Re: Pool Valve Control

["BruceR" <brNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Our pools stay warmer here because our nights stay warm and the pool
retains the day's heat. In SoCal (where I used to live) nights were cool
and the pool lost much of the day's heat.  I've read about the salt
systems but my pool guy thought they were a bit troublesome. One
chlorine tab a week seems to do the trick for us.

From:Mitch
sumcoolgai@xxxxxxxxx

> In this new pool (I've built a few over the years in other homes),
> we've got an auto-filler and a salt system (instead of chlorine).
>
> The autofiller is toilet-technology (float ball and valve in a box in
> the ground).  But it works great.
>
> The "chlorination" is done with salt.  Totally cool.  Costs about $10
> a year in "chemicals" -- no chlorine tablets, etc.  Just a bag of
> salt or so.
> I would like to monitor the salt-system though and I'd love to have
> temperature and PH monitoring as well.
>
> I guess Hawaii's weather is better than Southern California's!
>
> Any good ideas?
>
> Mitch
>
>
> BruceR wrote:
>> I just wanted equipment control so I didn't put in any monitoring.
>> For water level monitoring I just look out the window. The Stargate
>> adds water every day to make up for evaporation. For chemical
>> monitoring I pay a pool guy to come weekly and take care of cleaning
>> and chemicals - I used to do it myself but it was a PITA and
>> impractical since I travel a lot. Living in Hawaii temperature
>> monitoring isn't an issue. The pool is always perfect just from the
>> sun and the spa is heated only when we use it. The 350,000 BTU
>> heater gets it up to temp in about 10 minutes! From:Wayne
>> wayne@xxxxxxxx
>>
>>
>>> Thanks Bruce.  What (if anything) do you do for pool & spa
>>> monitoring? I am a new owner of a house with a pool/spa combo and
>>> want to monitor & control it.  The existing old Jandy based
>>> controller is dead and replacement/repair seems overpriced for an
>>> HA guy.  Temperature monitoring is obviously desired.  I think I
>>> would like to monitor the pump running and the pressure output to
>>> avoid running the pump dry somehow.  I would like to monitor the
>>> water level.  I would like to monitor how much the solar panels are
>>> being used, both monitoring the actuator and the temperature
>>> difference between panel input & output. Monitoring pH and chlorine
>>> would be great, but those sensors seem to
>>> be expensive, so that may not be justifiable.
>>>
>>> Anything I missed or any advice?
>>>
>>> On Wed, 24 Aug 2005 03:16:52 GMT, "BruceR" <brNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxx>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Thanks. You've got it exactly right - right down to the part
>>>> numbers! The green board was removed from its case (as was the
>>>> blue board) to put it all together in the surplus Primestar case.
>>>> The setup is about 2 years old now and hasn't missed a beat. The
>>>> high power relays (aka contactors) are European and mount on a
>>>> short section of DIN rail. They're normally quite pricey but I
>>>> only paid ~$5 apiece on ebay and the guy through in a piece of DIN
>>>> rail for a couple extra bucks.
>>>> The RS485 output on the Stargate controls the relay board. I can
>>>> send an X10 command to activate a macro to turn things on and off.
>>>> In my case, P7-On first turns on the spa pump, waits 3 seconds and
>>>> activates the valve actuator to send water from the spa through the
>>>> heater and 20 seconds later turns on the heater. Finally, after a
>>>> 10 minute delay to allow the water to warm up, the spa jets turn
>>>> on. There are a couple ofhter commands in the macro too.
>>>> When we're done, P7-Off shuts off the jets and the heater, delays 1
>>>> minute then closes the valve and shuts off the pump.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> From:Wayne
>>>> wayne@xxxxxxxx
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> So the green board is similar to this power dist board, just to
>>>>> neaten the wiring.
>>>>> http://www.pimfg.com/product_detail.asp?master_desc=&secondary_desc=&part=PIDB-1224-ACDC&web_desc=9+CAMERA++DISTRIBUTED+POWER+SUPPLY&price=16.88&html=PIDB-1224-ACDC.GIF&inventory=22&text_spec=PIDB-1224-ACDC.TXT&web_spec=
>>>>>
>>>>> The blue board accepts RS485 commands to control the high power
>>>>> relays?
>>>>> http://www.resconsys.com/products/relay/8CRXR.htm
>>>>>
>>>>> The first 4 functions listed on the lid are controlled by the high
>>>>> power relays (numbered 1-4) and the other functions (5-8) are
>>>>> directly controlled by the low power relays on the blue board?
>>>>>
>>>>> Very nice!
>>>>>
