ow long have you been using the IntellipH and how reliable is it? Seems like most on here don't recommend it.
About five years or so. The pump and tank have been 100% reliable. They require the replacement of a couple of consumable parts, but if you follow the recommended schedule for that, the IpH is pretty bullet proof. I've only ever owned an IpH, but I contend some of its unique features exceed those of other brands' solutions. And all the parts are user replaceable, to even with a major failure one can easily repair it.
Now the same cannot be said for the IpH controller. It has a major, known, deficiency which can cause a failure. Pentair is well aware of the problem but has yet to offer a fix (that I know of). Shortish version:
An IpH runs in tandem with a Pentair IntelliChlor. They must both be present, and they have a sort of symbiotic relationship, where they use each others parts and circuitry. The IC's power runs through the IpH controller, but one of the connectors inside the controller cannot always handle the current the IC draws, and so it is prone to failing (it just melts and stops providing power to the IC).
Through a concerted effort, some forum members devised a solution to this problem. A relatively simple wiring hack, which can be performed preemptively (likely voiding the warranty), or after the failure, usually restoring function and preventing the problem from reoccurring.
Pentair recognizes this overcurrent failure and recommends the IpH not be installed along with their biggest SWG, the IC60. But we know the problem can also occur with an IC40. We've yet to hear of the problem happening while using their smallest SWG, the IC20.
So it's difficult to recommend the IpH without this warning. Pentair has been honoring the IpH warranty, but after a year I suspect you'd be on your own. I would buy one again, and perform the fix the day after the warranty expires. The fix is easy, no more difficult that wiring a light switch (just a couple of wire nuts is all that is required).
Hopefully Pentair will address the issue with a proper fix. The problem has existed for years, and why they haven't yet is a mystery. They either have a solution in the works or are planning on discontinuing the IpH, one or the other would be my guess. I expect the IntellipH is not a big seller, so it might just be a matter of "getting around to it."
How are you balancing FC every few minutes?
An SWG does that. Or mine does, anyway. With a setting of, say, 50%, my SWG produces chlorine 2.5 minutes out of every five. The cycle is every five minutes. So every five minutes my pool gets a shot of chlorine. I run my SWG during daylight hours, most of the day, so the SWG is replacing daily chlorine consumption as it occurs. I have little or no chlorine loss at night. My FC is not dead on every minute of the day and night, but it's pretty darn close.
I didn't mean to imply I'm testing and dosing every few minutes. Once I figured out the proper SWG setting, I only need to test about once a week to check on the SWG's performance. The SWG does the rest.