IntellipH Installation, setup and initial settings

[MyAZPool]

Based on the advice and suggestions of so many here on TFP, I have made the decision to install the IntellipH versus the IntelliChem.

I really like many of the IntelliChem features with integrating with automation and all, but I guess my main concern is with the ORP reading issues with pools that maintain an adequate and recommended CYA levels. The cost difference of course is another issue.
soooo...

I am looking for a little advice from those that might consider themselves IntellipH SME's (subject matter experts (Dirk are you there? ) and who might have particular experiences that they can share. The manual seems to be seriously lacking in detail.

1. Installation. Are there any particular recommendations or cautions on installation itself than some may have, and that might not be covered in the manual. (I will be installing the acid injection fitting in a threaded tee fitting 12" prior to the SWG, so I will not be using the provided saddle clamp.)

2. Dispensing amount. I'm sure I will eventually figure out the dispensing amounts for the four seasons in time, but what should be my initial dosing amount this time of the year in Arizona for an approximate 7.7 pH. (I keep it at the upper end of the scale in the winter) (see pool size below). I seem to be using about 8 ounces a week of 28.8%ma the last month or so. The SWG runs at 20% for about 3.5 hours a day now.

3. I thought I have read somewhere that some may dilute the ma in the canister. Is this something that most do?

Thanks in advance for any advice that you might have.
Hope all had a great and "fattening" Thanksgiving!!

 

[Dirk]

Happy Aftermath Day!

T-fitting, check.
12", check.

Bolt the IntellipH down. I predrilled into my pad and used stainless steel screws. Just keep working the drill bit until the screws go in easy enough but still bite.

Beware which tube goes where. I had mine switched, which caused me a lot of trouble until I figured that out.

I managed to pinch the large o-ring that seals the lid and ruined it (or it came that way, I'm not sure). But be careful of that.

I used the leftover tubing to connect to the vent and run it well away from my other equipment. I took a picture of a nearby iron gas pipe that was somewhat rusty already. I'll check back in a year and compare the pipe to the picture, to determine if the IpH is causing any undue corrosion to surrounding metal.

I ran all the tubing along other larger pipes, and wire-tied it, to keep it from getting snagged, tripped on, etc. I also encased the tubing in this stuff, to keep the sun off it (I cover all my wires in this stuff, too):



There's no way to guess at the initial dosage, just go 50% and test a lot. The SWG percentage won't affect the dosage, but the 3.5 hours will. Dosage is also dependent on dilution. Too many variables. It's just trial and error. I figured mine out in about a week, it's not that big of a deal. The IpH only doses once an hour. So 3.5 hours will get you three squirts, as will 3.25 hours, or 3.75 hours. Adjusting the runtime to 4.25 hour, will put 33% more acid into your pool. See what I mean? Just be aware of that, as you make adjustments.

Also, every time you adjust the output, it resets the 60 minute timer. So the day you make an adjustment might not be indicative of what you're going to get the next day, because just by making an adjustment you might throw off the schedule and the actual number of squirts for that day.

I dilute my 31% acid 1:1. I save an empty acid jug (NOT chlorine jug!). I don gloves, safety goggles and a proper breathing mask. I wear the ridicule I receive here for these precautions like a badge of honor!! I select a jug of acid. I fill the empty jug with water to the same level the acid jug is. I use filtered, softened water (because I can, not for any specific reason). I remove the IpH lid. I remove the acid jug lid and remove its seal. I grasp both jugs, one in each hand, and pour them into the IpH at the same time, mixing the two streams evenly as I do making an Arnold Palmer out of lemonade and iced tea. I replace the lid on the IpH, minding the o-ring. I toss the empty acid jug, store the water jug for next time.

My MO does not adhere to the typical acid-into-water warning/recommendation. But for me, it is safer than trying to dilute acid in a separate container, like a bucket, and then trying to pour two gallons from a 5-gal bucket into the hopper. You decide which is safer for you.

