Controller selection help

[boilerwave]

In the process of building my first pool and have decided to switch to a SWG vice the in-line chlorine system I initially opted for at selection (but well before installation) after discovering and reading through this website. Given the pool described in my signature, would I better off with the Intellicenter over the Easy Touch w/ Screen Logic, or is it overkill? Also, should I ask for the IC40 or IC60 SWG?

Love this site - what a resource! Thanks to all for the insights and dialogue.

 

[Jimrahbe]

bw,

First.. you absolutely do not want the SVRS version of the IntelliFlo.. I have one, and it will be the worst decision of your pool life. It will go into an entrapment mode for any small surge of the pool water. Even just shutting off the air relieve valve too quickly will cause it.. I also have two standard IntelliFlo (011018) VS pumps and they are perfect. The SVRS version is old and anyone selling it is just trying to get rid of some old junk.

I have three EasyTouch systems and could not be happier with them. They do everything that I want... But..... if I were to build a new pool today, I would go with the IntelliCenter. Here is why...

The EasyTouch (ET) has a max of 12 programs or schedules, the IntelliCenter (IC) has 100. With the ET you have to buy ScreenLogic ($400) to have control via your PC, tablet, or phone.. With the IC a ScreenLogic like system is included.. With an ET you either have 4 or 8 relays and can't change it.. With the IC you start with 5 relays and can add more. With the ET you have a max of 4 valves (Return, Intake and 2 user programmable valves) With the ET you can just add more... I am sure there is more...

The point is.. if you want an old but working system, get the ET, if you want the newer and upgradeable system, buy the IC.

And keep in mind... Do Not buy the SVRS version of the IntelliFlo and do not let some pool builder tell you that they are required as they are most certainly not!!!

With a 20K pool, an IC40 will work, but the IC60 will work longer. In your case it is not a big deal one way or the other in our location..

If you do get the ET, make sure you get the package that come with the internal SWCG powers supply..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[MyAZPool]

boilerwave
Welcome to TFP
I like your decision regarding opting for the IntelliChlor versus "in-line" chlorination.

I cannot add anything regarding your IC-40 vs the IC-60 question or Pentair Pump selection that Jimrahbe hasn't already covered and detailed.

If it were me, I would certainly re-think my position on the Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 pressure side cleaner. At best, you may be much happier with a Maytronics Robot cleaner, or if nothing else at least a reliable "suction-side" cleaner until you choose to possibly upgrade in the future. Please refer to this TFP Pool School section for further explanations and pros/cons regarding pool cleaners.

Automatic Pool Cleaners

Are you looking for the best above ground and in-ground automatic pool vacuum cleaners? Here are a few tips to your pools floor.

www.troublefreepool.com

In your signature, I see the following:
Pump
Spa, with a spa blower.
I count five LED lights Are these Low Voltage or Line Voltage LEDs?
3 sheers
1 gusher in tanning ledge (Is this a Pentair bubbler?)
6 jets Are these Pentair Laminar Deck Jets? Will they be lighted?
A fountain.

That's a lot of water features. Can you get away with just one pump? Sure, if you had to. But, if it were my pool and I had all of those water features, I would have one pump dedicated for filtering/sanitation/heating and the other pump dedicated just for water features. More efficient and simplified plumbing in my opinion.

All of this matters because you have to define the above when it comes to pumps, blowers, lights etc., in order to determine how many relays (that Jimrahbe was referring to) you will need. How many relays you will need determines which model of EasyTouch or IntelliTouch that you require.

Your signature indicates a pool/spa combo that is not typical or ordinary given the amount of lights and water features. That's no problem and we have members here with even more. But given this fact and because you are doing a "new build" and because you have listed mostly Pentair equipment, I would recommend the IntelliCenter for your automation needs.

Please let me know if you have any further questions regarding anything I have addressed (especially the IntelliCenter) and I will be more than happy to help if I can.
Again, welcome to TFP and all the best!
r.

 

[boilerwave]

Thanks Jim! Is that you in your avatar picture?

 

[boilerwave]

r.,
Thanks for the input. Another question and a couple answers...

If it were me, I would certainly re-think my position on the Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 pressure side cleaner.
Do you mind expounding on why you’d rethink the Polaris 280? I ask because I spoke to a few independent pool cleaning technicians and they all recommended it, one of them vehemently. Are robots that much better?

I count five LED lights Are these Low Voltage or Line Voltage LEDs? Low voltage
1 gusher in tanning ledge (Is this a Pentair bubbler?) Yes
6 jets Are these Pentair Laminar Deck Jets? Will they be lighted? Honestly unsure what type, but not lighted.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Thanks Jim! Is that you in your avatar picture?

bw,

Yes it is me, but just to be clear, I was not a pilot.. I was an Avionics tech in the Air Force and was selected as the USAF technician of the year, by the Wright Brothers.. This got me a couple of rides in the backseat of an F4E and I took that pic on one of them.. This particular flight was in Alaska and quite a thrill.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[boilerwave]

bw,

Yes it is me, but just to be clear, I was not a pilot.. I was an Avionics tech in the Air Force and was selected as the USAF technician of the year, by the Wright Brothers.. This got me a couple of rides in the backseat of an F4E and I took that pic on one of them.. This particular flight was in Alaska and quite a thrill.

Thanks,

Jim R.