>>>>> On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 03:59:03 GMT, "BruceR" <brNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxx>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> The Goldline actuators are interchangeable with Jandy and Hayward
>>>>>> and probably made by one of them. $150 is a good price and you
>>>>>> can find them on ebay even cheaper.
>>>>>> The Pool Controller in my picture is homegrown - I built it
>>>>>> myself using DIN mounted contactors I found on ebay for the high
>>>>>> voltage stuff, an RS485 controlled relay board connected to my
>>>>>> JDS Stargate, and a low voltage power distribution board from
>>>>>> www.pimfg.com. The case is a surplus Primestar enclosure.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> From:Mitch
>>>>>> sumcoolgai@xxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I got the Goldline actuators thru a pool guy here for $150 US.
>>>>>>> Not a lot better price than you got.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So, please tell me more about the pool controller you have in
>>>>>>> the pics...
>>>>>>> Many thanks,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Mitch
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Paul wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> How much did those goldline actuators cost you?
>>>>>>>> I priced one out (24v) at a place here, the total came to about
>>>>>>>> $250 CDN! I'd love to find a less expensive solution..
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "Mitch" <sumcoolgai@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>>>>>> news:AMtOe.4819$HR5.3448@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Very Nice!!!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> What is the pool controller you have?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Also, have you done anything to get into your spa/pool heater?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I'd like to use the Elk M1 to switch the heater between spa
>>>>>>>>> and pool mode (at least) and change the temperature setting if
>>>>>>>>> possible.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> BTW, I'll almost certainly go with the relays.  I can't seem
>>>>>>>>> to get the 12V actuators here (La Jolla, Ca).
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> thanks,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Mitch
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> BruceR wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> DOH!  http://community.webshots.com/user/brobin111
>>>>>>>>>> See the Pool Controller album there and feel free to enjoy
>>>>>>>>>> all the other pictures.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> From:Mitch
>>>>>>>>>> sumcoolgai@xxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Cool... But, you left off the url for the pics/wiring.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Mitch
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> BruceR wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> You have a couple of choices. You can replace the actuators
>>>>>>>>>>>> with 12 volt models - Goldline offers them as well as
>>>>>>>>>>>> others but they're not that common. Or, you could use the
>>>>>>>>>>>> 12 volt outputs to drive the coils of DPST relays to
>>>>>>>>>>>> operate the actuators you have. This would be the cheaper
>>>>>>>>>>>> method by a long shot since $8 relays from Radio Shack
>>>>>>>>>>>> should do the job nicely. Goldline, Jandy and Hayward
>>>>>>>>>>>> actuators are interchangeable. Basically, you want to run
>>>>>>>>>>>> the three wires from the switch (you may have a cable
>>>>>>>>>>>> attached already) to the DPST relay. Common goes to the
>>>>>>>>>>>> center, open to one pole and close to the other pole. When
>>>>>>>>>>>> the relay is energized the valve will open and it will
>>>>>>>>>>>> close when you turn it off (or vice versa depending on how
>>>>>>>>>>>> you wire it). If you have 2 valves that need to operate
>>>>>>>>>>>> att he same time - always - you could use a DPDT switch. I
>>>>>>>>>>>> built a pool controller to use with my JDS Stargate. A
>>>>>>>>>>>> picture of it is here and a wiring diagram is available:
>>>>>>>>>>>> From:Mitch sumcoolgai@xxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Well, I just spent a fortune on a pool/spa.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I was hoping to control the valves with my Elk M1-Gold.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I've got Goldline Control valve actuators (GVA-24).
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Unfortunately, they are 24VAC and the Elk outputs are 12V.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Anybody used their Elk to control their spa/pool?  Any
>>>>>>>>>>>>> ideas/inputs? Many thanks in advance.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mitch