Livewell Timer?

smokeonthewater

smokeonthewater

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Re: Livewell Timer?

nah you don't need another timer we can easily fix this.

I had a brain fart.... I think I have the solution now BUT I'm gonna hold off till you verify a couple things for me....
1, the switches are marked on/off/auto
2, you have a total of 4 wires coming out of the harness for the pumps, two for auto and two for on
 
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KevinWI

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Jan 6, 2012
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Re: Livewell Timer?

written? no. either up or down can be auto/manual depending on which way it's wired. I wired it the normal way and it worked fine for one switch/timer per pump.

yes...this is On/Off/On switches.
yes there are 4 leads coming out of the harness. livewell and aerator up, and livewell & aerator down.

 
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fishrdan

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Re: Livewell Timer?

I'm throwing in my $.02 (for what ever that's worth)...

Ignore, I was mistaken.....

I wouldn't wire 1 timer to both switches/pumps. The only way it will work is to have the timer powered up and running all the time, or switch the output, but that would be dependent on the timer being on. Scenerio #1 the timer would be powered up all the time and it's life reduced. Scenerio #2, how do you switch the output (between the switches) without turning the timer off? You need to have the timer 's power lead connected to switched 12V, so you can turn the timer on/off, but that posed the problem of switching the output.

Now, this might work. Run the timer off the recirc pump's switch, then jumper the timer's output over to the fill switches auto terminal. This would have the output from the timer going to the recirc pump AND the fill switch's auto terminal. This would allow the timer to run the recirc pump, an then the fill pump if you wanted. Or the other way around, run the timer to the fill pump, and then the recirc switch. The drawback would be, you wouldn't be able to run each of them independent from each other, one of them won't turn on without the other running.


<<<<<EDIT>>>>>

See post 30, this will work...
 
MH Hawker

MH Hawker

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Re: Livewell Timer?

you can use one timer for bouth pumps, but why filling only takes a few minutes , its the aeritor than needs cycling
 
smokeonthewater

smokeonthewater

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Re: Livewell Timer?

sorry for the confusion earlier.... I plumb forgot at first about running constant.... the second setup WILL work... did it make sense to ya?
 
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fishrdan

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Re: Livewell Timer?

OK, lets see if this works...

- Remove the "auto" red wires from both pump switches (top, bottom, which ever lug has 12V present when the switch is flipped to auto)
- Connect the timer's 12V+ lead to where you removed those 2 red wires, jumper it between the switches
- Connect the output wire of the timer to the unoccupied center lug of both switches, jumper it between the switches
- Jumper the unoccupied "auto" lug (switched timer output now) of each switch, to the lug that has 12V when the switch is flipped to "on", where the pump's 12V wire connects to the swith (this is done to each switch, separate from each other)
- ground the timer to the panel

It should work like this;

- if either switch if flipped to auto, the timer turns on
- the output of the timer goes to the unoccupied side's center lug of both switches, giving that side of each switch the timed 12V
- the auto lug on the unoccupied side of "each" switch, is jumpered to the pump's + wire of that switch, turning on the pump
- Only the switch that is flipped to auto will, 1- turn on the timer, 2- connect the timed 12V to the pump

Seems like it should work...
 
smokeonthewater

smokeonthewater

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Re: Livewell Timer?

this is KILLING me.... I know exactly what you're getting at dan and it can definitely work... even better than what I posted above..... I was actually sitting here working out the details for the very same thing when you posted it ;)..... Funny thing is I could wire it up beautifully and as good or better than factory in just a few minutes and I could draw it but to try to read or type it and keep it clear in my head without the switches in my hand is maddening......
This IS absolutely possible and worth the effort...... Kev, you need to source some female spade connectors with the male lug on the side for connecting multiple wires to the same lug
 
smokeonthewater

smokeonthewater

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Re: Livewell Timer?

Kev, Dan,

I have drawn it on paper and IT WORKS!
I've figured a great way to explain it too....... bare with me for a few minutes and I'll edit in here and it should be very simple to understand

I'm gonna assign numbers to the lugs on the switches. They are as follows:



....Ga . . . . Gb


1a 2a . . 1b 2b

3a 4a . . 3b 4b

5a 6a . . 5b 6b

step 1:
remove wires from 1a and 1b... pull from harness and lay aside

step 2:
connect red wire from timer to 1a and jumper it to 1b (use one of the wires you removed in step 1 and one of the connectors I mentioned above )

step 3:
connect green wire from pump to 4a and jumper to 4b

step 4:
jumper 2a to 5a and 2b to 5b with the double connectors and plug the existing wires (output to pump) back in

step 5: using another of those connectors connect the black wire from the timer to any of the black wires on the panel

Ga and Gb above are the black wires on the switches which are the negative for the lights in the switches

best yet..... will be PERFECT!

ps this is the exact same Dan posted.... just easier to follow without having to understand it
 
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fishrdan

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Re: Livewell Timer?

smokeonthewater said:
try to ... type it and keep it clear in my head without the switches in my hand is maddening......

Kev, you need to source some female spade connectors with the male lug on the side for connecting multiple wires to the same lug
Click to expand...

You got that right, trying to type what you're thinking, while figuring out how it works, while making sure it works, while trying to make sure it makes sense, sheesh, have to be technical writer for that stuff! (wHiTch i AiNt's)

Yes the male/female spade jumpers are a must. Not sure where to get them, Radio Shack, electronics store? HD or Lowes is doubtful. Online might be your best bet. (I lucked out and robbed a bunch of a switch panel I bought.)
 
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fishrdan

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Re: Livewell Timer?

Yup, that's clearer, good deal!

Here's the piggyback spade connectors

I used the other piggybacks since there were a bunch of them in my panel all ready, and I had a bunch of pre-made jumper wires of the panel. Free is good!
 
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