You could pour in the water, then pour in the acid, but I didn't want to pour water into the existing acid. And since I have the hopper bolted down, and, you'll see, that there's a grill that prevents me from stirring it up once it's in the hopper. Mixing on the fly as I am, and pouring the two together into the existing mixture of the same dilution, seems reasonably safe to me, chemically.

Or you could just buy and use 14% acid. In my area, it's a lot more expensive that way.

The IpH will only dispense so much per day. You might find that what your pool needs might be more than what the IpH can deliver if you don't use the acid full strength. You'll need to experiment a bit, as I did. Pentair recommends 1:1, but they don't say 1:1 what! 1:1 starting with 31%? or 14%? I assumed 31%. And, of course, the more you dilute it, the more often you'll have to refill the hopper.

I believe the important part of my MO is the safety gear. Don't underestimate MA. You could probably stick your hand in it without permanent damage, but one errant drop from a splash, while handling containers well below your face, can easily find its way right into your eye, just under your glasses (Murphy's Law!). MA on skin is nothing compared to MA on soft tissue. It's just not worth saving the 30 seconds it takes to put on decent protection. I use goggles, not glasses, long gloves, and a respirator rated for acid.

Amazon.com: 3M Safety 142-5303 Safety Half Facepiece Disposable Respirator Assembly, Organic Vapor/Acid Gas, Large: Industrial Scientific

DEWALT DPG82-11/DPG82-11CTR Concealer Clear Anti-Fog Dual Mold Safety Goggle - - Amazon.com

ThxToms Heavy Duty Latex Gloves, Resist Strong Acid, Alkali and Oil, 14, 1 Pair - - Amazon.com

Gear: <$40
Eyeballs/lungs: >$40

That's all I can think of. Let me know if you need anything else...

 

[Jimrahbe]

AZ,

If I were to add an acid pump to my pool it would be a standalone unit that did not integrate with my salt cell.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[MyAZPool]

Happy Aftermath Day!

T-fitting, check.
12", check.

Bolt the IntellipH down. I predrilled into my pad and used stainless steel screws. Just keep working the drill bit until the screws go in easy enough but still bite.

Beware which tube goes where. I had mine switched, which caused me a lot of trouble until I figured that out.

I managed to pinch the large o-ring that seals the lid and ruined it (or it came that way, I'm not sure). But be careful of that.

I used the leftover tubing to connect to the vent and run it well away from my other equipment. I took a picture of a nearby iron gas pipe that was somewhat rusty already. I'll check back in a year and compare the pipe to the picture, to determine if the IpH is causing any undue corrosion to surrounding metal.

I ran all the tubing along other larger pipes, and wire-tied it, to keep it from getting snagged, tripped on, etc. I also encased the tubing in this stuff, to keep the sun off it (I cover all my wires in this stuff, too):

View attachment 88693

There's no way to guess at the initial dosage, just go 50% and test a lot. The SWG percentage won't affect the dosage, but the 3.5 hours will. Dosage is also dependent on dilution. Too many variables. It's just trial and error. I figured mine out in about a week, it's not that big of a deal. The IpH only doses once an hour. So 3.5 hours will get you three squirts, as will 3.25 hours, or 3.75 hours. Adjusting the runtime to 4.25 hour, will put 33% more acid into your pool. See what I mean? Just be aware of that, as you make adjustments.

Also, every time you adjust the output, it resets the 60 minute timer. So the day you make an adjustment might not be indicative of what you're going to get the next day, because just by making an adjustment you might throw off the schedule and the actual number of squirts for that day.

I dilute my 31% acid 1:1. I save an empty acid jug (NOT chlorine jug!). I don gloves, safety goggles and a proper breathing mask. I wear the ridicule I receive here for these precautions like a badge of honor!! I select a jug of acid. I fill the empty jug with water to the same level the acid jug is. I use filtered, softened water (because I can, not for any specific reason). I remove the IpH lid. I remove the acid jug lid and remove its seal. I grasp both jugs, one in each hand, and pour them into the IpH at the same time, mixing the two streams evenly as I do making an Arnold Palmer out of lemonade and iced tea. I replace the lid on the IpH, minding the o-ring. I toss the empty acid jug, store the water jug for next time.

