Saltron wiring

[Bosley]

We finally sold the old tub and installed a shiny new one yesterday. On the old tub we had the saltron plugged into an extension cord from a GFI outlet. On this tub I would like to wire into the tub itself. Is there a way to wire it in the the spa pack? A Gecko YE-5.

 

[Methuselah]

On the whole, this is not something I'd recommend anyone do because of the dangers and liabilities involved, but for someone qualified I doubt it would be a particularly difficult task.

I'm no expert but I'd think that would require you to choose a pick off point on the main controller board. Mine had various unused male Faston terminals mostly next to fuses, some or all labeled. I've found a block diagram in the lid of my controller, and some may have a pdf manual on-line if you search it. You would have to be comfortable poking around in a live circuit, adept at bundling and wire routing, and willing to accept that any mistake could damage your equipment or electrocute someone.

If not comfortable with the risks, it is likely best to find someone who does this kind of work for a living.

Maybe our resident expert @RDspaguy will chime in.

 

[Bosley]

oh im more than comfortable with it. I installed and connected all the wiring for my garage, pool and hot tub. Basically i just wanted to know if anyone has done it before and what points are 110 outputs before I get in there. -20 celius this AM. thats OMG IS IT COLD!!!! for you southerners

 

[Methuselah]

oh im more than comfortable with it. I installed and connected all the wiring for my garage, pool and hot tub. Basically i just wanted to know if anyone has done it before and what points are 110 outputs before I get in there. -20 celius this AM. thats OMG IS IT COLD!!!! for you southerners

You should be able to poke around with a DMM and referee a reasonable place, but now that I'm thinking about it, I'd also bet most places you pick from would lack the flexibility of having external connection. With timers and some of the new fangled controller stuff you could set up scheduling for vacations, times when you are away when a family member is planning a party, even connect via. wifi to a phone. An internal hookup is going to be on-off or filter cycle?

I've seen -60F once on a mountain top in South Korea, rather the temperature be over 100 than do that again...

 

[Bosley]

The Saltron has its own built in timer so it will just be on/off. We get about -47F a few times every winter. I throw on a toque and grab a 3oz glass of scotch in the hot tub everytime. Wife thinks im nuts.

 

[Newdude]

It's 104 in the tub.

I did a couple blizzards in mine.

 

[Bosley]

out east where you are you get enough snow to bury the path back to the house!

 

[Newdude]

It's funny you mention that, I'm all the way southern NY. We get snow but nothing like the Northern parts of the state. Buffalo is getting creamed with a blizzard this weekend and they had to move the football game to Detroit.

Know what we do get by me ? Alberta clippers. THANKS.

 

[Mdragger88]

We finally sold the old tub and installed a shiny new one yesterday. On the old tub we had the saltron plugged into an extension cord from a GFI outlet. On this tub I would like to wire into the tub itself. Is there a way to wire it in the the spa pack? A Gecko YE-5.

The better option is to wire a gfci within reach of the saltron mini cord.
Something like @A.O. did

IMG_8736.JPG

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Jimrahbe]

Bosley,

I don't see any reason that you can't power the Saltron from the AC going into the spa, but the power center needs to be installed outside of the equipment doors. You will need access to power center often.

I'm thinking the same basic set up as what is pictured above, only just getting power from the same AC that runs the tub.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[RDspaguy]

I have never installed a salt cell of any kind in a spa, and do not recommend them as a rule.
Is this being plumbed in or hung over the side?
If plumbed, I would use the ozone circuit to power it. If not, I recommend an external power source.
I will also mention that installing this yourself will most likely VOID YOUR WARRANTY, as might using this, or any, type of salt cell at all. Consult your dealer before installing.

 

[5tan]

@Bosley Open the YE box, on the inside of the cover is the electrical diagram. Your YE board should have a 120V Direct output at A0 (top right). Pin1 (black) should be live, Pin4 (green) should be ground. If the 4-pin A0 output connector doesn't exist, the equivalent should be: P1 = P32 (black / line, 15A fused, located top right of the F2 fuse), P2 is blank, P3 white/common depends if your spa is wired for 120V or 240V, if 120V then it's P56, if 240V then it's P67, and finally P4 = P47 (green / ground). Read your actual diagram and test with a multimeter to make sure.

If you treat the drape-over Saltron as a 120V auxilliary component, wire it in securely using a Gecko PP1 connector and the built-in rubber waterproof wire covers, you should not void warranty on the YE pack. Since Saltrons are drape-overs and not plumbed in, your spa warranty should not be affected either.

You will likely void the warranty of the Saltron because you have to convert it from a wallplug to Gecko PP1, although careful disassembly of the Saltron could allow you to reconnect the original power cable later if needed.

I'll note that with -20C and colder temperatures, the drapeover introduces a gap that lets cold air in. I don't use a drapeover SWCG for that reason, I prefer to keep the heat in as much as possible. If I was in a warmer climate, I would definitely use a drapeover SWCG to maintain a baseline level of chlorine at all times.

 

[Bosley]

@Bosley Open the YE box, on the inside of the cover is the electrical diagram. Your YE board should have a 120V Direct output at A0 (top right). Pin1 (black) should be live, Pin4 (green) should be ground. If the 4-pin A0 output connector doesn't exist, the equivalent should be: P1 = P32 (black / line, 15A fused, located top right of the F2 fuse), P2 is blank, P3 white/common depends if your spa is wired for 120V or 240V, if 120V then it's P56, if 240V then it's P67, and finally P4 = P47 (green / ground). Read your actual diagram and test with a multimeter to make sure.

If you treat the drape-over Saltron as a 120V auxilliary component, wire it in securely using a Gecko PP1 connector and the built-in rubber waterproof wire covers, you should not void warranty on the YE pack. Since Saltrons are drape-overs and not plumbed in, your spa warranty should not be affected either.

