Another SWCG journey!

[Exlonghorn]

Been doing all my researching and reading from the many others that have posted here. Just adding my experiences as I make the switch to salt water chlorine generation.

Starting equipment
25K Gal Plaster pool, Jandy AqualinkRS automation , Jandy LXi Heater, Jandy Stealth Single-Speed pump shpm2.0, Jandy cartridge filter, using 8.25% and 10% bleach (HDX brand) as the FC source, monitoring with K-2006, speedstir

Given this starting point, I've decided on:
Jandy TruClear SWCG TRUCLEAR11KU
Jandy EPUMP VARIABLE-SPEED PUMP 2.7 THP VSSHP270AUT
I am also considering adding a Jandy Zodiac iAquaLink 2.0 IQ20-RS Web Connection Upgrade Kit. If anyone has this, I'd appreciate feedback on if it's worthwhile. I know the TruClear has an RS-485 connection to the Aqualink RS, but one of the guys quoting suggested my Aqualink software is out of date to run the VS pump and suggested the IQ-20RS upgrade. That probably runs another $800.

I also decided to address a FAULT - CHECK IGN CONTROL error code I was getting on my heater over the winter.

I contacted a slew of Jandy/Zodiac Pool Pro Network providers in the Houston area. Jandy doesn't sell its products online, and requires professional installation to validate the warranties. This is where the disappointment started.
Whale Pools - completed online inquiry, had some initial discussions and then they simply vanished after saying they were behind with current backlog
Aloha Pools - completed online inquiry, they came to the house and looked at the system. They offered to fix the heater and also suggested a full replacement of the heater. Verbal comments on the cost of the SWCG fell around $2K. It's now been a week with no quote.
Beyond Blue Pools - completed online inquiry, received no response
Patten Pool Repair - completed online inquiry, received no response
Superior Pool & Spa Service - completed online inquiry, had a follow up phone call to get more details about the project, waiting on next steps
Renovatio Aquatic Solutions - Completed online inquiry - very quick feedback, visited the house within a day or two. Had the quote in hand a day later. During the site visit, Andrew inspected the heater and determined nothing was wrong. Heater fired up and ran properly, etc. It's pretty clear why they received a 5-star rating on 21 Google reviews and an A+ Better Business Bureau rating. They patiently answered questions about the quote and installation, and the quote was very reasonable. So we have a winner! I'm a little curious how they have no info on Yelp or Angie's list aver being in business for 18 years. Ironically, they aren't one of the Zodiac Pro Network folks. Here's the quote info.

Date Activity Description Qty Rate Amount
10/10/2019 Jandy TrucJandy Truclear 1 739.56 739.56T
salt system
10/10/2019 Jandy VS PJandy Variable 1 1,217.76 1,217.76T
Speed pump
10/10/2019 Labor Salt System/VS 1 215.00 215.00T
installation
10/10/2019 Salt ConveSalt/materials 1 30.00 30.00T
____________________________________________________________________________
SubTotal: $2,202.32
Tax: $181.69
--------------------------------------
Total: $2,384.01

So I'll continue updating as things progress, and of course I welcome any feedback. Thanks to Cody and others for sharing their experiences.

 

[kimkats]

I hope you post pics of this as you go along as well. Maybe start with a before pic as the equipment stands now.

 

[kimkats]

Here is a link to something you might be interested in. I don't really know enough about this stuff to know if this will fit your needs. They are selling it as the company sent them two and told them to keep the extra one.

Brand New IntelliCenter For Sale- Still in the Box..

If anyone is building a pool and is doing Pentair Automation - PM me....I have the following for Sale (Cheaper than Internet Prices) Pentair Intellicenter i10PS Personality Kit (Brand New - In the box) #521914 Pentair IntelliCenter Personality Kit i10PS Pool and Spa Control...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[setsailsoon]

Ex,

Neat project and it looks like you got at least one very competitive quote. If you're not going DIY Jandy can offer competitive pricing and it makes a lot of sense if you already have an iAqualink/RS system. I was in your situation and made the break to Pentair Intellicenter so I could continue DIY but that part of my journey cost me $2K for the Intellicenter alone.

I would say $215 is very reasonable for the labor as is the price for the Jandy swg unit. If you want to keep your costs down and go DIY you have another choice which is to go 3rd party swg only and retain the rest of your system. In this case you need a spare relay on the control panel plus lose the ability to control % power on the swg remotely with your iAqualink which doesn't really change much after initial set up. You control FC primarily with run-time on the chlorinator. Price will be about the same but you get the choice of much better warranty for the swg (5-7 years) and better chlorine production/$. Circupool has good reviews and reputation on this site if you go this way but there are at least one or two others to chose from.

I hope this is helpful.

Chris

 

[Exlonghorn]

I mentioned the issue that another pool company brought up about the AquaLink software revision not being compatible with the new E Pump to Anthony at Renovatio and he immediately came out to the house to verify. Sent me this text during the visit...

“Hi Michael, this is Anthony. I apologize, I'm sure you are busy. Just wanted to let you know I did verify your system again and you have a 5.0 chip which is actually one of the newer revisions that does not need an upgrade. I'm sure they were attempting to upsell the install which is understandable but if you dont need it, it's not necessary.”

Great service and attention to detail so far. I might just add the IQ20 anyway because I like these guys! ??

 

[Exlonghorn]

I hope you post pics of this as you go along as well. Maybe start with a before pic as the equipment stands now.

