Pool Timer

Abstract

A swimming pool or spa pump control system to selectively control the operation of a recirculating pump to prevent damage to the recirculating pump that could result from specific operating conditions and to optimize energy consumption by varying the run time of the recirculating pump throughout the year as a function of the sun's energy impacting the earth's surface as a measure of solar radiation incident on the surface of the pool water or solar heat energy incident on the pool water comprising a controller including a microcontroller to calculate the pump run time for a geographically specific location dependent upon the time of year or date based upon the solar radiation or heat energy adjusted for specific swimming pool or spa site, and a plurality of sensors to monitor various operating conditions coupled to the controller to deactivate the recirculating pump when any one of the operating conditions exceeds a predetermined or set value.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pump control system for a swimming pool to selectively control the operation of a recirculating pump to prevent damage to the recirculating pump that could result from specific operating conditions and to optimize energy consumption by varying the run time of said recirculating pump throughout the year as a function of the sun's energy impacting the earth's surface as a measure of solar radiation incident on the surface of the pool water comprising a controller including a microcontroller to calculate the initial pump run time for a geographically specific location dependent upon the time of year or date based upon the solar radiation adjusted for specific swimming pool site, said controller comprises a microcontroller including a processor, memory and timing means and an input device coupled to said microcontroller to enable a user to enter time, date, location by area code or by latitude and longitude with measured or calculated solar energy data and pump turn-on time and an output device to display information to the user, and further including a temperature sensor to sense the temperature and generate a signal when the water reaches a predetermined temperature fed to said microcontroller to generate a signal fed to said pump motor to control the circulating water through said pump control system when the actual temperature varies from the temperature calculated for the particular locale of the swimming pool and time of year. 
     
     
         2 . The pump control system of  claim 1  wherein said recirculating pump includes a pump motor coupled to the swimming pool by a pump inlet conduit and a debris filter coupled between said recirculating pump and the swimming pool by a pump outlet conduit and a return conduit to filter and recirculate water to and from the swimming pool, and further including at least one sensor to monitor an operating condition coupled to said controller to deactivate said recirculating pump when the operating condition reaches a predetermined or set value,said controller operatively coupled to said pump motor and to said sensor to selectively deactivate said pump motor when the operating condition reaches a predetermined or set value. 
     
     
         3 . The pump control system of  claim 1  wherein the initial operating run time of said pump is calculated for the specific pump rating and site specific solar radiation for times and dates to control the initial run cycle of said pump. 
     
     
         4 . The pump control system of  claim 3  wherein the run cycle of said pump is adjusted for optimum water quality due to variation tree cover, screen and other obstructions to the solar radiation impinging the surface of the pool as a factor of the specific pump rating based upon observable water quality. 
     
     
         5 . The pump control system of  claim 2  wherein said pump motor is controlled to protect said recirculating pump from damage due to loss in water pressure, said sensor comprising a liquid pressure sensor disposed between the outlet of a debris filter and the swimming pool to sense the water pressure passing through the debris filter and to generate a pressure signal fed to said microcontroller such that if the debris filter becomes clogged, the liquid pressure sensed in the return conduit by said liquid pressure sensor reaches a minimum predetermined value said microcontroller generates a fault signal sent to said pump motor to deactivate or shut down said pump. 
     
     
         6 . The pump control system of  claim 5  further including a water sensor such that when water drawn from the swimming pool through said return conduit reaches a minimum predetermined volume or amount said liquid sensor causes said microcontroller to generate a fault signal sent to said pump motor to deactivate or shut down said pump. 
     
     
         7 . The pump control system of  claim 6  further including a pump load sensor to sense the stator position of said pump motor to measure the stator crossing to indicate an absence of water circulating from the swimming pool such that said microcontroller generates a fault signal fed to said pump motor when stator crossing reaches a predetermined value to deactivate or shut down said pump. 
     