My MO does not adhere to the typical acid-into-water warning/recommendation. But for me, it is safer than trying to dilute acid in a separate container, like a bucket, and then trying to pour two gallons from a 5-gal bucket into the hopper. You decide which is safer for you.

You could pour in the water, then pour in the acid, but I didn't want to pour water into the existing acid. And since I have the hopper bolted down, and, you'll see, that there's a grill that prevents me from stirring it up once it's in the hopper. Mixing on the fly as I am, and pouring the two together into the existing mixture of the same dilution, seems reasonably safe to me, chemically.

Or you could just buy and use 14% acid. In my area, it's a lot more expensive that way.

The IpH will only dispense so much per day. You might find that what your pool needs might be more than what the IpH can deliver if you don't use the acid full strength. You'll need to experiment a bit, as I did. Pentair recommends 1:1, but they don't say 1:1 what! 1:1 starting with 31%? or 14%? I assumed 31%. And, of course, the more you dilute it, the more often you'll have to refill the hopper.

I believe the important part of my MO is the safety gear. Don't underestimate MA. You could probably stick your hand in it without permanent damage, but one errant drop from a splash, while handling containers well below your face, can easily find its way right into your eye, just under your glasses (Murphy's Law!). MA on skin is nothing compared to MA on soft tissue. It's just not worth saving the 30 seconds it takes to put on decent protection. I use goggles, not glasses, long gloves, and a respirator rated for acid.

Amazon.com: 3M Safety 142-5303 Safety Half Facepiece Disposable Respirator Assembly, Organic Vapor/Acid Gas, Large: Industrial Scientific

DEWALT DPG82-11/DPG82-11CTR Concealer Clear Anti-Fog Dual Mold Safety Goggle - - Amazon.com

ThxToms Heavy Duty Latex Gloves, Resist Strong Acid, Alkali and Oil, 14, 1 Pair - - Amazon.com

Gear: <$40
Eyeballs/lungs: >$40

That's all I can think of. Let me know if you need anything else...

Dirk,
Thanks for taking the time to provide all of the great info. Lots of good info for sure and I'm sure I will be implementing that advice as it makes good sense especially from a safety standpoint. Couple of questions though.

1. What's your reasoning for not using the provided jug puncturing device?
2. I can't find any direction in the manual for diluting 1:1. What is your reasoning there? Added Safety?

Thanks much Dirk.

- - - Updated - - -

AZ,

If I were to add an acid pump to my pool it would be a standalone unit that did not integrate with my salt cell.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks Jim....

Any suggestions on standalone units available online?

Why do you recommend a standalone? The one reason (although there may be more that I have yet to figure out), for going with IntellipH versus a standalone is that the ipH will not deliver acid if the flow switch in the IntelliChlor is not sensing flow. This seems to me to be a BIG plus to go with the ipH. Thoughts?

Thanks again...
r...

 

[Jimrahbe]

R,

I assume the IntelliCenter will be just like the EasyTouch and have a Pump/Filter relay. The pump filter relay is what controls the power to the salt cell... If the main pump is not on, the cell gets no power. My plan is to use the same pump filter relay to control the acid pump. If the pump is not running the acid pump would get zero power.

A Stenner would work well for a standalone system, but I am thinking of using the Hayward Acid pump system as I like the design of the tank.

I'm sure the iPH will work fine, I am just not a fan of connecting it through the cell...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[MyAZPool]

R,

I assume the IntelliCenter will be just like the EasyTouch and have a Pump/Filter relay. The pump filter relay is what controls the power to the salt cell... If the main pump is not on, the cell gets no power. My plan is to use the same pump filter relay to control the acid pump. If the pump is not running the acid pump would get zero power.

