Salt chlorinator to vsp?

[Beachgirl79]

I have a hayward tristar vsp and a hayward aqua rite salt chlorinator. Im using the built in tkmer on the pump to time the pump. The salt chlorinator is not on its own timer.
1. Can I wire the salt chlorinator directly to the pump so it can use the same timing sxhedule?

2. If not, do I need a separate external timer to hook the pump and salt aystem to so they are on the same schedule.

My salt system is constantly running even when my pump is off causing issues to my salt reading and chlorine creation.

 

[ajw22]

1 & 2 - No.

You need to connect your AquaRite to an external timer, like the Intermatic T101/T104. Then set the Intermatic on/off time to be within the VS pump on/off schedule.

The SWG being powered when the pump is off is not safe and can lead to the cell exploding if the flow switch fails.

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

The Hayward SWCG can be configured to 110V as well, and an inexpensive digital timer can be used. The maximum current draw for the SWCG is less than the timer are rated for by quite a bit. They are about $15 on Amazon.

That is a better solution than using a mechanical timer because you also have a digital timer on the VSP. You will not need to go out and sync the timers as often. My experience so far is that the Hayward VSP pump timer is the one that runs off by more and I could probably go the whole season with the 30 minutes I have set before the SWCG comes on in the morning and goes off at night compared with the pump. At three months it was less than 5 minutes off total, and that is with the timer and pump drifting opposite directions. you might be luckier.

The real fancy way is to put a current sensing relay in one of the pump power source lines (but not both) and then having that run the SWCG. But that's more of a $115 solution to the problem. There are a couple of examples of that is you search for "current sensing" here.