I have a client with a Zodiac pool controller that has 4 auxiliary outputs he can turn on and off from his iPhone app.

Is there any way to use a relay to turn on his 120 volt lights in his pool house?

Thanks.

does the zodiac device give a dry (no voltage) contact when engaged?

When the "aux" is on there is +12 volts DC and off 0 volts.

I do not see why not. I know the Pentair controllers have aux relays too that you can use for whatever the hell you want to control. If you have confirmed the +12V when the relay is on and 0V when it is off, it sounds like you know what to do next. :)

Not only is there a way to do it, using a relay is the way to do it.

I was thinking a relay but wanted to create a circuit similar to a pair of 3 way switches with the relay being switch #1 and the light switch being #2.

We can rewire the switch to 3 way and I assume I could wire the relay in a similar fashion...

Why are we at Post 6, discussing a relay, when that's not what you want to do? You really want to


My first answer was completely vague because the thread title was completely vague. Now HERE is a topic!

I think you can do this if the command that controls the relay is a toggle. If it's an ON and an OFF, the second switch in the three-way circuit will make that be OFF (via the ON command) and ON (via the OFF command) whenever the second switch has been thrown.

If the controller won't simply toggle, you'll never know the status of the controller so you can switch to the other status, unless the second switch can be seen at all times. If it'll toggle, you'll know by looking at the lights whether you want to send a toggle command to it.

The relay must be double throw. Look at the schematic of the relay and of a 3-way wiring setup to see why.

Thanks for the tip.

It can absolutely be done.
As Ernie said, you'll need a double throw relay if you want/need it to function as a 3-way.

Nice diagram...