A Stenner would work well for a standalone system, but I am thinking of using the Hayward Acid pump system as I like the design of the tank.

I'm sure the iPH will work fine, I am just not a fan of connecting it through the cell...

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks Jim,
Good point, as the IC-60 is wired through the Pump/Filter relay anyway, so yea, the IpH will not get power when the pump is not on. The only scenario that would still make wiring the ipH along with the IC advantageous, would be if power was being delivered to the pump (relay on), but for some reason the pump was not actually pumping water through the system (pump malfunction), then the flow switch in the IC would still prevent acid dosing with no flow.

I checked out the Hayward AQL-CHEM4-ACID, but from what I can tell, I would then need the Hayward AquaPlus or AquaRite Pro or CAT controllers. Agree, very cool tank design though.
I perused the Stenner website but it became very confusing trying to piece together the parts and pieces that I thought I might need and not very sure about a controller.

Unless someone weighs-in on a proven Stenner pump and controller setup that can beat the ipH as a stand-alone setup, I might just go with the ipH after all I think. In addition, there are some "rumors" floating around our there, that an IntelliCenter firmware upgrade to be released in 2019, might have provisions to control/communicate with the ipH Controller Control Panel, somewhat like it does now with the IntelliChem Controller but without the "sensing" features. Just the viewing and setting of dispensing amounts I am told. Not "hanging my hat" on that one however.

Those "rumors" have disappointed in the past.
Thanks again Jim!

 

[Jimrahbe]

R,

Not that it matters, but you do not need any additional controllers, such as Aquaplus, it would just use your IntelliCenter.. Basically, you just use a relay to turn it on/off for the dose period you want to run..

A lot of people here already use the Stenner the same way..

Jim R.

 

[MyAZPool]

R,

Not that it matters, but you do not need any additional controllers, such as Aquaplus, it would just use your IntelliCenter.. Basically, you just use a relay to turn it on/off for the dose period you want to run..

A lot of people here already use the Stenner the same way..

Jim R.

Okay, now I'm a bit confused (doesn't take much sometimes ), but without some sort of controller, how would the pump itself know when and how much acid to add? How would the pump get it's low voltage power without a controller to house a AC/DC stepdown transformer? I'm missing something between the actual peristaltic pump and the relay in the load center right? No?

Thanks much Jim!

 

[Jimrahbe]

R,

I am not trying to talk you out of using the iPH if that is what you want to do... But, just so you understand.. The iPh runs off of the DC that is used to run the SWCG...

The Hayward is run off of 120 volts and the Stenner can be run off of 120 or 220 volts.. So basically you would get the AC from the load side of the Pump/Filter relay, which is only there when the pump is running.. You route that voltage through one of the aux relays, say Aux 7.. You then would schedule Aux 7 to come on for x minutes a couple of times a day, obviously when the pump is supposed to be running. Just like the iPH you have to determine how long you need the acid pump to run to generate the amount of acid you want to add to the pool. It is not all that different than determining the length of time you must run your SWCG to generate the amount of chlorine your pool needs. For both, it is a trial and error process..

Please let me know if that does not make sense and I'll be glad to try again...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Dirk]

WARNING. THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS DIRK!

1. What's your reasoning for not using the provided jug puncturing device?
2. I can't find any direction in the manual for diluting 1:1. What is your reasoning there? Added Safety?

1. The jug puncturing device is awesome, and one of the great features of the IpH. If you use 14% MA, then the jug puncturing device is the way to go, and a clear advantage over the tanks many here use with their Stenner pumps. The reasons I don't use it:

- If there is a 1:1 mixture in the tank (31% diluted to about 15%), and I dump in a gallon of 31% acid using the jug puncturing device, then the next gallon of water is the ol' acid-into-water no-no. If I pour in the water first, then I'm pouring water into the 15% acid, and it's the ol' acid-into-water as well. Another here does one or the other with no ill effects, despite the warnings not to. She says it's fine, I just prefer not to.

