Electrical code Compliance - timer kill switch for spa?

Author

timer kill switch for spa?

guitfit

2005-06-17, 11:31 pm

Hi all, before I destroy my spa or kill myself, I thought I'd run
this seemingly simple idea by the group.

situation: My spa computer turns on my low speed pump whenever
it thinks it needs to heat the spa or run a 2 hour cycle every
12 hours.. Since the nose is objectionable at night, I wanted
to insert a timed kill-switch in line with the low-speed lead
that goes to the pump.

solution: install a water-heater mechanical timer box which
is a dpst switch. Of the four lugs on the switch, it closes
1to2 and 3to4. I'd supply constant power to lug1 with one
of the leads of the 220V(US/60Hz) to lug one, and put lugs
3&4 inline with the wire that powers the low-speed function
of the pump (there's 4 wires that go to the pump, hi, low,
neutral and ground, I'd interrupt the low-speed conductor).

Will this work? The timer box claims lugs 1 and 3 are
prewired to the clock motor, so I suspect I'd need to
disconnect lug three from the clock, assuming the clock
shorts lugs 1 and 3?

The spa computer disables the heater if no water pressure
is detected, so the spa should remain off at night w/o
melting anything; the spa computer relay for the pump
would likely stay on all night trying to run the pump,
but that shouldn't hurt the relay right?

thanks for any info,
-guitfit

Dale Farmer

2005-06-17, 11:31 pm

guitfit wrote:

quote:

> Hi all, before I destroy my spa or kill myself, I thought I'd run
> this seemingly simple idea by the group.
>
> situation: My spa computer turns on my low speed pump whenever
> it thinks it needs to heat the spa or run a 2 hour cycle every
> 12 hours.. Since the nose is objectionable at night, I wanted
> to insert a timed kill-switch in line with the low-speed lead
> that goes to the pump.
>

Have you contacted the maker of the spa and asked them
how to do this internally to the computer? This feature may
already exist in a hidden or obscure submenu.

--Dale

guitfit

2005-06-17, 11:31 pm

The manufacturer doesn't respond; it's a no-frills configuration.. just
a few
jumpers for simple factory configuration changes.

Roy Q.T.

2005-06-17, 11:31 pm

From: guitfit@yahoo.com (guitfit)
Hi all, before I destroy my spa or kill myself, I thought I'd run this
seemingly simple idea by the group.
situation: My spa computer turns on my low speed pump whenever
it thinks it needs to heat the spa or run a 2 hour cycle every 12
hours.. Since the nose is objectionable at night, I wanted to insert a
timed kill-switch in line with the low-speed lead that goes to the pump.
solution: install a water-heater mechanical timer box which
is a dpst switch. Of the four lugs on the switch, it closes 1to2 and
3to4. I'd supply constant power to lug1 with one of the leads of the
220V(US/60Hz) to lug one, and put lugs 3&4 inline with the wire that
powers the low-speed function of the pump (there's 4 wires that go to
the pump, hi, low, neutral and ground, I'd interrupt the low-speed
conductor).
Will this work? The timer box claims lugs 1 and 3 are prewired to the
clock motor, so I suspect I'd need to disconnect lug three from the
clock, assuming the clock shorts lugs 1 and 3?
The spa computer disables the heater if no water pressure is detected,
so the spa should remain off at night w/o melting anything; the spa
computer relay for the pump would likely stay on all night trying to run
the pump, but that shouldn't hurt the relay right?
thanks for any info,
-guitfit

Seems to me you have the right idea to solve your spas energy
consumption and timely operation: all you'll probably have to do is put
your own timer in between the controlers output leads & the pump/heater
leads, but, there are 2 ways to wire up a timer in your case,[ if the 2
circuit analog timer seems to complicated, get a 2 circuit digital
model] you can get it to open and close the computers output or the
relay output., * placing it between the computer output and the relay
can help extend the relays life.

This concluding you cannot change the sensing/time lapses on the spas
computer which would be the ideal change to make., since it will still
be working as is, with the exception of a second time control which will
give you secondary control over the current pump/heater time sequences &
intervals.

The NO contact on the timer would prevent any signal from the computer
to get through to the spa motor control or relay until it closes at your
own set intervals., considering you are possibly bypassing before the
relay and not after,
either way will do the job. =AEoy

guitfit

2005-06-17, 11:31 pm

thanks for the help - i put the two circuit (dpst) timer switch
after the relay (which is mounted on a PCB, so I can't really
put it before the relay w/o soldering)... It seems to work
great! The relay is closed a lot of the time, since it's trying
to turn on the pump and heat the spa, but can't; I don't
think it'll hurt the relay, since it's designed for near-continuous
duty anyhow..

thanks again,
-craig

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