     
         8 . The pump control system of  claim 6  further includes a pump load sensor to sense the current phase of said pump motor to measure the current phase angle to indicate an absence of water circulating from the swimming pool such that said microcontroller generates a fault signal fed to said pump motor when current phase angle reaches a predetermined value to deactivate or shut down said pump. 
     
     
         9 . A pump control system for a swimming pool to selectively control the operation of a recirculating pump to prevent damage to the recirculating pump that could result from specific operating conditions and to optimize energy consumption by varying the run time of said recirculating pump throughout the year as a function of the sun's energy impacting the earth's surface as a measure of solar heat energy incident on the pool water comprising a controller including a microcontroller to calculate said pump run time for a geographically specific location dependent upon the time of year or date based upon the solar heat energy adjusted for specific swimming pool site, and at least one of sensor to monitor an operating condition coupled to said controller to deactivate said recirculating pump when the operating condition reaches a predetermined or set value. 
     
     
         10 . The pump control system of  claim 9  wherein said recirculating pump includes a pump motor coupled to the swimming pool by a pump inlet conduit and a debris filter coupled between said recirculating pump and the swimming pool by a pump outlet conduit and a return conduit to filter and recirculate water to and from the swimming pool, said controller operatively coupled to said pump motor and to said sensor to selectively deactivate said pump motor when the operating condition reaches a predetermined or set value. 
     
     
         11 . The pump control system of  claim 10  wherein said controller comprises a microcontroller including a processor, memory and timing means and an input device coupled to said microcontroller to enable a user to enter data such as time, date, location by area code or by latitude and longitude with measured or calculated solar energy data and pump turn-on time and an output device to display information to the user. 
     
     
         12 . The pump control system of  claim 11  wherein the initial operating run time of said pump start-up is calculated for the specific pump rating and the historical air temperatures for times and dates to control the initial run cycle of said pump. 
     
     
         13 . The pump control system of  claim 12  wherein the run cycle of said pump is adjusted for optimum water quality due to variation tree cover, screen and other obstructions to solar heat energy impinging the surface of the pool as a factor of the specific pump rating based upon observable water quality. 
     
     
         14 . The pump control system of  claim 11  wherein said pump motor is controlled to protect said recirculating pump from damage due to loss in water pressure, said sensor comprising a liquid pressure sensor disposed between the outlet of a debris filter and the swimming pool to sense the water pressure passing through the debris filter and to generate a pressure signal fed to said microcontroller such that if the debris filter becomes clogged, the liquid pressure sensed in the return conduit by said liquid pressure sensor reaches a minimum predetermined value said microcontroller generates a fault signal sent to said pump motor to deactivate or shut down said pump. 
     
     
         15 . The pump control system of  claim 14  further including a water sensor such that when water drawn from the swimming pool through said return conduit reaches a minimum predetermined volume or amount said liquid sensor causes said microcontroller to generate a fault signal sent to said pump motor to deactivate or shut down said pump. 
     
     
         16 . The pump control system of  claim 15  further including a pump load sensor to sense the stator position of said pump motor to measure the stator crossing to indicate an absence of water circulating from the swimming pool such that said microcontroller generates a fault signal fed to said pump motor when stator crossing reaches a predetermined value to deactivate or shut down said pump. 
     
     
         17 . The pump control system of  claim 16  further including a temperature sensor to sense the water temperature between the swimming pool and said pump and generate a signal-when the water reaches a predetermined minimum temperature fed to said microcontroller to generate an activate signal fed to said pump motor to circulate water through said pump control system to prevent freezing. 
     
     
         18 . The pump control system of  claim 15  further includes a pump load sensor to sense the current phase of said pump motor to measure the current phase angle to indicate an absence of water circulating from the swimming pool such that said microcontroller generates a fault signal fed to said pump motor when current phase angle reaches a predetermined value to deactivate or shut down said pump. 
     
     
         19 . The pump control system of  claim 18  further including a temperature sensor to sense the water temperature between the swimming pool and said pump and generate a signal when the water reaches a predetermined minimum temperature fed to said microcontroller to generate an activate signal fed to said pump motor to circulate water through said pump control system to prevent freezing.