Moving to SWG high tech or low tech

[Sticky]

Hi all

So i want to go salt pool is 6K gallons = 18000L , what are the benefit or cons of these systems that have PH and FC sensors , I like the idea but in reality it just seems more tech to maintain ( calibration the sensor ect ) and expensive if it fails . I am now thinking that just a simple mech time clock system and just check PH , TA and FC levels my self .


With my current pool chem dosing it just needs some adjusting for summer or winter and check acid once a month .

So what is the minimum specs I should look for ?

Thanks Dave

 

[jblizzle]

ORP sensors to try to control FC output are not recommended for outdoor pools by TFP.

For a 6000 gallon pool, full automation seems like overkill to me. There are simple timer/output % based SWGs that would be fine and far more common.

We recommend sizing for 1.5-3 times the size of your pool. So look for something that is at least sized for 10k gallons.

 

[SunnyOptimism]

For your pool, the most I would go with is a simple acid dosing system like the Pentair IntelliPH and an IntelliChlor SWG (your pool volume is small enough that you could go with the cheapest model, the IC20). Both work strictly on a duty-cycle process (% output = % of some fixed time period) and can be tied into a an IntelliTouch Automation System very easily.

Systems that rely on pH and ORP probes often need frequent adjustments and calibration to keep them in spec. pH probes are more forgiving and cheaper to replace (~$180 per probe) but ORP probes are way more finicky and expensive (~$250 per probe). ORP does not equal FC. ORP is a complicated function of FC, pH, TA, TDS and water temperature. SO the output of an ORP probe assumes everything except for FC, pH and temp are constant and then tries to dose a pool with FC based on a voltage reading (the ORP voltage). While minor changes in TA and TDS will not greatly affect output, sudden changes or large excursions in those values can make the ORP voltage change a lot. As well, any change in the ORP probe due to natural degradation is not apparently obvious based on the output (except for the case of sudden and catastrophic failure). So, trying to debug a faulty probe can be a real pain.

For residential pools with normal bather loads, time-based dosing methods are the easiest to implement and the quickest to debug. Trying to automate both chemical additions and chemical measurements means taking the human factor completely out of the picture. But, by keeping the human factor on the measurement side, you eliminate one set of variables which makes debugging the dosing side of the process much easier.

My opinion, for what it's worth....

 

[SunnyOptimism]

In case you're interested in an in-depth read on all the inconsistencies associated with ORP -

http://www.troublefreepool.com/showpost.php?p=4125


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