Before pics posted

 

[Exlonghorn]

Install done! Anthony from Renovatio Aquatic Solutions was great to work with. Price as quoted. No issues with start up or operation. The variable speed E Pump is impressively quiet...far better than the single speed it replaced. Tied in to AqualinkRS and PDA remote. And a little surprise....Truclear does provide a salt level readout on the PDA. However, according to the manual "The TruClear does not capture a salinity reading from your pool. When connected to an automation system, the target salinity level of 3000ppm will be displayed."

 

[setsailsoon]

Congrats! You're gonna love SWG and VS pump (I'm jealous for now), I didn't see the iAqualink 2.0 but a PDA gives you the same benefit except WiFi or internet control. We love it but it's definitely a preference and expensive for what you get.

Good luck to you!

Chris

 

[Exlonghorn]

Congrats! You're gonna love SWG and VS pump (I'm jealous for now), I didn't see the iAqualink 2.0 but a PDA gives you the same benefit except WiFi or internet control. We love it but it's definitely a preference and expensive for what you get.

Good luck to you!

Chris

I was on the fence about the IQ2.0. I'll see if I get annoyed with using the PDA remote. Do you find that you're adjusting things frequently? If so, then yea I'll probably add the 2.0. Thanks!

Starting off with the unit at 100% running from 10am to 5pm. Starting FC today is 8.0.

 

[Exlonghorn]

First potential hiccup on Day 1. Tested the water. Screenshot is the pre-SWCG yesterday and then the readings a little over 24 hours later. FC was unchanged running the TruClear at 100% for 7 hours at 1725rpm. The tunings for pH, TA, and CH worked well. But then I tested the salt level with a K-1766 kit. It came back at 7,000! The installer added 8 bags of salt shown below and we were starting from zero. Just seems impossibly high. Is it too soon to get an accurate salt level??? I also plan to add borates to 30-50ppm as I expect pH rise to become a challenge. I don't want to swap one activity (constantly buying and pouring jugs of chlorine) with another activity (having to frequently add Muriatic Acid to control pH rise).

 

[Exlonghorn]

I am seeing frequent rise in pH now. Got up to 8, so I added muriatic acid to drop it back to 7.6. About a week later it's back at 8 again. I am only running the VS pump at 1750rpm for 7 hours a day, so I didn't expect to get much rise due to aeration, but this appears to be a thing now. Before adding the SWCG and VS pump, I ran the rump full speed about 5 hours a day and didn't see this issue with pH rising so quickly. Just added muriatic to get it back down to 7.5 and now I am considering adding borates to buffer the pH through the winter (Houston, so the pool stays open so I can use the spa). Going to cross post this in chemistry.

 

[kimkats]

What is your TA sitting at?

 

[Exlonghorn]

What is your TA sitting at?

It's at 75.

 

[kimkats]

That is a good solid number for TA. Keep a close eye on it as the acid also lowers TA.

 

[Exlonghorn]

Rechecked everything this afternoon and all looks good. CC is now back down to decent level. The previous SALt reading was incorrect...3,000 is the correct number.
FC - 14.0
CC - 0.5
pH - 7.4
TA - 70
CH - 360
CYA - 80
SALT - 3,000
BOR - 0

 

[Exlonghorn]

Fine tuning the chemistry. A more rapidly increasing pH led me to add Borates. Counteracted the effects of the Borax with Muriatic and Baking Soda. After 24 hours, TA ended up a little higher than targeted, so more Acid to adjust that. pH should land around 7.3, and then rise via aeration. Also added a little snow melt to adjust calcium hardness and get the CSI down a little more.

The SWCG is working like a champ, even with a water temp of 63-67 degrees. I've been dialing it back every few days since FC continues to rise. Now running 50% only 4 hours per day at low pump RPM. I'll be away for a couple days...happy that the chlorine levels will maintain without having anyone come and add liquid chlorine. When I get back, it will probably need a little more tuning on TA to get it back to 80, otherwise everything should be spot on. The Jandy PDA has been clumsy when wanting to make a quick adjustment to the chlorination % or the E Pump RPM's. The menu structure is not intuitive, and the PDA itself is slow to respond and periodically loses connection. I will likely add the IQ20 web-connection board and antenna over the winter to enable control via phone app.

 

[Exlonghorn]

Okay, looks like things are settled...hit the target for Borates while keeping TA, pH, and CH on target. I will monitor pH for the next several days and see if it keeps showing a rapid rise now that I have an effective level of borates in the mix. I am curious to see how well it really buffers pH. I'd like to keep pH at 7.8, which will get the CSI around -0.26. With water temps so low it'll be tough to get the CSI much better. BTW, PoolMath is simply awesome. I don't know how people can keep their pools straight without it.

 

[Exlonghorn]

Last log for this thread. After installing a SWCG and experiencing quickly escalating pH levels, I added borates to 40ppm and waited for the FC levels to come back under 10ppm. Today the FC hit 9.5, and the pH has been rock solid at 7.7 for over a week. The borate addition has done the job as intended and stopped the rapid rises in pH. And yes, the water appears more refractive/sparkly as well. It’s taken a couple weeks to get through the whole process, but I am very happy with where this ended up. CSI is a bit low now, but next summer with the other numbers constant the CSI should be -0.16 at 78F. I didn't completely acknowledge the problem of the generator not producing chlorine below 50-60F, and now that it's mid-November I'm back to adding liquid chlorine (albeit at a much slower rate). Overall, the chlorine generator works terrifically, and I’d recommend one to anyone using liquid chlorine.