How do I wire this stuff?

[cts2112]

Hi all, noob here. I am just looking for a little bit of direction in the wiring of my brand new pool pump and chlorinator setup. I am trying to save a little bit of money by not hiring it out to an electrician. I am capable of running wire myself, and wiring devices myself, but I need to know what goes where! The plumbing is already completed by the pool company, but they don't do the electrical. Here is the brand new equipment that I have:

PUMP - Pentair SuperFlo VS 1.5 (has a digital controller on top of motor)
SALT CHLORINE GENERATOR - Pentair iCHLOR 30 [1.0] (this looks like a large digital water meter)
SALT CHLORINE GENERATOR POWER CENTER - Pentair INTELLICHLOR
FILTER? - Pentair SAND DOLLAR FLT SD80 CLEARPRO

Ok, so here is what I am trying to understand, but haven't been able to figure out yet. I understand that the Salt Chlorine Generator Power Center and the Pump should be powered by the same source, correct? So how am I to wire this? Does the power come from the breaker and into the pump, then out of the pump and into the Power Center? Or is this incorrect? I guess I am asking how the pump and power center are to be wired starting from the breaker panel. Like I said, I can physically do the work, and do it safely, but I need to know WHAT goes WHERE!

Also, I assume that the cord with the special pin adapter connects the Power Center to the Chlorine Generator, correct? The only reason I ask is because it looks like there is a similar female pin connector on the pump motor as well, so I am just making sure that I am connecting the cable to the correct plug-in.

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
Let's wait for some other members to chime in but I think you are going to have issues. Do you have any automation? Easytouch? The Superflo VS cannot control another device. Unless the iChlor has a different setup versus the Intellichlor.

Let's see if @Jimrahbe can help you.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Pool School eBook.

 

[ajw22]

According to current NEC pump and SWG power center should be on separate GFCI breakers. Use 20A GFCI breakers with #12 wires. Have an insulated #12 green ground wire to pump and power center. Pump and Power Center should also be connected to pool bonding grid. See How To Install A Pentair Intellichlor Salt System - INYOPools.com

Are you intending to run the VS pump 24/7? If the pump will be off at times then you should have the SWG connected to an Intermatic timer. It is not a safe practice to rely on the SWG flow switch when the pump is off.

What type of pool will this be connected to?

 

[Jimrahbe]

2112,

I sure wish you had stopped by before buying all your equipment, because we might have been able to save you some grief...

Let's look at the pump first.. VS pumps are supposed to be wired to constant AC power as they have their own control head and internal timer. Unfortunately, they do not have any outputs that can control other things.. The connector on the pump has nothing to do with the your SWCG system. It can be used to tell the pump to run certain speeds if connected to a special cable you will have to buy. Basically the pump sends out a five volt DC reference voltage.. You can take that reference voltage and send it through a relay or switch and then back to the pump. That voltage will tell the pump to run at a speed that you have programmed into the pump. You can have up to 4 relays or switches and therefore 4 speeds.

The iChlor30 gets its AC power from the IntelliChlor power center. The power center should only get AC power when the pump is running. This is the primary safety device to prevent the cell from exploding if the cell is run without the pump being on.

The filter has no electrical connections so it makes not difference at all.

I see two options.. forget the pump is supposed to be connected to constant AC power and wire it to a standard 220 volt timer. Wire the SWCG power center to the same timer. I believe that the pump will hold its programming for at least 24 hours, so as long as you have the timer come on each day, things should still work OK..

Another more complex option would be to connect the pump to constant AC power and then use the 5 volt external control option to control the pump. How you need to wire it would depend on what you want your system to do..

Tell us why you have a VS pump and more about your pool... How do you envision that your pool will work???

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[cts2112]

Wow, thanks so much for all the replies! Let me try and answer some of your questions.

The pool is fiberglass, by Custom fiberglass pools. My wife and I simply hired a pool company to order the pool for us and install the pool, but they do not do the electrical hookups. The installation has gone well so far, so I don't have any complaints, but they don't really have any information for me on how to hook up the equipment.