- Because I have the IpH bolted down, no matter how I pour in the 1:1 ingredients, I can't swish the IpH around to mix everything together (the leftover 15%, the 31% and the water). And because the tank has a grate that keeps you from putting your hand into it, there's no easy way to stir up the new batch. I imagined how I might use a drill and a wire to whisk it together, but then I came up with the "Arnold Palmer Pour" and that seemed like it solved for both issues: the acid-into-water and the mixing.

I doubt this is any big deal, but since the IpH pumps the tank's contents directly off the bottom, I wanted it well mixed, and not drawing water for a few weeks, and then more concentrated acid later (or vice versa, depending on which floats on what).

2. First page of the manual:

WARNING:
Working with muriatic acid can be dangerous. When cleaning the
IECG always wear rubber gloves and eye protection. Always add acid
to water, do not add water to acid. Always work in a well-ventilated area. Splashing or
spilling acid can cause severe personal injury and/or property damage. Pentair always
recommends 1:1 dilution when using full strength muriatic acid. When mixing,
remember to always add acid to water.
IMPORTANT! TAKE EXTREME CARE WHEN INSERTING THE ACID CONTAINER
INTO THE STORAGE TANK, AS THE FOIL SEAL MAY NOT BE FULLY ATTACHED.

Notice they don't explain how to both use the puncture device and mix your 1:1 solution...

Why do you recommend a standalone? The one reason (although there may be more that I have yet to figure out), for going with IntellipH versus a standalone is that the ipH will not deliver acid if the flow switch in the IntelliChlor is not sensing flow. This seems to me to be a BIG plus to go with the ipH. Thoughts?

I remember reading the thread in which Jim first declared he wouldn't use an IpH for acid injection, but I can't now remember why. I think maybe something to do with the IpH ceasing to work when the IC did (for cold water winters).

Here's my thoughts on the subject.

- I've only ever seen an IpH tank and pump. Based on what I've seen of Stenner users (via pictures they post), the IpH tank is far superior, in just about every way, but maybe size. The IpH holds about 3.5 gallons. If the entire system went haywire, and the pump managed to empty the entire contents of the IpH into the pool, that'd be just under 2 gallons of 31% MA (assuming it went haywire the day after I filled it), which would not cause any damage to my plaster. But I would not gamble on having a bigger tank. Can you imagine pumping 15 gallons of MA into your pool?

- As you've discovered, the IpH cannot inject without the pump running AND water flowing. I very much like both protections (as you pointed out). Stenner users would have to customize with third-party parts to simulate that most excellent feature. I suspect most of them don't bother and just rely on a timer to safeguard the plumbing. I don't like that solution.

- The IpH controller can control the IC, in the event of an ET controller failure. Obscure reason, but nice to have. It doesn't require an ET to work, only an IC and its transformer.

- The IpH shuts down the IC while its dispensing acid, so ne'er the twain shall meet (acid and chlorine). Stenners have no such built-in feature that I know of, though one could simulate it with timers and such, i suppose. Again, I doubt anyone bothers.

- Here's a biggie: the acid in the IpH tank is sealed from atmosphere save its vent, to which you can connect a small tube and run it far away from anything affected by MA. The lid is sealed with an o-ring. The IpH itself does not leak fumes, and so can be placed on or near your equipment pad. As much as I could ascertain, the typical tanks used by Stenner users vent through the large cap (no o-ring), which mean fumes are present at and around wherever you mount it. No thanks.

- The fact that a Stenner setup will pump year-round and an IpH stops when the IC does seems to be true. But... The Iph without its controller is everything a Stenner setup is! A really high-quality tank with all the advantages mentioned, along with a very similar (if not the same) peristaltic pump, all bolted together in a neat package. There is nothing preventing you from disengaging the controller and running the pump directly from any sort of timer or the ET controller itself, much as Jim describes. Another guy here and I figured this out already, I had even spec'd the parts for him. You'd need a small relay and a DC inverter (together about $20 on Amazon), and you're good to go all winter. I plan on doing this very thing when I get around to it. In the meantime:

- The IpH has a manual feed feature that squirts X amount of acid into the pipe. I haven't experimented with this yet, but I believe this overrides what the IC is doing or not doing, and is a quick, easy, safe way to pump a little MA into the pool. My IC is still running, but once it poops out next month I'll be experimenting with one or both of these "winter workarounds" and will report what I figure out in my own IpH thread.