You will likely void the warranty of the Saltron because you have to convert it from a wallplug to Gecko PP1, although careful disassembly of the Saltron could allow you to reconnect the original power cable later if needed.

I'll note that with -20C and colder temperatures, the drapeover introduces a gap that lets cold air in. I don't use a drapeover SWCG for that reason, I prefer to keep the heat in as much as possible. If I was in a warmer climate, I would definitely use a drapeover SWCG to maintain a baseline level of chlorine at all times.

Thanks for all that info Stan. A0 does not exist so I will order a gecko connector and use A1. I have been using my saltron for 5 yrs and it has worked well. Arctic Spas does have their own line of SWCG but it comes with a hefty price tag. An inline SWCG would be ideal but I have not found one yet.

 

[santacruzpool]

I wired mine to my Control Box - I used an extra knockout on the side of the box and wired a connector up to the 120v powered section on the inside of the control box. I put the Saltron Mini Box on the outside of the Tub and ran the power wire to the control box. I crimped and installed a connector to the power wire that matched up to the connector I added to my control box. The connector on the inside has 3 wires connecting to the ground screw block, a white spade connection, and a black spade connection.



edit:
I used Molex AMP connectors - I think my knockout was larger than the plug I bought (3pin vs 4pin) but you can use a larger plug/connector and just use 3 of the holes for wires. My smaller connector fit in the knockout hole just fine - it just isn't a perfect match.

Here is a 4pin male & female plug with the crimp pins...I bought the 3 pins parts I used from DigiKey.

https://www.amazon.com/Molex-1-Match-Set-Connector/dp/B07DKZ75RR

 

[RDspaguy]

you treat the drape-over Saltron as a 120V auxilliary component, wire it in securely using a Gecko PP1 connector and the built-in rubber waterproof wire covers, you should not void warranty on the YE pack. Since Saltrons are drape-overs and not plumbed in, your spa warranty should not be affected either.

The auxiliary circuit is always on, where the ozone is tied into the safety/flow controls and will turn off if the pump is not working, etc. If inline (the ONLY circumstance I recommend wiring to the control pack) this is a must.
As for warranty, you don't have one with gecko, the spa manufacturer does. You have a warranty with the manufacturer, who will say that tampering with the equipment/controls in any way will void your warranty. Likewise, if the spa manufacturer does not specifically recommend this product, it can void your warranty just by putting it in there. Not sure why @5tan would advise otherwise, but you should contact your dealer for warranty details. I have seen warranties voided for alot less.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Warranties are only as good as the people you are buying from. Depending on the kind of people they are, they can easily claim the problem, whatever it is, was caused by the owner.

It makes perfect sense to me that if you change anything from the factory, that it might void the warranty. Adding additional stuff that does not affect the original operation, should not void the warranty.

But often, common sense, does not apply when someone is looking for any excuse.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[5tan]

Thanks for all that info Stan. A0 does not exist so I will order a gecko connector and use A1.

Just in case you have to diagnose the SWCG sometime in the future, be aware that A1 isn't always on - it is intended to run the circulation pump and ozonator (one or the other, and even both via the optional PP1 splitter) in accordance with the spa pack's programming logic. That logic usually dictates that whenever any topside control button is actuated, the ozonator circuit is disabled for 15-30 minutes from the last button press. Since the SWCG is taken out of the water and disabled when actively using the spa, this is actually perfect for your purposes.

Warranties are only as good as the people you are buying from. Depending on the kind of people they are, they can easily claim the problem, whatever it is, was caused by the owner.

Exactly this. Many companies (not just pool/spa) will be glad to find an excuse to not pay out a warranty claim, so ensure your install is clean, safe, and reversable. What I'm saying is that a homeowner who isn't a pool/spa tech can perform an install (and uninstall) of an electrical auxiliary product equally as good as, or even better than, the dealer's technicians, so long as this homeowner takes the time to learn and perform the work to at least the baseline industry standard.

It should go without saying - please don't hack any electrical job with ill-fitting connectors, improper crimps, poor/unfluxed soldering, incorrectly sized wires, lack of waterproofing, having exposed wire, improper grounding/bonding, etc. I assume that someone who wired their own garage, pool, and hot tub is aware of issues relating to electricity, connectors, warranty, liability, local/national electrical/building codes, etc. If I've assumed wrong, remind me to stay far away from your house

 

[RDspaguy]

Adding additional stuff that does not affect the original operation, should not void the warranty.

It shouldn't perhaps, but it does. In fact, it specifically says so in every spa warranty I have read. Yes, the spa manufacturer could claim the owner is at fault for many things, and some do look for an excuse to get out of it. But even the reputable guys will void your warranty for tampering with the controls in any way, or having it serviced by uncertified technicians (yes, they have a class that at least one employee must have attended in order to be a certified dealer). Having it wired by an unlicensed electrician is another automatic warranty void. Sure, there are ways you can hide it, or get the tech not to report it if it's unrelated to your warranty claim. But if it causes a warranty claim, even a blown fuse, your warranty is gone.
The example I usually give is the time a new spa customer called complaining that the spa was shocking them. They were raising heck and demanding a refund and all that. I arrive to find it wired with the green hot (but connected to ground terminal) and the red grounded (but connected to red terminal). The result was a working spa with a 120v heater that would have tripped a gfci if they had one, and a hot leg straight to the water. No damage to the spa at all, but they voided the warranty immediately. That was a brand that I consider to be very good about honoring their warranty.
So that's why I so strongly advise against it. Under the wrong circumstances it can come back to bite you. Roll the dice if you want, but know what you stand to lose before you do. In my opinion, you're better off following the terms of your warranty. Then you don't have to worry about getting it voided.