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Run the pool pump when it costs less

Run the pool pump when it costs less

How it works

A Shelly 1PM Gen4 goes in the pump's supply, behind the outlet it plugs into or in a hardwired pump's circuit, and switches it. One schedule, stored on the relay, turns the pump on at the start of your off-peak window and switches it off again after the number of hours you set.

The 1PM also measures the pump's power, so the app shows what it draws while it runs and charts its energy use. When summer comes and the pool needs longer runs, you change one number in the app.

  1. Shelly app schedule screen for a Shelly 1PM Gen4 named Pool pump, with one schedule every day: On at 23:00, back off after 21600 seconds. 01

    Your phone

    Change the season's run time from the couch and see what each run uses.

  2. 1PM Gen4 Smart Relay 02

    Shelly relay

    Starts the pump at the start of your off-peak window and stops it after the hours you set.

  3. 03

    Your pool pump

    Runs when power costs less.

Check your off-peak hours first

Off-peak hours depend on your plan. Check your bill or your retailer's plan details for the window. On a solar system, run the pump in the middle of the day instead.

What it looks like on your phone

  • One schedule. Every day at 23:00, back off after 21600 seconds, which is six hours.

  • The start time. Set it to when your off-peak rate begins.

  • The run time. On, then toggle back off after the seconds you choose.

Step by step

How you'll set it up

Add the device to Wi-Fi from your phone, or straight from a browser.

Download Shelly Smart Control on the App Store Get Shelly Smart Control on Google Play

  1. Fit the Shelly to the pump's supply

    Mains goes to L and N. O feeds the pump, or the outlet it plugs into, and the neutral runs back as before. The RC snubber goes across the pump motor, as close to it as possible.

    Wire map 1PM Gen4
    • Active (supply) L
    • Neutral N
    • Appliance O
    • Wall switch (optional) SW
    Circuit overview
    LN230 V~ 50 Hz1Appliance2Wall switchOSWLLLNNShelly 1PM Gen4
    1Appliance2Wall switch
    Active (supply)Neutral / 0 VSwitched loadSwitch signal / dry contact

    In Australia, fixed 230 V wiring is licensed-electrician work. Use these diagrams to plan the job and brief your electrician.

    Showing the whole circuit

    Shelly 1PM Gen4

    100%
    LN230 V~ 50 Hz1Appliance2Wall switchOSWLLLNNShelly 1PM Gen4
    1Appliance2Wall switch

    Select a terminal to follow its wiring.

  2. Add it to the Shelly app and name it Pool pump

    Add the relay in the Shelly Smart Control app and name it Pool pump, so the schedule and the power readings say what they're for.

    Learn how to add a device to the Shelly app

  3. Add a daily schedule

    Open Schedule and tap Add schedule. With Simple selected, tick every day under Choose Weekday and tap Next. Leave Choose time interval on Time, set the start of your off-peak window (23:00 here) and tap Next. In the web interface, open Schedules and click Create schedule, enter the Time and select every day.

  4. Run it for six hours, then stop

    Tap Add local action and choose Control Output. Set it to On, turn on Toggle value after and enter 21600, which is six hours in seconds. Tap Save, then Next, then Save. In the web interface, click Add action to execute, choose Control Output, set it to On and Flip value after to 21600, then click Save local action and Save.

  5. Check the schedule

    Schedule shows one line: every day, On at 23:00 and back off after 21600 seconds. The pump starts at 11 pm tonight and stops at 5 am. For a longer summer run, edit the schedule and change the number.

Optional: see the pool's temperature, and heat it

A Shelly Plus Add-on clips onto the 1PM Gen4 and reads a temperature probe strapped to the pipe that brings water from the pool to the pump. While the pump runs, that pipe is full of pool water, so the app shows how warm the pool is on every run. With the pump off, the pipe drifts towards the air temperature, so read it during a run. The Add-on fits the 1PM Gen4, not the Pro 1PM or Pro 2PM. With a heat pump that only heats while water flows, the same probe can run the pump through the warm part of the day and stop it once the pool reaches the temperature you want.

  1. Clip the Add-on onto the relay

    With the power off, line the Shelly Plus Add-on's pins up with the port on the relay and press it home until the brackets lock. Take care not to bend a pin: a bent pin stops the Add-on reading anything.

  2. Wire the probe to the Add-on

    On the probe, the red wire goes to VCC, yellow to DATA and black to GND, all on the Add-on's 1-Wire side.

