New IntelliChem - Installion Issues

[joesc230]

Hi all,

I've really been having problem after problem with pool contractors, despite getting multiple quotes and using very reputable companies from my area...

I just had a IntelliChem, IC60, IntellipH and EasyTouch installed. The installer is registered with Pentair for this type of work. Apparently, that doesn't mean they know what they're doing, as I don't think he did the install correctly. He had an electrician install the EasyTouch earlier in the week (in good weather), and he installed the IntelliChem and IC60 a couple of days ago, while it was raining a good amount. He mentioned that he's very backed up with jobs...shouldn't be my problem if he didn't want to lose a day's work to do a correct install. I don't think that him doing the IntelliChem install in the rain was a great idea, as after he left and I was able to inspect everything (I was at work when he did the install), I'm finding a bunch of things wrong...

- There was water inside the IntelliChem. I noticed that the display had condensation, so I opened it up and it was quite wet on the inside part of the faceplate...the circuit board looked dry, but for all I know he wiped it down before closing it. I have a feeling that it potentially got wet, and this could be the reason I'm having the problems I'm having now. Of course, I could be wrong and he just might have have set it up correctly.

- The pH was bouncing all over the place...it was reading anywhere from 7.8 down to 4.9 up, and then up to 10.0. It seemed to settle down and stay at 10.0 for hours and hours. Of course, I didn't want to risk that being accurate so I took manual readings and the pool was at 7.6 but because it ended up staying at 10.0 for a few hours in a row, it must of been dumping acid into the pool so my pH got down to 7.0. At that point, I turned the IntelliChem off to avoid problems and the pH is slowly back on the rise.

- The salt level also wasn't getting read correctly. It was reading 2800 in Screenlogic, but my manual reading showed 3200.

- The ORP wasn't getting red at all, for over a day. They sent out a tech and he fixed it, but he did it without letting me know he was there so I didn't get to tell him about all the other issues. I started getting ORP readings around 740 but only had the unit on briefly from that point since I turned the IntelliChem off based on the pH issues.

- The pool shut off hours before it was programmed to shut off...I'm assuming that isn't an IntelliChem issue, but is rather a Screen Logic or EasyTouch issue.

The questions I have are:

1.) After shutting the unit off I noticed that there was a slow leak coming from the "out" line of the Flow Cell. I then checked it and it wasn't very tight so I hand tightened it and the leak got better but there's still a slow trip. I then closed the valve which still left me with a very slow drip. Is it okay for that liquid to be slowly leaking on the pumps below it? I'm hoping it's okay, as I was thinking that's pretty much the exact same water in the pool...it's not like it's the acid line leaking there. Or am I wrong about something?

2.) They programmed a spillway feature in the Screenlogic's interface - I do have a spillway going from my spa to my pool; however, I'm not sure I understand why they programmed that as a separate feature. When I go from pool to spa mode (or the reverse), everything does seem to still be working right. The only time the spillway runs (at least with my previous setup, which was a Jandy AquaLink with Zodiac remote) is when the pool is running. When put into spa mode, the spillway stops since the water of course has to stay inside the spa. Should they not have added this feature? Or does it make sense to do so? If it does, please explain.

3.) The contractor is having a Pentair rep come to check everything out. Hopefully they can get it all running correctly. Anyone have experience to know if the faulty pH and salt readings were more likely due to a bad install or due to a faulty unit?

Thanks in advance for any info or advice!

 

[bdavis466]

1.) There should be no leaks

2.) Spillway mode allows you to chlorinate the spa by pulling water from the pool and sending it to the spa. If you have a seperate return that goes to the spa and provides water for the spillway everytime the pump is running, then you don't need the spillway mode. I prefer to filter the pool water for X hours per day and then run the spillway for X minutes per day to chlorinate and circulate the spa. Its your choice what you prefer.

3.) The Pentair IC salt readings vary greatly based on water temperature. When the water is cold, the salt level will read low and vise versa. Whats more important is to make sure the salt cell is happy with its reading (not high or not low).

