Want to slave my pool pump to my chlorinator

**A regular relay is a bad idea for an inductive load like a pool pump. You'd be better using a solid state relay. Having said that, it is difficult to explain how you should do it. I would connect a small plug pack to the output of the timer and couple the output of the plug pack to the SSR.

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Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

Not much of an electronics guy but I was wondering if instead of trying trying to mack a connection somewhere inside the unit: Could I not use something that could sense the increase in current when the chlorinator switches on??

(Something "like" routing the load through the primary of a transformer and having the pump relay coil wired across the secondary windings.)

Or something that could function like an ammeter shunt.

Cheers

If you are not much of an electronics guy, the Trevor's suggestion is easiet. It really is something external that senses power and turns on a device that turns on your 240V motor.

Yes, that is probably true, but you have to know what to attach to, and then what sort of voltages you will encounter, then make something that will suit what you find. I can make guesses about all of the above but I don't really know. I do know I make smoke well.

Anyway I just like to stick with something that I think "I" can make work.

I have finally found the number for the company's tech help line and so I'll be calling them on Mon.

Thanks terryc

Al

trying

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Talking to the Intex tech staff was a lot like talking to the south end of a north bound cow.

Well, Just for sport I tried a high frequency Variac. Appears to have a cast iron core of about

5"diameter forming a toroid with a single layer of about No 14 wire wrapped 90 % of the way around and a wiper acting as a variable center tap.

I routed one side the 110V mains line through about 20% of the toroid to a 3 speed fan and I put my 110 volt relay across all of the toroid.

With the fan on low the relay remained open and on hi, the toroid snapped shot. My biggest concern is that on low the relay remained open alright but it had a bad 60 cycle vibration going on. I am sure that in time it would destroy itself. And* of course the the 3 speed fan was not the chlorinator so I still really don't know if anything will work.

I realize this is not really your hi tech electronics but I do appreciate any and all help I can get.

I have never owned a pool so I have never messed with such things.

However, with a bit of searching, I'm sure you will turn up specifications for chlorinators, perhaps even for the one you have. What I found suggests that the cells typically run on 7 to 9VDC with currents in the tens of amps. You ought to be able to 'borrow' enough power from that to energise a relay without the chlorinator breaking into a sweat. You would need a relay with a 6 or 9VDC coil though.

Do you have a meter to measure the voltage across the cell when it is operating (and maybe to measure the maximum voltage, say if the cell got disconnected for some reason)?

Andy Wood snipped-for-privacy@trap.ozemail.com.au

Thanks Andy

Yes I do have a meter and I do have quite a few lo voltage relays around that I could use to control the 110V relay for the pump.

I'll take a long look at that. Who knows the might even be switching the 110V AC before the primary. I just haven't had time to look see.

Thanks again!!

**What's the point? You ignore good advice anyway. DON'T USE A RELAY TO SWITCH A MOTOR! I can't make it any simpler than that. Quite frankly, given your lack of knowledge and apparent willingness to ignore proper advice, you are doomed to failure, in a possibly spectacular and dangerous fashion. I suggest you get someone to do the job for you. You are clearly wilfully ignorant of the risks and what is required to accomplish the task.

I suggest you adopt my initial suggestion, or pay someone to do the job for you.

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Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

I guess it's time for me to bow out of this group. Thanks to all who took time to respond. It's appreciated.

Take care

**There is a potential problem with that suggestion. Two, actually.

First off, there are (at least) two different systems for pool chlorinators. My chlorinator is the simplest system, where a steady DC current flows at around the figures you mention. The other system swaps polarity every so often. It is done to prevent salt buildup on the electrodes (which is a PITA to remove) I have no idea how often, as I have yet to examine such a unit. It could be at a low frequency, which may explain the result the OP received when he connected the realy across the output. He would really need to place a bridge rectifier across the output and follow it with a small cap.

The second problem, of course, lies with using a relay to switch a pool pump motor. The idea is just daft. A SSR makes more sense.

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Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au