia about such things happening :mrgreen:
 
I guess I need to follow up on this for further clarification...

My pump and chlorine generator are each wired to their own circuit (240v) in the sub panel. I want to control them both with a single timer. Should I just run a single circuit to the timer and then power them both from that (essentially doing away with one of the circuits in the panel)? Is there any reason to keep them both on their own circuit and have two timers? I'm worried the timers will get out of sync that way. I see the digital timer (PE153) that will control 3 loads. Is that worth the extra cost?
Thanks
 
You can almost always put both the pump and the SWG on the same breaker. The only time you can't is if the pump requires the full amps from the breaker to startup properly. Usually there are enough amps left over for the SWG and it is fine.

I wouldn't bother with a 3 circuit timer because you only have one schedule, everything is turned on and off together.
 
It sounds like I should run the pump and SWG off the same circuit to a single timer. The pool builder said I didn't even need the SWG on a timer, but the manual shows otherwise and that it should only be on when the pump is running. It even shows the wiring setup with a timer. I just wanted to make sure I did it correctly.
Thanks
 
I got the Intermatic timer and got everything wired up yesterday. I removed the SWG and pump from separate circuits and put them on a single 240v circuit in the sub-panel. I ran that new circuit through the timer and then to each piece of equipment. Kicked on at 10pm last night just like it should have. Thanks for the advice everyone!

wiring_overview.jpg


timer_closeup.jpg
 
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