The pool will simply be used by my family and kids. We did not opt for a heater at this time, to save some $. It was explained to us that a heater could be installed anytime afterwards anyway.

We bought a "package" deal from the pool company back in November. As far as the specific equipment or brand of equipment goes, we didn't have a choice in the matter I guess. I know we opted for a variable speed pump, and a salt water pool instead of chlorine, but that's about it. The specific equipment/brands were delivered and plumbed by the pool company installers, but I am to make sure it gets wired correctly. The SALT CHLORINE GENERATOR POWER CENTER was just essentially handed to me in a box, and I am responsible for getting it and the pump correctly wired. I was not given a "timer", or any other devices related to the pumping system.

The pump can be wired 110 or 220.

I do have a couple of lights, and that also came with a controller/transformer in a box, but I think I can get that wired correctly and it doesn't have anything to do with the pumping system itself.

The pool installation itself is probably about 80-90% complete. The surrounding concrete was poured just yesterday!

So it sounds like I need to have a "timer", which I do not have and was not supplied with. Am I to understand that I need to go from the breaker box to a timer, and then from the timer to both the pump and SCG Powercenter?

 

[ajw22]

How many gallons in the pool?

 

[ajw22]

I would wire everything for 220V and use an Intermatic T104 timer - https://www.intermatic.com/en/timer-controls/mechanical-time-switches/t104

Wire the breaker to the line side terminals 1 & 3 and put the pump and SWG on the load side terminals 2 & 4. Use a 20A GFCI CB and you still need ground wires and bonding.

Are you using an outside subpanel for the pool CBs? Where will the electrical feed for the pump be coming from?

 

[cts2112]

Sorry, ajw, - the pool is 11,500 gallons!

 

[ajw22]

Sorry, ajw, - the pool is 11,500 gallons!

So you would need to run your Ichlor 30 at 100% and pump 8 hours a day or ichlor at 30% and pump 24 hours a day to generate enough CL.

Are you using an outside subpanel for the pool CBs? Where will the electrical feed for the pump be coming from?

 

[cts2112]

So you would need to run your Ichlor 30 at 100% and pump 8 hours a day or ichlor at 30% and pump 24 hours a day to generate enough CL.

Are you using an outside subpanel for the pool CBs? Where will the electrical feed for the pump be coming from?

AJ - The power will be coming from the main 200A panel in the house. It's not very far away through the exterior wall to the pool equipment, maybe 20 feet.

 

[ajw22]

You know you need to put all outdoor 120/220V wiring in rigid conduit? Power run to pump.

I suggest you put a subpanel for CBs on the exterior wall. The timer can connect to one side of the sub-panel. SWG power center mounted next to timer. Rigid conduit runs from timer or subpanel to pump.

Pool light GFCI CBs also go in subpanel. You should have at least one GFCI 120V convience outlet by subpanel. Many folks also like a light to be over equipment pad to check equipment at night.

So you should wire subpanel for 120/220V with 2 hots, neutral and ground from main house panel. You have at least 3 CBs in the subpanel - pump/swg, light, outlet/light. Maybe 4 CBs.

Although I think you should consider putting pump and SWG on separate circuits and breakers.

 

[PoolGate]

If you are wiring your pool yourself, are you also responsible for the bonding grid? This is a critical and required safety mechanism. Does your pool require an electrical inspection by your local building inspector? Pools require a specific type of wire and pool lights are required to be wired in a specific way as well. Also please fill out your signature line with all of your pool details. Have you purchased your TF-100 test kit yet? You will also need the k-1766 salt test kit.

 

[cts2112]

If you are wiring your pool yourself, are you also responsible for the bonding grid? This is a critical and required safety mechanism. Does your pool require an electrical inspection by your local building inspector? Pools require a specific type of wire and pool lights are required to be wired in a specific way as well. Also please fill out your signature line with all of your pool details. Have you purchased your TF-100 test kit yet? You will also need the k-1766 salt test kit.

The bonding was inspected prior to concrete. The bonding wire comes up near the pool equipment currently.

 

[PoolGate]

The bonding was inspected prior to concrete. The bonding wire comes up near the pool equipment currently.