You may have a faulty pH sensor but its difficult to know since it sounds like the rest of the system isn't working correctly.

 

[joesc230]

1.) There should be no leaks

2.) Spillway mode allows you to chlorinate the spa by pulling water from the pool and sending it to the spa. If you have a seperate return that goes to the spa and provides water for the spillway everytime the pump is running, then you don't need the spillway mode. I prefer to filter the pool water for X hours per day and then run the spillway for X minutes per day to chlorinate and circulate the spa. Its your choice what you prefer.

3.) The Pentair IC salt readings vary greatly based on water temperature. When the water is cold, the salt level will read low and vise versa. Whats more important is to make sure the salt cell is happy with its reading (not high or not low).

You may have a faulty pH sensor but its difficult to know since it sounds like the rest of the system isn't working correctly.

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it.

As far as #1 goes - I didn't clearly explain what I meant, sorry about that. I know it's not supposed to be leaking, but I wanted to know if it's okay for it to temporarily be leaking until it's fixed, or if that water coming out of the flow cell is corrosive to the pumps and lines it's spilling onto. I thought it would be okay for the short term (hopefully a few days at most), but wanted to double check.

 

[bdavis466]

Ah, I see... No issue as that is just pool water. The acid gets injected later on in the system

 

[davethomaspilot]

Is there teflon tape on the Flow cell inlet and outlet fittings?

I ran out of the small amount of teflon tape that came with the Intellichem and tried to get away without it on some of the fittings. Even though I hand tightened very tight, I still got drips. Mine were on the canister fittings, since that's where I didn't use the tape.

Dug up some teflon tape and used that on all the fittings. No more drips.

If the teflon tape doesn't fix, make sure they are not cross threaded. It can be done with those plastic threads, but I wouldn't expect a professional installer to do that.

 

[joesc230]

Ah, I see... No issue as that is just pool water. The acid gets injected later on in the system

Thanks!

 

[joesc230]

Is there teflon tape on the Flow cell inlet and outlet fittings?

I ran out of the small amount of teflon tape that came with the Intellichem and tried to get away without it on some of the fittings. Even though I hand tightened very tight, I still got drips. Mine were on the canister fittings, since that's where I didn't use the tape.

Dug up some teflon tape and used that on all the fittings. No more drips.

If the teflon tape doesn't fix, make sure they are not cross threaded. It can be done with those plastic threads, but I wouldn't expect a professional installer to do that.

Good question. Looking it at, I don't see any. I wouldn't be surprised if the installer skipped that since it was raining when he did the work. If the system is off, do you know if I can just remove the fitting and and put it back with no worries? Or is there anything I should do before and/or after doing so?

 

[davethomaspilot]

First, a disclaimer--I'm a newbie to pool ownership... But, I did just install the intellichem and pulled off hoses, etc. and it's pretty easy to prevent flooding.

You should shut off the pump (if it's running) and close the filter valve (off position). Otherwise, you'll get a lot of water (no acid). But, if the system is off, I guess that means the pump is off.

If the Intellichem is below the level of the pool, you should also close any return valves, so you don't get back flow. You might be protected from this with check valves though.

Having said all that, it doesn't hurt to just let it drip until your repairman gets there. Barring some plumbing mistake, it's just pool water. The flow cell just tells Intellichem whether there's water flowing or not and plumbs pool water to the sensor(s).

 

[joesc230]

First, a disclaimer--I'm a newbie to pool ownership... But, I did just install the intellichem and pulled off hoses, etc. and it's pretty easy to prevent flooding.

You should shut off the pump (if it's running) and close the filter valve (off position). Otherwise, you'll get a lot of water (no acid). But, if the system is off, I guess that means the pump is off.

If the Intellichem is below the level of the pool, you should also close any return valves, so you don't get back flow. You might be protected from this with check valves though.

Having said all that, it doesn't hurt to just let it drip until your repairman gets there. Barring some plumbing mistake, it's just pool water. The flow cell just tells Intellichem whether there's water flowing or not and plumbs pool water to the sensor(s).

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll wait for the Pentair tech to get here since it's not an emergency.