Simple way to turn pool pump on/off using ST?

That is helpful. So the idea to mount anything inside by the breaker panel is out. So installing one of the two outside options you need to decide on to replace the manual on-off switch. Your automatic and manual override will be accomplished by the new device you select. It appears from you photos that your original installation has glued in the flexible conduit to your switch box? If that is true I would recommend just leaving that switch box in and using it as a junction box to your ST device that you could mount on the wall nearby.

The pros and cons of your two selections

  • ZBMLC30; costs more but does more. Itā€™s ZigBee, has power monitoring, has three relays which means if you choose this one you could add one more control in such as your lights, chlorinator, or heater. I think the heater would be very beneficial for you to automate and monitor the power usage for energy management. I know this isnā€™t what you originally asked for but this device would give that option to you so the extra dollars for this one could be justifiable pretty easily I think. With ST you could now exactly how long it takes to heat the pool so it would be easy to automate and save your energy dollars.

  • CA3750 is Z-Wave, no power monitoring, but will do only what you asked to control pump.

Thatā€™s great, I think Iā€™m now leaning towards the ZBMLC30. This way I can hopefully control the pump and heater independently.

Iā€™ve already got my pool lights connected to a smart switch so all thatā€™s left over is the pump and heater.

Do you know if you can control each of the two loads independently via ST? I thought I read somewhere that right now ST can only control 1 load on this particular device.

I did a search on it and it looks like you are right. :disappointed:
No one has written a device handler type specifically to take care of the three relays independently but they all trigger at once. Sorry. Looks like if you are going to do the heater you may need to add another Intermatic CA3750 Z-Wave Contactor Module.

I would replace the pool on/off switch with a SPDT pool rated relay and then trigger the input of the relay with a standard z-wave switch. Unfortunately I donā€™t think all of that will fit in that box so it would require some additional work.

Basically this is how it would work. When you turn on the z-wave switch it will energize the relay coil and close the normally open contacts on the relay which sends power to the pump.

It would need to be a DPDT or a DPST switch for his pump. But yes that is another alternative. Use something like a micro switch Monoprice 11990 Dual Relay On/Off Switch to control one DPDT contactor relay for the pump and the second output relay of the Monoprice to switch a second DPDT contactor relay for the heater. Another equivalent dual switch product is the Enerwave RSM2.

@MPulse This is actually a very good alternative that @Msilve013 suggests. It is possible these relay contactors can fit within your existing boxes? And even if they canā€™t , it is only one small weatherproof enclosure you are looking for similar to what the Intermatic comes in and you will have control of both pump and heater for about $100.

A pool relay or contactor (for AC but its still a relay) that can handle your power draw but is triggered by low voltage. They you can use an ST Shield or simple GE Z-Wave switch to power the contactor if its power trigger is 110V. This may also require some wire run for neutral etcā€¦ to power the 110 switch.

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anybody try this yet? Seems promising. Weather resistant, and it has a manual switch for easier control when you actually are out by the equipment and donā€™t want to dig out your phone.

GE Z-Wave Smart Switch for Large Appliances, 40 Amp, Direct-Wire

I havenā€™t used this particular item by GE but I have several other GE products that work very well. I really like this option if you need to have it outdoors. It seems the other two CA3750 and ZBMLC30 can only be indoors

My pool is shut down for the winter, but I think this is going to be on the list of projects for the spring. Iā€™ll keep you posted.

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You can use standard GE switches to break one leg of the 220v circuit as long as your breakers are 15 amp. I used 3 separate switches to control my heater, pump, and valves this way.

There is no doubt this would work but I donā€™t think this meets code because without two sets of contacts, one of the electrical phases is still going through your load. A sort of equivalent to this but on a single phase 110v circuit would be wiring your light switch on the neutral leg instead of the hot leg out to the lightā€¦ it would work but it is a life safety issue.

I did a lot of research on this before I did it an could not find anything that referenced a code violation (doesnā€™t mean it isnā€™t, just means that I found several places that said it was acceptable but not ideal). It is certainly not ā€œbest practiceā€ to do this way as it does leave one of the legs hot even when the pump is off, which could be misleading to anyone working on the pump. I have a sub-panel with a properly linked dual 15A breaker right next to the switches, so this is a mitigated risk IMO since there is a power shutoff at the same location. No risk of damage to the motor, as there is no circuit for current to flow through when one leg is open. If there were z-wave DPST switches available that would be a better way to do it, but in the absence of this hardware I found this as an acceptable alternative.

