New pool owner, electrical questions

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Tknospdr

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Dec 11, 2022
13
Brevard Co., Florida
We’re having a new pool installed. There’s no way I’d trust a pool built by me so we have a professional doing the install. we bought a Caspian 30’x54” kit. It came with a Waterway / Blue Star filter pump combo.
Basically this one: https://waterwayplastics.com/product/clearwater-ii-cartridge-standard-system-2/

The pool is being installed 30” in ground, and the filter/pump will be located about 6 to 7 feet from the pool on the side of my house. The installer says the pump won’t work and I need an in ground specific pump, and therefore the filter might not work either so that too will need to be upgraded. I have no reason not to believe him, but I feel like I should do some independent fact checking. If I gotta upgrade I’m okay with it, just don’t want to spend money needlessly.

So that was tangentially related to electricity, here’s my other question.
The installer doesn’t do anything with electrical, so I’m trying to figure out if I can just add plugs to the cords of my pump and SWG and plug them into a standard outlet or do I need to have an electrician come wire them into something else?
I had planned to buy a HomeKit compatible outdoor outlet to plug them into and just program that to turn the pump on and off with. From what I understand the flow control valve will turn the SWG on and off automatically.
7580BE2F-428C-4D3D-A96E-12AD32DE306C.jpeg
 
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I can’t seem to get the link to load but I think your pump should be fine so long as the skimmer is still above the pump in elevation. 6 or 7 feet in horizontal distance is of no real consequence. For instance, I have probably 12-14 ft of pvc & hoses now, operation is exactly as it was before those were added.
The filter wouldn’t be affected either way.
blog.intheswim.com

Above Ground Pool Equipment VS. Inground Pool Equipment

Above ground Pool Equipment VS. Inground Pool Equipment. What's the difference?
blog.intheswim.com blog.intheswim.com
What swg did you get?

How to select pool equipment - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

For the wiring- there should be a dedicated 20amp gfci protected circuit specifically for the pump. You may need an electrician to accomplish this to ensure you meet all national & local code requirements for your municipality.

My pump has a plug end 🔌 & a switch.
I have it plugged into one of these
NSi Industries TORK RHB32R... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B93VNT2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
You can/should also plug/wire your swg into the same timer & power source as your pump so that it cannot operate without the pump running or chlorine gas can potentially build up in the pipe causing an explosion if the swg runs when the pump is off.

The pool should also be bonded to adhere to the NEC & local codes.

Electrical Bonding - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
The pump and filter combo he wants to sell me is a Hayward SP2607X10 (single speed 1HP) in ground pump and Sta-rite PXCRP100 (100ci) filter.
What came with the pool is a dual speed 1.5HP pump and 150ci filter.

As long as the pump portion is fully beneath the water level (the filter is very tall) and less than 8ft from the pool it will work?
Loss of power I would think shouldn't be an issue, right?
I have a skimmer box as well as dual bottom drains on the pool. All hard piped and buried.
 
Floor drains, That’s important info-
If you plan to filter from the floor drains you will need a self priming pump (inground pump) since that is likely going to be below the elevation of the pump.
A 2 speed or vsp is the best choice. They have discontinued production of single speed inground (self priming pumps) due to energy regulations so he’s likely just trying to get rid of that energy hog on your dime. Shop around & get a 2 speed or vsp.
I definitely wouldn’t reduce the filter size- bigger is always better here. The bigger the filter the less often you have to clean it.
Can you return what you already have or just swap the pump out?
Circupool also makes filters & pumps so you might want to check them out for the combo you need if you’re having to return the set. They are running sales @ www.discountsaltpool.com right now I believe.
For the swg-
The rj45+ is a great choice for your size pool - it can be operated @240v or 120v by moving the jumpers depending upon how you wish to operate your pump, you can wire it directly to a timer (like an intermatic) as shown in the manual or put a waterproof cord on it & plug it in to a timer like I mentioned above if running 120v.
 
