Elk control pool pump? Sprinklers?

[PlanoMike]

I'm getting close to moving into a new house.

I have a pool with a filter pump and a cleaner pump. Security panel will be an Elk.

Would it be ill advised to have the Elk control the pool pumps? If not, I wouold appreciate suggestions on how to accomplish the switching. The pumps are 220 v and up to 9 amp.

If I was going to try this I would probably get a freeze guard wired in parallel so that freeze protection was foolproof.

Likewise, for sprinklers. Is it worth having the automation controller doing it, or just do a conventional timer. If automated, again, what approach would people suggest?

TIA.

Mike.

 

[WayneW]

I have a pool with a filter pump and a cleaner pump. Security panel will be an Elk. Would it be ill advised to have the Elk control the pool pumps?

David @ Elk (Spanky) already has his M1 fully controlling a goldfish(?) pond of some sort. I plan on putting my M1 in full control of my pool & spa as soon as I get to it. I would certainly consider the M1 as reliable as any other timer out there. I plan on controlling my stuff via hard-wire outputs and relays. If you are thinking of using X-10 to link the M-1 to the pool hardware, all I can say is YMMV, but I would not do it.

My sprinkler timer that came with the house is adequate and working fine. It it fails, it is getting replaced with M1 outputs. Or when the "to-do" list gets short enough, it may get automated for the fun of it.

 

[Chakara]

The reason I want to get my sprinklers and least somewhat controllable by the Elk is weather conditions. Then I can not water when the wind is blowing or it is raining.

I currently have a Rainbird 12 zone controler (9 used). It works well and is flexible in scheduling so I will probably just hook an Elk output to it's rain guage overide connection to shut the system down if needed for weather.

Then again, wire to there will be difficult so I may end up with an UPB relay module thing to do that.

 

[Digger]

I have a 6 zone sprinkler system on a timer. If and when I find a relay module for my M1 on ebay or somewhere else cheap enough I will hook my sprinkler to the M1. The timer works fine but its not as smart as the M1. I am thinking that I can automate the sprinklers further to run a second time later in the day if the temps are above 90 degrees etc. I dont want to be on vacation and loose the lawn if there is a heatwave.

The cost of the relay module is about the same as the timer so if you need a timer anyway I would just hook the system to the M1.

My 2.5 cents.

 

[elcano]

The cost of the relay module is about the same as the timer so if you need a timer anyway I would just hook the system to the M1.

BTW, I made my own 30 Amps relay module using this $0.99 relay from Electronics Goldmine.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

A Sprinkler Control Method

 

[Spanky]

The 30 amp relay above can switch the pool pump. Trigger the coil from one of the M1 relay outputs. The ELK 9100 uses the same style relay to switch 240 Volt Electric Hot water heaters.


The ELK M1 has been running the circulating pump in my backyard gold fish pond for a year and 1/2 now. No problems. It turns on lights at dusk and off at 9:30 pm plus it controls a UV filter to kill algae. Being the M1 controls it, I can turn things on and off remotely from my office using the M1XEP web interface or from the telephone.

 

[un-wired]

I agree with the ELK-9100 (who am I to disagree with ELK and Spanky) and I would use Rain8 from WGL to control the sprinklers.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

There are a number of ways to control your sprinkler system valves. If you have an existing timer, just use the wall wart from that (24 VAC I believe) with an Ocelot/Relay module, Elk, or WGL's Relay-8. WGL Designs has other options as well.

Not to knock the Ocelot or Elk, but I am a big fan of WGL's product line when controlling the sprinkler systems. You don't have to run the solenoid (valve) wiring back to your closet and it includes a built in "fail/safe" timer that will turn the valves off locally if for some reason an "off" command is not received.

FYI I did a review of WGL Design's Relay-8 Module.

 

[FrankMc]

Hi I use Homevision and a relay board to control my sprinkler system...Have a rain sensor connected to Homevision so it automatically aborts the watering cycle if it has been raining...Would like to add some moisture sensing and water each zone depending on feedback from moisture sensors....

Some pics of my irrigation controller

http://www.hobby.armaghelectrical.com.au/page89.html

Frank