That being said, if you are aware of something that specifically disallows this type of setup Iā€™d like to know about it, I donā€™t want to be recommending things that are truly against code.

Agree . on fact I vehemently agree. but a lot of older homes used to break the neutralā€¦ Still a lot of that out there.

Bumping this to see if anyone got anywhere. The OP was interested in controlling the pool via ST. I just moved into a new house with an old pool, and I was interested in the same. The existing control system was an old X10 set up, long-since broken. Itā€™s a pool / spa with a filter pump, heater, and two spa pumps. There are two Jandy actuators on 3-way valves - one before the filter pump and one after the heater. I wanted to be able to program or switch to ā€œPump,ā€ (or filter) ā€œpoolā€ or ā€œspaā€ mode and have the whole system do the right thing.

This PDF is what Iā€™m working on. Iā€™m putting in a new Hayward VSP2303 pump (operating in relay mode) and a new heater. The Z-Wave switches are Remotec dry contact switches. Iā€™m using a relay module with 8 relays for most of the control. (RL1-RL7) This system lets me program four pumps speeds: a low speed for scheduled filtering, a medium speed for heating/using the spa, a higher speed for ā€œpoolā€ mode and full-on for quick cleaning. (via the toggle switch S2) The override feature on the pump turns it off - that avoids having to switch AC power to the motor. Toggle switch S1 switches the Jandy pressure side actuator to the pool. I kept this manual so that thereā€™s no way to accidentally (via ST) drain the spa and run the pump dry.

I havenā€™t added the spa pumps to the schematic yet, but that will be another Remotec switch driving two high current relays. There will also be a switch - probably a GE Z-Wave - to control the lights.

If anyoneā€™s inclined, pick the design apart and tell me what I forgot. Iā€™ve never had a pool beforeā€¦ Iā€™m happy to provide more detail if anyone who posted here is interested.

I ended up installing the Smartenit ZBMLC30 outdoor controller last year and itā€™s been working great for me. I just wish someone would write a new device handler so we could control both relays independently.

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do you have pics on how you wired it with this device? I would like to just control my pool pump and lights. is it possible with this device? my pool pump is hard wired but my lights plug in to outlet.

thanks in advance

This is my setup which evolved from this link - https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/128364-Z-Wave-Vera-Smartthings-Pool-Temperature-Solved

Basically using a Fibaro open/closed door sensor mated with an analog temperature sensor (DROK DS18B20 3M Probe) to turn on and off zwave switches (GoControl Z-Wave Isolated Contact Fixture Module - FS20Z-1) based on set temperature, which control my pump, heater, and lights. The zwave switches are powered by 120 V and when triggered activate a DPDT contactor (Packard C230B 2 Pole 30 Amp Contactor, 120 Voltage Coil).

You could modify this setup to meet your needs by just scheduling the pump and lights to turn on and off at a specific time(s) independent of each other. The contactors are only needed if your pump is running at 240V.

In my setup I added a 3 way switch to by-pass the zwave switches so my father-in-law can just run the system in traditional mode. Itā€™s also a good fail safe.

Posting here for some help. I have a 1.5hp Haywood rated at 115v 12amps. It also has a 3 prong twist lock wire connecting to a 20amp twist lock outlet. The pump is connected to a 20amp breaker all by itself. I have read that this pump is rated for 1380watts. My desire here is to turn this pump on and off with a z-wave switch. What I donā€™t know is what this pump pulls during startup and which direction I should be going in to accomplish my goal. That being saidā€¦ Since I am not using a 220 pump and the breaker is a single pole 20amā€¦ What would be the best method? I canā€™t find a simple 20amp zwave toggle switch. Would a FS20Z-1 be an option? Iā€™d think that a 15amp toggle switch would do the trick and I wouldnā€™t have to worry about the 2nd leg of the 220v being hot. Is that about right?

I am interested in the others in this thread think.

Thanks all!

Read my thread above this. You can use the FS0Z-1 with a contactor to switch the 20amp pump. The contactor I posted above uses 120V as the trigger and is double throwā€¦but you can just use one of the terminals (or buy a 120V contactor).

Leave the pump as it is plugged in with the twistlock and use the FS0Z-1 and contactor to control on-off of the 20amp plug. The zwave stuff gets inserted before the existing twist lock.

See picā€¦I did it quicklyā€¦

So, I know this is an older post, but I just bought a house with an above ground pool, so I thought I would share. All I have is a pump, in my case itā€™s 120 volt so it was easy, but the switch I got also can control 220 and 277. Simple install of a GE 40 am hardwire zwave switch and I was done.