Review my new pool equiptment

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C

chickenhawk

0
Jan 12, 2018
2
Atlanta
I am about to be a pool owner. We start digging next week. I was hoping some of you pool gurus on the site might be willing to review the equiptment that the contractor is putting in. Essentially I just want to get another set of eyes on the equiptment plan to see if anythings stands out, such as an oversized pump that's going to cost me $$$$ to run. I really have no expertise so I am all ears.

Location: Atlanta, GA

POOL: Freeform shape, 28’ x 13’, 7’ x 10’ tanning shelf, 90’ perimeter, 3 ½’ x 6’ depth. Constructed of 4,000 psi shotcrete with #3 steel rebar tied 12” on center, minimum floor and wall thickness 6”, minimum bond beam thickness 12” with #4 steel rebar.

PLUMBING & EQUIPMENT: - BASE PRICE: $14,400.00 – less $5,500 for heater/gas line
All 2” PVC schedule 40 with Jandy never lube valves.
(2) Hayward skimmer with equalizer
(2) Return inlets
(1) Pool overflow fitting
(1) Pool cleaner line
(2) Anti-vortex pool and spa main drains with covers that comply with federal VGB mandate addressing anti-entrapment requirements.
(2) Multi-Color LED pool light
(1) Pentair 2hp WhisperFlo Filter Pump
(1) Pentair Clean and Clear 420 sq. ft. cartridge filter with pressure gauge
(1) Pentair IntelliTouch 4 Automation system with programmable event timers and freeze guard protection with remote control.
(1) 399K BTU Pentair MasterTemp Heater – Gas line included
(1) Pentair IntelliChlor IC40 electrronic chlorine generator up to 40,000 gallons, (salt Included)
(1) Polaris 280 automatic pool cleaner with dedicated booster pump
 
Welcome to the forum!

With a new pool, you really should be considering a variable speed pump. Given the amount you are spending on the pool, the extra cost of the pump is a nit and it will save you in energy costs down the road.

Also, I wouldn't consider any other cleaner than a robot. The booster with the 280 will cost quite a bit in energy while a robot uses very little energy AND it doesn't need the pool pump to run in order for it to work.
 
Thanks, this is exactly the sort of advise I am looking for. Any suggestions on which robot or variable speed pump?
I should add that we will have 20" kneed wall with 3 small "waterfalls." Really it's they are just small ledges that will allow us to hear the sound of the water. I suspect this might impact pump needs, but I really like the idea of the variable speed pump as I pride myself on super low energy usage/expenses.
 
ch,

Welcome to TFP... A great resource for all your new pool questions... :shark:

The only VS pump that the EasyTouch can control is one of the IntelliFlo pumps...

The only logical choice is the 3 HP IntelliFlo without the SVRS option... Do not worry about the "3 HP" as you only use the HP you need... Think of it as a Variable Horse Power pump.

You can get the original version that does not have the rotatable control panel.. Not much of an issue if using an EasyTouch for control.. or you can get the version that allows you to turn the control panel so that you can see it easier.. or you can get the latest version which can be configured as a Variable Speed or Variable Flow pump..

Just make sure you do NOT get the SVRS option... this is a safety feature that is no longer needed and can cause intermittent problems.

The EasyTouch cannot control the smaller Pentair SuperFlo VS pump without a clunky work around... There are two smaller IntelliFlo pumps.. the i1 and i2, but they are for special regulation requirements that I am pretty sure you don't have.

I too would recommend a standalone robot over any power powered cleaning system..

Make sure that the EasyTouch that you are getting has the internal SWCG power supply... you do not want the external power supply..

Also make sure that you buy ScreenLogic2, which allows you to control and program your EasyTouch via your PC, phone or tablet. it makes using the EasyTouch about 10 times easier...

I would make sure that the EasyTouch the builder is going to provide is not one of the "Lite" models... If it has an "L" in the model number, like PL4 or PSL4, you might think again. As with all things "lite".. they just do not taste like they should...

Here is a reference to a good one... Pentair Easy Touch Control System 520593. EasyTouch 4PSC-IC40 Control System. Pentair 520593. Assumes you have just a pool and not spa.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

- - - Updated - - -

Just for reference... since I see you are into "low energy expenses"... I run my IntelliFlo at 1200 RPM, which is fast enough to run my SWCG, 24/7, for less than $20 bucks a month...
 
Unless the OP was edited, he is being quoted the Intellitouch automation system.

(1) Pentair IntelliTouch 4 Automation system with programmable event timers and freeze guard protection with remote control.