The point was, the IpH/IC combo has all the advantages of the tethered system as designed by Pentair, and all the hardware to simulate whatever anybody can do with a Stenner.

So there!

 

[bdavis466]

Use and Aux relay and provide the low voltage... Done

https://sunplay.com/products/pentair-acid-tank-with-tank-mounted-pump-522472?variant=6882832318499&gclid=CjwKCAiAiuTfBRAaEiwA4itUqPGwXK44RE3MAKHE-nkv6t_F0N8BWHzSQ3Sv6rqMLbBvl5WCFE-I-RoC-3EQAvD_BwE

 

[Dirk]

Use and Aux relay and provide the low voltage... Done

https://sunplay.com/products/pentai..._F0N8BWHzSQ3Sv6rqMLbBvl5WCFE-I-RoC-3EQAvD_BwE

Brian, was that your thread in which we were figuring this out?

I can't now remember exactly why I wanted to use the extra relay. Something to do with wiring it to the pump relay power, along with the Aux relay. So the Aux relay would be scheduled, but even if it somehow came on when the pump wasn't running, the IpH wouldn't get energized. Something like that. I have to go find that other thread...

But you pointed out something I was about to mention. If the OP decides he doesn't want the Pentair controller and its integration with the IC, he can always just buy the tank and pump without the controller, and hook it up the same way a Stenner user would (using a timer, or the ET)...

 

[bdavis466]

It might have been your IPH thread....I don't remember.

You want an added safety feature

I guess you could use a flow switch to break the contact for the relay power but now your getting to the point where some serious panel hacking is occurring.

Maybe the standard IPH isn't so bad now?

 

[bdavis466]

I found it Dirk.... Basically the same discussion

Get IntelliPH working without InteliChlor? - Page 2

 

[Dirk]

Ha, maybe it was my thread, I didn't think to look there. It was some guy that had an IpH and a IC and wanted to quit using the IC. If that wasn't you, maybe it was you in his thread, working this out based on what you did?

I had several hair-brained schemes to stand in for the IC when it gets too cold. I'll probably get through this winter dosing manually, or using the IpH's override button, and see how it goes and how much trouble it all is. Then maybe I'll work on the hack to see what I come up with.

I could maybe forgo the flow switch protection, but I'd want an extra safety measure so that the ET timer couldn't direct the IpH to inject while the pump was not running.

- - - Updated - - -

We crossed posts. That was it. OP... have at it!

 

[MyAZPool]

R,

I am not trying to talk you out of using the iPH if that is what you want to do... But, just so you understand.. The iPh runs off of the DC that is used to run the SWCG...

The Hayward is run off of 120 volts and the Stenner can be run off of 120 or 220 volts.. So basically you would get the AC from the load side of the Pump/Filter relay, which is only there when the pump is running.. You route that voltage through one of the aux relays, say Aux 7.. You then would schedule Aux 7 to come on for x minutes a couple of times a day, obviously when the pump is supposed to be running. Just like the iPH you have to determine how long you need the acid pump to run to generate the amount of acid you want to add to the pool. It is not all that different than determining the length of time you must run your SWCG to generate the amount of chlorine your pool needs. For both, it is a trial and error process..

Please let me know if that does not make sense and I'll be glad to try again...

Thanks,

Jim R.

Hi Jim,
Thanks for the reply. Yea, I don't think you are trying to talk me out of the ipH at all. As with most here, I think you are just trying to provide all options, advantages and disadvantages to assist me in making an informed decision on purchasing, installation and use for my particular situation. Okay, so in my research in the Hayward manuals, I could not find detailed information on power as you have provided so thanks for that. Certainly makes sense now.
Thanks again..
r.

