Glacier Pool Chiller DIY Install

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greggjess

Active member
Jun 16, 2021
40
Fort Worth, TX
Pool Size
15000
Surface
Fiberglass
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Autopilot Digital Nano+ PPC2
I believe based on reading past threads that some of you have installed your own Glacier Pool Chillers. Was it really fairly easy to tackle? The husband is an electrician so he is confident in that area. We have plenty of space for the monster but it would need to go between the filter and the SWG. Pool faces west and gets very little shade except some sails we just put up so it has already hit a water temp of 94/95, sigh. Thoughts?
 
Have not seen any threads on this type of chiller being DIY installed, but agree it does look pretty simple.
 
I didn’t install mine, but I watched the guy do it. Looked pretty easy, especially with an electrician at the helm. I don’t remember exactly how the plumbing was done, but I’m happy to send you a picture once it stops raining if you’re still interested. I see that you’re in Ft. Worth. Corely’s Pool Pros out of Haslet installed mine. Jeff Corley did the work and I’d recommend him if you decide to have someone else do it.

And I can relate to your mid-90s water temps. That’s where we were prior to getting the chiller. Our water remained in the upper 70s this past weekend!
 
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Mine was delivered this past Friday and I will DIY install it. It looks pretty straight forward thus far. I will document my install in my build thread when I start. I still have to order some valves and actuators before I can start. I am going to automate mine..so that will add some head scratching. I can easily set it to turn on/off on a schedule...I want it to do so based on the current pool temp.

My pool hit 95 a few times several weeks ago during a week of really hot weather. Since then it has hung out in the 88-91 range. I know how hot it gets in August here, so I don't want it to get above 90 again.

@jark87 Pictures are always good and welcome. I know what I want to do on plumbing mine...but I would love to see how yours is done.
 
duckcmmndr said:
I want it to do so based on the current pool temp.
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I was told that you can’t do that with the Glacier, but could have been because my automation is so old. I just have mine set to turn on and off at specific times. Based on my experience, trying to program based on temp probably wouldn’t work, at least not like an AC does. Initial cooling can take several days (nights) and I have to run mine continuously to maintain pool temp. If I turn it off, even for 1 day, water temp climbs pretty high, and then I have to start all over again to get it lowered. And it will only go as low as the environment allows, meaning if weather is hot and humid, water temp will be higher than when hot and arid. You can’t “control” the water temp.

I’ll post a picture of the plumbing once the rain stops.
 
Plumbing pics are below. As you can see, he put a T coming out of the heater and before the salt cell, which I wasn’t even aware of until I took this picture. 😳 I guess that means the water going through the chiller isn’t going through the salt cell, but I’ve had the chiller for 5+ years and I actually run my salt cell at a much lower rate than I did prior to the chiller installation and I maintain a chlorine level of 7-8. Weird.

Then there’s another actuator coming out of the chiller, which ties back into a return line.


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jark87 said:
Plumbing pics are below. As you can see, he put a T coming out of the heater and before the salt cell, which I wasn’t even aware of until I took this picture. 😳 I guess that means the water going through the chiller isn’t going through the salt cell, but I’ve had the chiller for 5+ years and I actually run my salt cell at a much lower rate than I did prior to the chiller installation and I maintain a chlorine level of 7-8. Weird.

Then there’s another actuator coming out of the chiller, which ties back into a return line.


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Thanks for the pics...so your chiller's return to the pool is in a dedicated return? Just curious where in the pool is the return located? They want it to be in the center bottom of the pool, I don't see why any central return would not work just as well.

I was planning a valve actuator on the supply to the chiller...but had no intention of an automated valve actuator on the return line. I am currently planning to use a dedicated return and not send the return back into the suction side of the pump.
 
No dedicated return for the chiller. It just ties back into a return line. The pipe on the bottom under the pipe going into the pump is from the chiller. My original pool builder was out a couple of months ago and he saw how it was done. Told me that the chiller was supposed to have a dedicated return, but I don’t know how you would do that after the fact, at least not without significant expense. And besides - it works!
1626730832876.jpeg
 
jark87 said:
No dedicated return for the chiller. It just ties back into a return line. The pipe on the bottom under the pipe going into the pump is from the chiller. My original pool builder was out a couple of months ago and he saw how it was done. Told me that the chiller was supposed to have a dedicated return, but I don’t know how you would do that after the fact, at least not without significant expense. And besides - it works!
View attachment 356574
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Ok...thats good to know. Is there a check valve in the return line? There would almost half to be or the pressure from the return would back flow into the basin of the chiller.