That’s awesome! Did you go supersonic? Was Orville or Wilbur your pilot? I kid; thanks for your service.

 

[MyAZPool]

r.,
Thanks for the input. Another question and a couple answers...

If it were me, I would certainly re-think my position on the Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 pressure side cleaner.
Do you mind expounding on why you’d rethink the Polaris 280? I ask because I spoke to a few independent pool cleaning technicians and they all recommended it, one of them vehemently. Are robots that much better?

I count five LED lights Are these Low Voltage or Line Voltage LEDs? Low voltage
1 gusher in tanning ledge (Is this a Pentair bubbler?) Yes
6 jets Are these Pentair Laminar Deck Jets? Will they be lighted? Honestly unsure what type, but not lighted.

Hi boilerwave
Regarding the Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 pressure side cleaner. I'm not a fan of pressure side cleaners from everything I have read and compared to other cleaners. But instead of just giving you my own personal opinions, I will let the TFP Pool School (which by the way, I highly recommend you to some serious perusing), do my talking which I give a lot of credence to but keep in mind those are generalizations. If you really want to get several users and TFP Experts opinions, I would suggest that you start a new thread titled: POLARIS 280 OR ROBOT? You will receive quite a bit of information I promise you. Most if not all of the responses will be from actual users and possibly some who have used both. That should give you enough ammunition to make an informed decision.

Here is the quote from Pool School:
Pressure Cleaners – [$700 – 1300] These cleaners are self-propelled and clean your pool using your existing pool pump PLUS the addition of a booster pump to supply additional energy to the cleaner. The combination of cleaner and pump make these quite a bit more expensive than suction cleaners but what you get back is a faster, more powerful cleaner than a suction cleaner. A disadvantage to them seems to be they are somewhat temperamental (more moving parts) but they possess quite a bit of cleaning power and normally do a great job on medium to larger pools. They contain their own filtering device and must be cleaned after each use.

Robots are slowly reducing the number of pressure side cleaners and, in the future, and you will see less and less pressure side cleaners as the advantages of robots is fairly clear.

If you're going low voltage on the lighting, you can use several low voltage lights per transformer (keep in mind, each transformer will require a "relay"). There are typically two different transformers. 150W and 300W. Obviously you can put more lights on the 300W transformer. You need to add up the wattage of the lights and ensure that they do not exceed the maximum wattage of the transformer.

I hope I have helped a bit. Feel free to continue to ask questions on TFP. You will be well informed and served by the members here. Most of the TFP experts have tons of experience and will help you along during your build.

All the best....
r.

 

[boilerwave]

Jim, r,

My builder has no experience with the Intellicenter; I think I know more about it than they do. Some inaccurate info from them below (I’ve seen the Intellicenter kits with the IC60 for sale on a pool supply website recommended on this forum) - what makes me apprehensive is the last line. They also told me it has to be hardwired (don’t think that’s the case, though understand the benefits). How easy is it to upgrade down the line? Or will I kick myself for not blazing the trail now? Prices are the cost to upgrade from EasyTouch Lite w/Screenlogic without SWG. Thoughts?

EasyTouch 4 w/ Screenlogic and IC-40 - $1,787
EasyTouch 8 w/ Screenlogic and IC-40 - $2,003
EasyTouch 8 w/ Screenlogic and IC-60 - $2,321
Intellicenter 5 w/ phone app and IC-40 - $2,625
Intellicenter 8 w/ phone app and IC-40 - $2,879

The IC-60 is not available with the EasyTouch 4 or Intellicenter.
***Disclaimer- We have never purchased, installed, operated, or serviced an Intellicenter. You would be the 1st one.***

 

[Jimrahbe]

BW,

I NEVER recommend the EasyTouch "lite" to anyone.. Very limited in what it can do.. If your pool builder installs them he is doing a very big disservice to his customers.

Let's look at your requirements..

SWCG, takes one relay (Pump/filter)
Pad light, takes one relay
Booster pump, takes one relay
Pool lights.. takes one relay for all or one relay for each one you want to control independently. (Let's say 2 lights on 1 relay and 2 on the other..) Takes 2 relays
Spa blower, takes one relay
Spa light, takes one relay
Future use, like Landscape lights, takes one relay

So you have used up all 8 relays with no easy option to add more.. Buying an ET 4 then does not make a lot of sense..

Valves... The EasyTouch is limited to 4 valves... Two of them are dedicated to switching between the Pool and Spa. The other two are user programmable.. You appear to have three water features, 3, 12" sheers, 1 "gusher", and a Spa fountain.. You would want the ability to turn your water features on and off.. You would need at least one automated valve per feature.. If the spa "fountain" is just the overflow back into the pool, it would not need a valve.. Tell me more about this fountain???

The point is... the EasyTouch can only control two water features.

The IntelliCenter is almost identical to an EasyTouch, installation wise, except for the programming. It is expandable, but of course at a price.

Looking at you price list above and having basically ruled out the ET4.. and the IntelliCenter 5

It seems to me your choice is between the ET8 or the IT8.. and I know which one I would choose..


All that said, I think that water features are way, way, overblown... I have a waterfall wall.. I thought it would be great.. other than running water through the pipes once a day, for a few minutes, it is never runs. Very noisy and a waste of money for me... Looks great, but I did not build my pool to impress my guests, I built it to swim in..

Thanks,

Jim R.