Pentair 521377 IntellipH

[300winmag]

Looking ahead in time, I'm sure that there will be a point when vacation is an option and I won't be home for 7+ days to keep an eye on the pool. As such, I was looking at this device to keep our pH in balance.
Our pool is currently consuming ~8oz a day of muriatic acid, and this looks like it would make life easier while I'm home, and allow me to come home to a maintained pool.

I searched a bit and people seem happy with this unit. Are there other MFGs or options that are better than this one?


Thanks

 

[Ocgasman]

The IntellipH is just Pentair's rebranded Stenner acid injection system that integrates with the intellichlor SWG. Unfortunately since you don't use an intellichlor SWG, you can't hook up the IntellipH. The IntellipH derives power from a standalone intellichlor power supply or through a powered comm port in the Pentair Automation system.

Look up Stenner Acid system in this subforum, you'll get lots of info. Best of luck and yes, an acid injection system will make your maintenance much easier especially when not at home.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I'm not a huge fan of these systems. pH fluctuations are not nearly as important to manage on vacation as FC is. Your pool surface is brand new, it is going to use acid for at least the first 12 months; it will eventually slow down. The IntelliPH is a misnomer, it's anything but intelligent - there is no positive feedback loop from a pH probe, it is merely a time-based acid dosing system. So you will have to dial it in the same way you dial in an SWG and reset the acid dosing as environmental conditions change with the seasons. A major downside is when acid demand is low, you could inadvertently dose too much acid and then lower your pH too far. Too much room for error in my opinion.

There are far easier ways to manage pH rise (after your plaster has gotten past it's 30 day cure period). First is to lower TA to 60ppm, that will reduce the carbonate alkalinity in the water. Next, consider adding 50ppm borates. Borates are a high pH buffer that strongly buffer water as pH rises. Finally, control input sources of alkalinity (evaporation and fill) and reduce unnecessary aeration processes (don't run the bubblers unless there's a reason too and limit the spillway use). These three things alone can greatly affect how your pH rises and are a lot cheaper to implement than purchasing an expensive acid dosing tool. For example, if I drop my TA to 60ppm and use a bubble cover on my pool, my pH rise virtually stops as it is entirely dominated by outgassing of dissolved CO2.

Sorry to be a party-pooper, but I really don't think acid injection pumps are necessary for small residential pools.

 

[Ocgasman]

Everything Matt said is true with a couple of caveats. Definitely, try to adjust your TA down and add Borates to help keep the pH in check. And give your plaster some time to cure and well as minimizing aeration as much as possible. But in some instances, the pH will keep rising no matter what you do especially with a SWG and spillovers. I have a negative edge on my pool and spa and laminar water features so my aeration is high. My case is a bit special due to the negative edges but my pool had a major hunger for acid. In my case, the IntellipH was perfect. But, Matt is correct, you do still have to monitor and test your pool constantly, you just don't have to add anything once it's dialed in, maybe a minor tweak here and there based on season and bather load. I know I got tired of adding acid every other day by hand so the IntellipH has worked wonderfully for me.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Just for reference - in the beginning my pool drank acid like crazy. I got lazy over the first winter and horribly scaled my pool tile because I let the pH get too high for too long. I then got serious the second year and kept a tight lid on my pH. I was adding acid every other day that season. Then I finally got smart and took a serious look at the chemistry. I put my 13lb bag of Costco baking soda on the shelf (years later I still have 10 lbs sitting there), I lowered my TA, I keep my pH no lower than 7.6 and only add acid when it rises to 7.9 and I added borates. That stretched me out to adding acid once per week. I then got smarter, stopped running my waterfall for hours on end and added a CVA to automate my spa spillway so I only run it 1 hr/day.

Without a cover, I add acid once every 12 days or so.

With a cover, I add acid once every three weeks.

I can handle manually dosing once every 12 days during the summer. My TA naturally likes to sit at 60-70ppm. I have lowered it to 50ppm and I can get a few more days between acid additions if I do. But my fill water TA is high enough that maintaining my pool at 50ppm requires more acid additions so it costs me more to hold the TA down that low.

 

[300winmag]

I realize that my acid demand is high now, and will reduce over time. However, it will never reduce completely.
I also understand that the acid dosing system is open loop. I certainly don't expect a $500 unit to dispense a dose, test the treated water, and retreat accordingly.

The thought process was that at any point in time, the pool will be consuming a somewhat fixed amount of acid over a certain amount of time. Could be 8oz/day, could be 8oz/week. The point being, as long as I'm keeping up with it, I'll know what it needs at that point in time and can adjust the system accordingly. What's worse; pH potentially getting out of hand for over a week, or the pump system not putting in the precise amount needed?

With all that being said, if I need another controller to operate the d*mn thing, then its going to be cost prohibitive.

Moving to the lower TA and borates option, my plaster has cured for > 30 days. But I'll give it some more time and then proceed with this option.

Thanks

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I realize that my acid demand is high now, and will reduce over time. However, it will never reduce completely.

Not neccessarily true. There are many users on this forum with plaster pools (older and, yes, even with SWGs) that experience only very weak acid demand to the point where they are only adding acid a couple of times per season (and a few that never add acid at all). So it really depends a lot on your local conditions. Fill water pH/TA will be one of the larger determinants of pH rise in a pool.

Have you tested your fill water?