I have 5 returns in my pool and one I plumbed as a deep on the wall return pointed into the deep end. I have separate lines for each suction/return...so I plan to use that deep wall return for the chiller.
 

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No check valve - only the actuator that you saw in the previous picture. I’m clueless when it comes to these types of plumbing topics, which is why I hired a guy to install mine. All I know is that it works!
 
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My SWG (salt cell) is the last in line before the return to my pool. Do you think I should install this cooler before the salt cell or after it? Thnink this might be a good thing to me in the desert of New Mexico where the humidity is rarely over 30% and my pool temps average 90-94 all summer. Thanks.
 
siffert said:
Thnink this might be a good thing to me in the desert of New Mexico where the humidity is rarely over 30% and my pool temps average 90-94 all summer.
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In that environment, the chiller should excel. On the rare occasion that our humidity drops below 50% during the summer, our pool will get down to mid-70s. Of course, you don’t have to run the chiller as much as I do if you don’t like temps that low. Your biggest issue will be evaporation and you’ll have to keep an eye on the water level.
 
Hi, thanks much for the reply. A few more questions. I just got my Glacier GPC25 Cooler in, not plumbed up until Monday.
1. The fan blades came slightly tilted, not 100% horizontally flat. Is that how they should be, slightly tilted?

2. I have a Pentair Superflow VST variable speed pump. I normally run at 1400 rpm at night from 9:00pm to 8:00am (2700 rpm from 8:00am to 2:00 pm for my Rebel cleaner, then down to 2000 from 2:00 to 9:00pm-my Pentair IC 40 SWG requires over 1900 rpm). What speeds do you suggest for the Glacier? I read in the manual about running it at "high speed for variable pumps" but that could mean almost anything over 1000rpm I guess.

3. Did you bolt down your Glacier? Mine weighs 125 lbs and wondering if it might topple over in a 50-60 mph desert wind we sometimes get here.

Thanks for any help!
 
1. Yes, fan blades are at an angle.
2. I don’t have a variable speed pump, but I think the key is the rotation speed of the wands that spray the water down the baffles. If I remember correctly, the manual states to have them rotate like a “fast walk”. I assume you’ll have a ball valve where you can control the water flow into the chiller, thus increasing or decreasing the wand rotation speed. I’ve found that I want it rotating as fast as possible without splashing water outside of the chiller. It does end up as a “fast walk” speed - maybe a “trot”. :)
3. No, my Glacier is not bolted down, but it’s also fairly well-protected from wind. It has a fence behind it and a fence partition in front and is surrounded by trees. When in operation and full of water, it’s plenty heavy, but when not in use, I suppose it would be susceptible to high winds if exposed.

Good luck - I’m sure you’ll enjoy cooler water!
 
I run mine pump at 2,400 rpm with 4 other returns and that gives me 12 rpm on the spray head. Instructions say fast walk...mine had a sticker with RPM's.
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jark87 said:
1. Yes, fan blades are at an angle.
2. I don’t have a variable speed pump, but I think the key is the rotation speed of the wands that spray the water down the baffles. If I remember correctly, the manual states to have them rotate like a “fast walk”. I assume you’ll have a ball valve where you can control the water flow into the chiller, thus increasing or decreasing the wand rotation speed. I’ve found that I want it rotating as fast as possible without splashing water outside of the chiller. It does end up as a “fast walk” speed - maybe a “trot”. :)
3. No, my Glacier is not bolted down, but it’s also fairly well-protected from wind. It has a fence behind it and a fence partition in front and is surrounded by trees. When in operation and full of water, it’s plenty heavy, but when not in use, I suppose it would be susceptible to high winds if exposed.

Good luck - I’m sure you’ll enjoy cooler water!
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I put it on a 30"x30" concrete pad I made for it and its still a bit wobbly. So anchors away on it! :) Thanks you very much for the info!! Gary
 
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