DIY Hayward Aqua Plus

[eublet]

I'm considering installing a Hayward AquaPlus to replace my aging Polaris EOQ. Mostly I need to replace the SWCG so might as well replace it all since Polaris is a dead company.

I don't know for sure if I need the Plus or the Plus-16V. It looks like the only difference is 4 relays vs 8 relays, but I can't tell if I should count pumps/blowers/etc as part of those relays. Here's what I have to control below. Can someone help me answer this?

Two pumps (Pool and Spillover Spa)
2 Valves
Blower Pump for Spa bubbles
Single Heater
Two lights (pool and spa)
MAYBE a cleaner pump down the road, though I've not used it in years and it doesn't work currently.

Thanks!

 

[jblizzle]

You need relays for high voltage applications (115V or 230V). So you would need 2 relays for your pumps, 1 relay for your blower (unless you have it always on with the spa pump relay), and 1 relay for each light if you want to control them separately. That is potentially 5 required relays.

Heater does not need a relay
Valves do not need relays
They have different kinds of connectors.

A cleaner pump (which are really the most inefficient and expensive way to clean a pool) would also need a relay.

 

[eublet]

Thanks for the response. That is great news as it sounds like I can get by with just 4 relays if I don't ever plan to replace the cleaner pump!

 

[jblizzle]

Relays are things that it seems like people often wish they had more of. For example, you could use them to control yard lights, etc from your automation system.
Although these days people are moving to smart home controls, so perhaps control from a pool system would be redundant.

 

[eublet]

Yeah, I already have some smart home stuff for lights. Mostly I just want to get my SWCG working again as I'm so sick of toting bleach around. It's made me slack off such that I'm fighting small algae blooms all the time.

 

[jblizzle]

Yeah, I already have some smart home stuff for lights. Mostly I just want to get my SWCG working again as I'm so sick of toting bleach around. It's made me slack off such that I'm fighting small algae blooms all the time.

Sounds just like me 2 years ago when my cell went bad. Got a new one last year and had a much better swim season. Apparently my wife and I are not reliable jug gluggers.