Pool Pump control for low water

[DevCar]

I have my pool pump controlled by an insteon switch and ISY994i --- this works great! Cycles pump at night for 4 hours and keeps pool nice and filtered.

 

My problem is with the weather here in the south, my pump will sometimes run dry (water level evaporation) ...

 

I am looking for a cheap solution to have a low water override for my pump. Just something to tell ISY that level is low so don't run pool pump.

I would also like to automate the fill process (LATER) with a valve and same sensor.

The next upgrade (Much LATER) is High Water pump (as weird as it sounds, I can have a low water situation and a high water situation in the same week.)

My pool filter has a multi-position valve on top of the sand container (Flush, Filter, Backflow, etc), but there is no cheap way to control this.

 

I/O Linc stopped marketing water sensors for some reason (not the water leak, but the ones that would go in the pool)

 

Thanks

[Teken]

You can still use the I/O Linc and a few float sensors to accomplish the same goal.

[nokin]

Sometimes a low tech solution works better than a high tech one.  Look into a Pool Sentry or something similar.  I have been using one for years for exactly what you describe.  

[jacobs-gc]

I have my pool pump controlled by an insteon switch and ISY994i --- this works great! Cycles pump at night for 4 hours and keeps pool nice and filtered.

 

My problem is with the weather here in the south, my pump will sometimes run dry (water level evaporation) ...

 

I am looking for a cheap solution to have a low water override for my pump. Just something to tell ISY that level is low so don't run pool pump.

I would also like to automate the fill process (LATER) with a valve and same sensor.

The next upgrade (Much LATER) is High Water pump (as weird as it sounds, I can have a low water situation and a high water situation in the same week.)

My pool filter has a multi-position valve on top of the sand container (Flush, Filter, Backflow, etc), but there is no cheap way to control this.

 

I/O Linc stopped marketing water sensors for some reason (not the water leak, but the ones that would go in the pool)

 

Thanks

DevCar,

I use a non Insteon solution.  I have a 1/2 inch pool water fill line connected to a Hudson Valve  (Mechanical Float Valve). It works great. See www.hudsonvalve.com

I also use a pressure switch connected to an I/O Link programed to shut down the pool pump and pool sweep when pressure drops.  (when pool needs backwash or debris clogs skimmers)

[larryllix]

I have my pool pump controlled by an insteon switch and ISY994i --- this works great! Cycles pump at night for 4 hours and keeps pool nice and filtered.

 

My problem is with the weather here in the south, my pump will sometimes run dry (water level evaporation) ...

 

...

Since you have it all under ISY control can you not just cycle the pump for say... five minutes every hour to keep it wet?

[chrishick]

For low water sensing I'm thinking a pressure switch and IO link installed at the pump would be the easiest. High water sensing is more complicated. My pool has two atmospheric vents installed in the yard next to the concrete pool deck. These connect to the main drains and prevent someone from being sucked down onto the drain and drowning. They are just a piece of 2" PVC sticking up from the ground. The water level in the pipe always equals the level in the pool, so you could install some kind of a sump at this pipe, like a 5 gallon bucket with a lid on top, and then put two float switches inside to test for low/high water level and connect them to IO links.

 

 

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[DevCar]

Since you have it all under ISY control can you not just cycle the pump for say... five minutes every hour to keep it wet?

Problem is evaporation during the day and then the pump comes on at night without enough water and when it does it sucks air in and then runs dry (or semi-dry)

 

For low water sensing I'm thinking a pressure switch and IO link installed at the pump would be the easiest. High water sensing is more complicated. My pool has two atmospheric vents installed in the yard next to the concrete pool deck. These connect to the main drains and prevent someone from being sucked down onto the drain and drowning. They are just a piece of 2" PVC sticking up from the ground. The water level in the pipe always equals the level in the pool, so you could install some kind of a sump at this pipe, like a 5 gallon bucket with a lid on top, and then put two float switches inside to test for low/high water level and connect them to IO links.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I am thinking that just 2 normal float contact in the skimmer with an I/OLinc one NO and one NC set at the right levels, will give my I/O link a signal it can use (Can the I/O link use the NO and NC at the same time?)

 

Both Closed (Low level closed when floating, high level closed when dry) means Run the pump

High Open (Low level closed when floating, High level open when floating) means Run the pump and Flush

Low Open (Low level closed when dry, High level closed when dry) means Don't run the pump and Fill

 

Right now it can just notify me by status "Pump Ran --- Pump Ran, but drain some water --- Pump Did Not Run, Fill the Pool"

Later I can open a valve or drain.

You can still use the I/O Linc and a few float sensors to accomplish the same goal.

That is what I was thinking ... see above

 

 

Thanks for all of the advice Guys

[chrishick]

I am thinking that just 2 normal float contact in the skimmer with an I/OLinc one NO and one NC set at the right levels, will give my I/O link a signal it can use (Can the I/O link use the NO and NC at the same time?)

I couldn't figure out how to get the wires into my skimmer, plus I would have conflicts with the skimmer basket vs the floats.

 

I'm not sure if you could use both I/O link contacts at the same time, maybe someone else can answer that one.

[stusviews]

You can have devices connected to both the NO and NC contacts. When the relay is closed the NO contacts close and the NC contacts open. That's exactly how a 3-way switch and a SPDT relay function.