It was kind of a last minute thing, he was installing everything as of yesterday. I'll live with the single speed pump for now and look into a VSP when I recover from paying for all of this. Now I need to find an electric company that has sane pricing. So far the quote I got for a single receptacle is over $500. Maybe that's normal, but feels Dang high to me.
The equipment is right next to a box with empty slots in it. All I want is a GFCI plug and standard 110V.
My plan was to plug in a HomeKit outdoor plug and plug my pump into that. From what I understand, I just plug the SWG into a standard plug and let the flow control valve turn it on and off when the pump starts and stops, right?
I like using HomeKit for these types of timers because if the power goes out a dial has to be reset, but HomeKit remembers what time it is as soon as it comes back online.
My schedule was going to be 2 hours after sunrise for 4 hours, and 2 hours after sunset for 4 hours.
 
Tknospdr said:
From what I understand, I just plug the SWG into a standard plug and let the flow control valve turn it on and off when the pump starts and stops, right?
Click to expand...
No- the flow switch is not supposed to be your swg’s sole disconnecting means if the pump is off. Flow switches can fail/get stuck & then boom 💥
this can happen 👇

Explosion near the SWG

We were watching TV and heard a major explosion after exploring in the backyard I went into my pool equipment should and found about a 16 in PVC pipe shredded 8in on one side 8in on the other side of where my SWG Is located. I have no Idea what to think. It appears the SWG somehow was not...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
The flow switch is considered a backup failsafe. You must have some sort of timer that only allows the swg to operate if the pump is running. It also states this in the circupool manual.
Not sure about the homekit plug but any plug/timer must be rated for more amps than the pump draws or it will burn up/melt before the breaker trips.
If the plug/timer can operate two items (pump & swg) its amperage rating must be high enough to accommodate both. This is the ideal situation.
Less ideally, You can also use two separate timers (so long as they share the same power source) & just be sure to set them so that the swg only comes on inside the window when the pump is running. A safe rule of thumb is swg on 30minutes after pump is on & swg off 30 minutes before pump is off.
 
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Yes, That would take the place of an outlet. It is just a digital timer.
You may still need a disconnecting means between the two if your breaker box is not within sight of your equipment for emergency purposes. An electrician can make you aware of the local requirements.
 

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If you’re wanting wifi connectivity/control there’s this one- I believe this brand makes a few options, this one says it will control 2 loads
DEWENWILS Pool Timer, Outdoor WiFi Timer for Water Heater, Pool Pump, SPA, Motor, Heavy Duty 40A 120-277 VAC, Compatible with TUYA Smart Life APP, Alexa, Google Assistant, ETL Listed https://a.co/d/7ig1vMq
 
That looks interesting- there are many threads here that delve deep into diy automation.
I have my robot vac & some lights on smart plugs but that’s about as far as I’m interested in. For things like the pool pump & swg I prefer manual timers as if they run when they’re not supposed to there can be expensive & even dangerous consequences.
 
Code is a dedicated receptacle for the pool. It is a good idea, and the inrush current of a pump starting up can be fairly large.

Your SWG is an RJ model. Not sure about Circupool, but with Hayward, the RJ series stands for "Return Jet". RJ series cells do not have a flow sensor. They are designed to be mounted in a vertical orientation just before the return jet. This way, if something happens and the cell remains energized but the pump stops the hydrogen gas will vent by floating upwards and out through the return jet.

If you place a RJ series cell anywhere except right before the return jet, you are asking for trouble. The HP series (hose/pipe) is the one with the flow sensor. Edit: I took a look at the website. Circupool uses a separate flow switch.

It is hard to tell from the Circpool's website, but Hayward SWG controls my filter. The control/power box for the cell also has a switched receptacle on it - my filter is plugged into that outlet. When the timer that is built into the control box turns on the cell, it also energizes the receptacle, thereby turning on my filter.
 
Tknospdr said:
Mine is most definitely the RJ+ series, and it most definitely has a flow control switch on it.
The control box does not however have a receptacle on it as far as I can tell though.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it looks like that brand does not. Haywards control box does have a 120V outlet on the bottom, that cycles on and off with the timer on the control box.

It is actually the control boxes that determine if you need a flow sensor or not. The box that is sold with an RJ will run without a flow sensor, while the H/P Box requires one to operate. The cells are the same.
 
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