  3. Strap the probe to the pipe

    Run the probe to the pipe that carries water from the pool into the pump, before any heater, so it reads the pool and not heated water. Tape the tip flat along the pipe with aluminium tape, then wrap it in pipe insulation so it reads the water rather than the sun.

  4. Turn on the Sensor Add-on

    Open Add-on peripherals, expand Manage add-on feature, choose Sensor Add-on, then tap Save and reboot. In the web interface, open Add-on, choose Sensor Add-on and click Save and reboot.

  5. Add the probe

    Tap Add peripheral, choose Temperature (DS18B20), tick the probe it finds and tap Add peripheral. The Shelly reboots once more. Name the reading Pool water. In the web interface, click +, choose Temperature (DS18B20), tick the probe and click Add and reboot.

  6. Check it on a run

    With the pump running, Add-on peripherals shows Pool water with its reading. Give it a few minutes after the pump starts, so the pipe reaches the water's temperature. Charts keeps a history of the reading, so you can watch the pool warm up over the season.

  7. Run the pump through the day

    Add a second schedule the same way as the off-peak one: every day, On at 10:00, with Toggle value after set to 21600, so the pump stops at 16:00 at the latest. The heat pump heats on its own thermostat while the water flows. In the web interface, create it the same way, at 10:00 with Flip value after set to 21600.

  8. Stop it once the pool is warm

    In Add-on peripherals, open Actions and tap Add action. Choose Pool water, name the action Stop when warm, turn on Set active time and set the Start time to 10:00 and the End time to 16:00, so it leaves the night run alone. For When, choose Temperature measurement, then More than and 28, and tap Next. Under Local Actions, tap Add local action, set the output to off and tap Save. In the web interface, open Actions, click Create action and pick Pool water. Name it Stop when warm, set Active time from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, set Event to Temperature measurement every 60s, add the condition New temperature in Celsius greater than 28, add an action to execute that sets Pool pump off, and click Save.

  • Main controls. The pool's temperature sits right under the pump's on and off button, so one screen tells you both.

  • Stop when warm. Once Pool water passes 28 °C between 10:00 and 16:00, the action switches the pump off for the day.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use the Shelly app or Home Assistant?

If you don't run Home Assistant, use the Shelly app: it needs no hub, and the schedule is stored on the relay, so it runs even when your phone and the internet are off. If Home Assistant already runs your home, put the pump there, so it sits alongside your other automations.

My pump plugs into the chlorinator. Where does the relay go?

On the chlorinator's supply, so the chlorinator and pump start and stop together and the chlorinator never runs without water flowing. Check the chlorinator's manual for how to set its own timer so it doesn't fight the Shelly's schedule.

I have a variable-speed pump. Will this work?

A variable-speed pump usually has its own controller and timer. The relay can still cut its power on a schedule, but set the pump's own timer so it runs whenever it has power, or the two schedules will overlap.

What's the best time to run the pool pump?

Whenever your power is cheapest. On a time-of-use plan, that's the off-peak window on your bill, usually overnight. With solar panels, it's late morning to mid afternoon, while they're producing: set the schedule for 10:00 instead. Add a second schedule if you want an overnight top-up as well.

Does a pool heat pump need the pool pump running?

Most pool heat pumps only heat while water is flowing through them, so give the heat pump a schedule that starts after the pump's and ends before it. Check its manual: if it has a timer of its own, you can use that instead. The Pro 2PM runs the pump and the heat pump from one relay, each with its own schedule.

How long should the pump run?

Your pump's manual or your pool shop can tell you what your pool needs. Most pools need longer runs in summer than in winter, so the schedule is the thing you'll change most. Edit the seconds in Toggle value after: 14400 is four hours, 28800 is eight.

What happens if the internet drops out?

The schedule is stored on the relay, so it keeps running on its own. The relay sets its clock over the internet, though, so a long outage or a reset can leave the times out until it reconnects.

Can I see how much power the pump uses?

Yes. The 1PM's Power and Energy sensors show up in Home Assistant, so History shows each run, and you can add the pump to the Energy dashboard.

Does it still run if Home Assistant is off?

No. The automation runs in Home Assistant, so the pump won't start while Home Assistant is down. If you'd rather the timer ran on the relay itself, set the schedule in the Shelly app instead: it's stored on the relay.

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