The Easytouch 4 might be less expensive, but I suspect the Intellitouch is required to control the Pentair LED lights.

I'm not familiar with pricing, but it might be advantageous to upgrade to the Intellitouch 8 system. This will provide additional relays for future use (landscape lights, valves, add-on spa, who knows)

I have the Easytouch 4, and it's adequate, but it would have been nice to have another couple of outputs so I could get more granular control over some things.

Another thing that might be good to add would be the screenlogic interface option. I'm not really familiar with it, but I believe it gives you the option to tie the system into your wifi system. From there, you could control the entire system from a phone or tablet. Check to make sure that the PB is not hiding the cost of a indoor touch panel in the system. I'm sure they're nice, but they're expensive and a wireless option would be better, in my opinion.
 
Jimrahbe said:
ch,

- - - Updated - - -

Just for reference... since I see you are into "low energy expenses"... I run my IntelliFlo at 1200 RPM, which is fast enough to run my SWCG, 24/7, for less than $20 bucks a month...
Click to expand...

Off-topic but I'm curious how you calculated that. I have the Intelliflo variable speed, but I don't have a good way to measure flow or wattage. I've always wondered what my exact cost of operation was.

I also run my pump at around 1100-1200 rpm. I set it to about 100 rpm more than required to trigger the flow switch, so I bump it up a little bit as my filter gets dirty.

What is your electricity rate? Here in S. California Edison areas, our "Tier 5" marginal rates are somewhere close to 40 cents/kWh, maybe more since I haven't checked in a few years.
 
Menu/Settings/Intelliflo/Pump#1/Status --

Hope I got all those. I have to run mine at 1600 rpm for my flow switch. Runs at around 200W.
 

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peterl1365 said:
Off-topic but I'm curious how you calculated that. I have the Intelliflo variable speed, but I don't have a good way to measure flow or wattage. I've always wondered what my exact cost of operation was.

I also run my pump at around 1100-1200 rpm. I set it to about 100 rpm more than required to trigger the flow switch, so I bump it up a little bit as my filter gets dirty.

What is your electricity rate? Here in S. California Edison areas, our "Tier 5" marginal rates are somewhere close to 40 cents/kWh, maybe more since I haven't checked in a few years.
Click to expand...


P,

The real question is why don't you have ScreenLogic2 for your EasyTouch???? :p That is where I am getting the wattage of whatever speed I am running... See the following ScreenLogic picture...

dbtgallery.php


As you can see when running at 1200 rpm I use about 180 Watts of power. My actual electrical charge is about 5 cents an hour, but when you add in all the fees etc., it is closer to 10 cents. If I ran at 1200 all the time my cost for a month would be about.. $13.. but I round that up to $20, because everyone's electrical rates are not the same.. (As I'm sure you know...) And I don't run at 1200 all the time, just most of the time..

I really suggest that you invest in ScreenLogic.. Costs about $360, and is worth its weight in gold.. Makes using and programming the ET about 10 x easier than using the little 3" LCD screen.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.
 
peterl1365 said:
Unless the OP was edited, he is being quoted the Intellitouch automation system.

(1) Pentair IntelliTouch 4 Automation system with programmable event timers and freeze guard protection with remote control.

The Easytouch 4 might be less expensive, but I suspect the Intellitouch is required to control the Pentair LED lights.

I'm not familiar with pricing, but it might be advantageous to upgrade to the Intellitouch 8 system. This will provide additional relays for future use (landscape lights, valves, add-on spa, who knows)

I have the Easytouch 4, and it's adequate, but it would have been nice to have another couple of outputs so I could get more granular control over some things.

Another thing that might be good to add would be the screenlogic interface option. I'm not really familiar with it, but I believe it gives you the option to tie the system into your wifi system. From there, you could control the entire system from a phone or tablet. Check to make sure that the PB is not hiding the cost of a indoor touch panel in the system. I'm sure they're nice, but they're expensive and a wireless option would be better, in my opinion.
Click to expand...


Peter,

Good catch on the IntelliTouch...

IntelliTouch units are for very large, complex pools with several pumps, etc... Since it cost much more for the IntelliTouch than the EasyTouch, for the OP's pool it makes no sense to use the IntelliTouch... I am just assuming that he will be getting the EasyTouch. The ET will control all the lights that the IntelliTouch can control.

I do agree that it makes sense to use the ET 8 vs. the ET 4 so that you have more relays to use in the future..

The IntelliTouch has some external inputs that the ET does not, and the IntelliTouch also allows for Macro programming, something that 99% of pool owners never need.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.
 
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