OK great! Make sure you connect it to your pump and your SWG. For lights, they need to be physically high mounted (check code 4 feet maybe?) and connected with a GFI. Mine are wired into the GFI convenience outlet which is right at my equipment pad. This provides the GFI needed for the lights.

 

[Mbkemp]

Was your builder York?

 

[cts2112]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. A little more info:

My pool builder isn't very good at communication. They've done good installation work, but the "boss" just doesn't communicate well. Not that he is rude, but just no info. So I sent him an email last night after getting some information here, and asked him if I needed an electromechanical timer for the pump and SWG power center, and I received a one word "no" email back. So that kinda tells you what I'm dealing with. I was just handed the equipment and told to get it wired.

This is what I think I'm planning on doing as of now. Feel free to correct me as needed:

circuit breaker, (20A GFCI 12awg wire) - to pool pump timer, pool pump timer to both pump and SWG power center (14awg?). 115v

I can do the lights on a separate circuit.

I don't want to put a sub-panel for all this as of now. I will in the near future be reconfiguring the area where the electrical pump equipment is, so I'll likely be moving this electrical stuff soon enough anyway. I'm thinking I'm going to build a temporary wood "stand" (that is heavy enough that it won't move around) to mount the SWG power center to and the lighting transfomer power center to as well. I can move them again later. Pool equipment is under a deck and I'm going to turn that into a patio as well as rebuild the deck, so I'll likely mount the stuff underneath the new deck when complete. I have vinyl siding, which I hate, and I don't want to screw these power centers through the vinyl siding into the house.

This should all work, correct?

 

[cts2112]

I would wire everything for 220V and use an Intermatic T104 timer - https://www.intermatic.com/en/timer-controls/mechanical-time-switches/t104

Wire the breaker to the line side terminals 1 & 3 and put the pump and SWG on the load side terminals 2 & 4. Use a 20A GFCI CB and you still need ground wires and bonding.

Are you using an outside subpanel for the pool CBs? Where will the electrical feed for the pump be coming from?

Would it be okay to wire it 115v, and use the intermatic T101, and then follow your directions? Is it ok to wire 2 devices (pump and SWG power center) to the load terminals?

 

[mknauss]

Would it be okay to wire it 115v

Be sure the pump accepts 115V. The only VS pump I know of that does is the Pentair Superflo VS.

 

[ajw22]

My pool builder isn't very good at communication. They've done good installation work, but the "boss" just doesn't communicate well. Not that he is rude, but just no info. So I sent him an email last night after getting some information here, and asked him if I needed an electromechanical timer for the pump and SWG power center, and I received a one word "no" email back. So that kinda tells you what I'm dealing with. I was just handed the equipment and told to get it wired.

Page 3 of the manual - https://www.pentair.com/content/dam...a-equipment/ichlor/iChlorSaltGenSanitizer.pdf - contains a few warnings that say:

WARNING: CHLORINE GAS BUILDUP CAN OCCUR WITH IMPROPER WIRING: To reduce the risk of personal injury the iChlor SCG Power Center must be installed on an automation filter pump relay and wired to the load side of the time clock, electronically controlled switch, or relay load side, so that it will receive power only when the pool pump is on. Otherwise, dangerous chlorine gas buildup can occur. The iChlor SCG should never be energized when the pool pump is OFF and water is not flowing through the unit.

circuit breaker, (20A GFCI 12awg wire) - to pool pump timer, pool pump timer to both pump and SWG power center (14awg?). 115v

On a 20A breaker all the wiring must be 12 Gauge.

 

[ajw22]

Be sure the pump accepts 115V. The only VS pump I know of that does is the Pentair Superflo VS.

That is what cts lists in post #1 and worthwhile double checking.

PUMP - Pentair SuperFlo VS 1.5 (has a digital controller on top of motor)
SALT CHLORINE GENERATOR - Pentair iCHLOR 30 [1.0] (this looks like a large digital water meter)
SALT CHLORINE GENERATOR POWER CENTER - Pentair INTELLICHLOR
FILTER? - Pentair SAND DOLLAR FLT SD80 CLEARPRO