 

[MyAZPool]

Wow,
Thanks to Jim R., Dirk and Brian for all of the great info!

I'm pretty confident now that I can make the right purchasing and installation decision on a ma dosing device for my particular situation.

I am going to go for the ipH based on all of the available information provided here. This is due to the following reasons:

Safety:
1. I like the fact that I can vent fumes away from the gas heater and other equipment.
2. Smaller canister for reasons Dirk pointed out.
3. Two methods built in that prevent MA disbursement without pump on and water flowing.
4. No chlorine output while dosing is occurring, if paired with my IC-60.

Ease of use:
1. Will integrate with the IC-60 with little disadvantages. If I decide to go stand-alone, then I can still do that later with no problem (but will lose the water flow protection without complicated modifications).
2. Plug and play installation basically and everything I need is bundled together. No buying a bunch of extra parts and pieces and hope they all work together.

I actually do like the fact that the ipH has a controller that allows more "user friendliness" and control over the actual dosing I believe.

Possible Future Automation Integration:
As I noted earlier in the thread, this is not a deciding factor for me because it is only a rumor at this point. But IF Pentair actually does allow ipH integration with IntelliCenter in the next or any future firmware upgrade, then that would be a plus for me in order to allow me to do everything I can do on the ipH Contoller Control Panel through the IntelliCenter touchscreen or web interface.

So, I will be calling PolyTec Pools tomorrow and get the IntellipH on order.

Hey guys, thanks again for taking time out of your holiday schedule to provide me with some very informative information.

Now I must go see if I can catch some football and I'm told that the proverbial "DOG HOUSE" awaits me if I fail to get the Christmas decorations down from the attic before the weekend is over. I'm running out of time LOL...

r.

 

[MyAZPool]

I finished this project about a month ago and just wanted to give a final update on what I ended up with. I want to thank Dirk and Jim R. for all of their input and good advice.

I went with the IntellipH and I am pleased with how the installation went and the completion of the project. It seems to be working good, at least in manual mode (since I can't try the auto mode yet, because the water is too cold to allow the IntelliChlor to function).

Just a bit of advice. I did not have the acid injection tube inserted all the way into it's connector initially and when I tried to inject some MA manually to test out the system, I got MA all over my new pad. . Not much harm done but it was a stupid mistake because I got in a hurry.

I embedded all of the tubing in split-loom tubing and Liquid-Tight flex conduit as suggested to protect the tubing. Per some good advice, I mounted the tank to one of those faux concrete pads (DiversiTech UltraLite) as I did not want to hassle with moving around a real concrete pad of that size or drill into concrete (pain). Drilling the mounting holes was too easy and I just used a couple of large fender washers to keep the bolts from sucking back up into the foam when tightening the bolts. I used stainless steel mounting hardware to minimize rusting in the future.

I used a 2x2x1/2" threaded tee for the MA injection tap.

Here some photos of the final install.
r.

Leveling the pad.



Mounting to the pad.





Fender washers.




Final Tank Install.



Controller Control Panel Install.

 

[Jimrahbe]

r,

I just wanted to say I hate you!!... Everything so neat and perfect... It is people like you that make people like me feel so inferior..

As always a great job and attention to detail..

Thanks for the pics,

Jim R.

 

[MyAZPool]

r,

I just wanted to say I hate you!!... Everything so neat and perfect... It is people like you that make people like me feel so inferior..

As always a great job and attention to detail..

Thanks for the pics,

Jim R.

Jim, I might have made it neat, but it wouldn't be so functional without your good advice and honest opinions, along with others here.

I thought I would wrap up my Re-Plumbing the Pool Equipment Pad thread with some final photos, now that I am all finished for the most part, so you're really going to hate me I think.
Now if I can only get some of those few pesky IntelliCenter bugs that I have identified, worked out with Pentair, I'll be ready for summer and time.

Thanks again!
r.