Hayward OmniLogic: Pump, Light, Or Heater Not Turning On

How OmniLogic Relay Control Works

The HLBASE provides 4 on-board high-voltage relay positions (HVR1–HVR4), expandable to 10 with the HLRELAYBANK add-on. Each relay is double-pole, switching both legs of a 240 V circuit simultaneously. For 120 V loads, one leg and neutral are used. A ground fault circuit breaker (GFCB) must be used in the subpanel to supply power to high-voltage pool lighting.

Heaters and low-voltage equipment connect to the LVR outputs, which are dry-contact closures — the OmniLogic does not supply voltage to the heater, it simply closes or opens a contact that signals the heater's own control board to fire. This is the "2-wire remote thermostat" connection most heaters support.

Variable speed pumps do not use relays at all — they communicate over the Low Speed Bus (RS-485). If a VS pump is not responding, see the VS pump communication article.

Step-By-Step Troubleshooting

Step 1: Identify the relay number assigned to the equipment

Open the OmniLogic enclosure door and locate the Connection Table on the inside label. Every piece of equipment should be documented with its relay number (HVR1–HVR10 for high voltage, LVR1–LVR8 for heaters/low voltage).

If the Connection Table is blank, you will need to go into the Configuration Wizard (Configuration > Config Wizard > Edit) and trace which relay the equipment is assigned to. Take photos of the relay wiring before touching anything.

Step 2: Command the output manually and observe

Owner-level:

1. On the OmniLogic touchscreen, navigate to the Home Screen and select the body of water (Pool or Spa).
2. Locate the equipment in the list (pump, lights, aux, etc.) and tap to toggle it on.
3. Listen for the relay click inside the enclosure and watch for the equipment to respond.

Tech-level:

• If you hear the relay click but the equipment does not start, the problem is downstream of the relay — check the breaker for that circuit, the wiring to the load, or the equipment itself.
• If you hear no relay click when commanding the output, the relay is either failed, not receiving the command, or an interlock is preventing the output.

Step 3: Verify voltage at the relay load terminals

Tech-level, with power on and PPE:

1. With the output commanded ON at the touchscreen, use a meter to measure voltage across the load terminals on the relay for the affected circuit.
2. For a 240 V load: you should see approximately 240 V between the two load terminals when the relay is closed.
3. For a 120 V load: you should see approximately 120 V between the hot load terminal and neutral.
4. If voltage is absent at the relay output but the circuit breaker for that relay shows voltage on the line side, the relay contacts have failed and the relay needs replacement.

Step 4: Check interlock settings

The OmniLogic has an Interlock function that can prevent certain equipment from running unless the filter pump is on and the system is in "pool only" mode. This is designed for water features, pressure-side cleaner boost pumps, and similar equipment.

• In the Configuration Wizard, navigate to the equipment in question and check whether an interlock is enabled.
• If interlock is enabled, the filter pump must be running and the system must not be in spa mode for the interlocked output to activate.
• Disable the interlock temporarily to test whether the output activates — this confirms the issue is interlock logic, not a hardware fault.

Step 5: Verify the circuit breaker for the relay's load circuit

Each piece of equipment connected to the OmniLogic runs through its own circuit breaker in the subpanel. If that breaker is tripped or undersized, the equipment will not run even when the relay closes correctly.

1. With power on, check whether the breaker for the affected relay's circuit is in the ON position.
2. If it has tripped, reset it and observe whether it trips again. A breaker that immediately trips indicates a short or overcurrent in the equipment wiring or the equipment itself.
3. Verify breaker sizing against the equipment nameplate current.

Step 6: For heaters — verify the LVR dry-contact output and heater mode

Heaters connected via the LVR outputs require additional steps because the OmniLogic does not power the heater:

1. Confirm the heater is wired to 120/240 V power independently — the OmniLogic does not supply this power.
2. For post-2007 Hayward heaters: The heater must be in Standby mode with the "bo" code visible on the heater display (hold DOWN + MODE for 3 seconds). If the heater is not in bypass/standby mode, it will not respond to the OmniLogic dry-contact signal.
3. For Smart Heaters: Confirm the 3-wire communication cable (Black/White/Green) is correctly wired — terminal to terminal, same color at both ends — and that firmware R4.3.0 or later is installed on the OmniLogic.
4. Set the heater's thermostat to its maximum setting so the OmniLogic can control the setpoint through software.

Step 7: Check lighting-specific requirements

Pool/spa lighting has special requirements in the OmniLogic subpanel:

• A ground fault circuit breaker (GFCB) must be installed in the subpanel for high-voltage pool lights. If the GFCB is tripped, lights will not power on even if the relay closes.
• Low-voltage lights require an external transformer wired between the relay and the light fixture — the relay switches AC power to the transformer, not directly to the fixture.
• Universal ColorLogic lights running in OmniDirect mode (built after June 2018) must be wired to one of the OmniLogic's four on-board relays, not a relay from the HLRELAYBANK add-on.

Two-Speed Pump Relay Requirements

Two-speed pumps require two relays. Both relays must either both be within the HLRELAYBANK add-on or both be outside it — you cannot split them between the on-board relays and the HLRELAYBANK. The wiring colors are: Black = Common, Dark Gray = Lo Speed, Light Gray = Hi Speed, Gray = Ground.