siffert
Member
Thank you for the info! Also, what do you use to measure the rpm your getting at the spray head?
Glacier Pool Chiller DIY Install
- Thread starter greggjess
- Start date
siffert
Member
Thanks for the info! What do you use to measure the rpm at the spray head?
- May 7, 2014
- 429
- Pool Size
- 29980
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Take a sharpie and color the end of one of the spray wands black. Then start a 1 minute timer when the black end goes through the inspection window and count the number revolutions in a minute.
Still educating myself on this...when the Glacier is installed, there is an supply valve and a discharge valve (along with a check valve and a trim valve). IF the glacier is not tied into the control system of the pool, do you have to manually go out to the unit each night to turn it on and open the valves and then reverse each morning? My bubblers work off the same pump that is used to make chlorine so the pump that will be used to 'feed' the glacier will be run intermittently during the day. I guess you could put an 'old fashioned' timer to turn the glacier on at night and off in the morning, but what about the manual supply and return valves to the pump? Can they remain open even when the glacier is not powered? I know you can automate the glacier but this obviously requires automatic control valves and being tied into the system. My main pool pump now runs from around 11pm to 8am to generate chlorine. I could have the glacier powered during this time, but what I don't want to have to do is open or close valves each evening/morning. Thanks!
Duckcmmndr,
I have been following this thread. I just had a local pool company plumb my glacier cooler, but it isn’t wired. I have two valve actuators and an auxiliary relay switch that I was going to get them to install but they showed up and plumbed the cooler while I was out of town. I am planning to plug the relay into the solar port on my easytouch 4 panel as all of my other relays are in use. Can you tell me how you wired your cooler? I don’t have a spare breaker slot on my panel. Thanks in advance!
Mike
I have been following this thread. I just had a local pool company plumb my glacier cooler, but it isn’t wired. I have two valve actuators and an auxiliary relay switch that I was going to get them to install but they showed up and plumbed the cooler while I was out of town. I am planning to plug the relay into the solar port on my easytouch 4 panel as all of my other relays are in use. Can you tell me how you wired your cooler? I don’t have a spare breaker slot on my panel. Thanks in advance!
Mike
siffert
Member
"I run mine pump at 2,400 rpm with 4 other returns and that gives me 12 rpm on the spray head. Instructions say fast walk...mine had a sticker with RPM's."
So I ran the wand test and with only one return going to the pool, it was 1500 rpm on my Pentair Variable Speed pump that gave me 12 rpm on my GPC25 Glacier Pool Cooler. Thanks for the tip!
So I ran the wand test and with only one return going to the pool, it was 1500 rpm on my Pentair Variable Speed pump that gave me 12 rpm on my GPC25 Glacier Pool Cooler. Thanks for the tip!
- May 7, 2014
- 429
- Pool Size
- 29980
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I wired my cooler to a high voltage relay in my Omni Panel. So I used a free breaker to supply power to the relay and then the relay sends it to the cooler when I turn it on/off with my app or schedule. I only used one valve actuator for the water supply line to the cooler. I had a dedicated supply/return line at the pad for the cooler. If you are sending the return water back into the pump intake like the directions show for a "existing" install, you will for sure use 2 actuators.
The cooler does not draw any current to speak of. It has the on/off switch that you could use...but that will make it where you can't automate it. I don't know anything about the easytouch system. What all do you have running on it now, breaker wise?
- May 7, 2014
- 429
- Pool Size
- 29980
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Good deal! Now you just need to play with the runtime to get it where you want it. If your water temp is high, you may have an initial runtime longer than expected to get it down initially then should be able to shorten the runtime to maintain it.
Thanks for the reply! My breakers run the main pool pump, a pump for a negative edge, a Polaris pump and to feed my dock power. I was wondering if I could feed the relay from the main pump breaker.
siffert
Member
"Good deal! Now you just need to play with the runtime to get it where you want it. If your water temp is high, you may have an initial runtime longer than expected to get it down initially then should be able to shorten the runtime to maintain it."
Hi, I ran it last night from 8:00pm to around 6:30 am and temp dropped from 89 to 84. Thing is I noticed wetness outside around the concrete pad. Its coming from water splashing where those 3 plastic grids you screw in...that area. Not from the top. Is that normal or do i need to make an adjustment?
Also while running my variable speed pump at 1500 rpm with 2 returns (spa and pool) that gives me 12 rpm wand speed, am only getting about 15 gpm from my flow meter on my 13K gallon pool.
Finally how low does the water go down in the basin for you when the pump is tripped? Mine drops about 2-3 inches to the middle of the 1.5" inlet/outlet, then rises again. Sounds normal to you? Thanks!
Hi, I ran it last night from 8:00pm to around 6:30 am and temp dropped from 89 to 84. Thing is I noticed wetness outside around the concrete pad. Its coming from water splashing where those 3 plastic grids you screw in...that area. Not from the top. Is that normal or do i need to make an adjustment?
Also while running my variable speed pump at 1500 rpm with 2 returns (spa and pool) that gives me 12 rpm wand speed, am only getting about 15 gpm from my flow meter on my 13K gallon pool.
Finally how low does the water go down in the basin for you when the pump is tripped? Mine drops about 2-3 inches to the middle of the 1.5" inlet/outlet, then rises again. Sounds normal to you? Thanks!
- May 7, 2014
- 429
- Pool Size
- 29980
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
That is a start. The wetness is not normal...my pad and surrounding dirt are dry as a bone after an overnight run. I was getting some water out of the overflow before the pump would kick on to pump the cold water back into the pool. It was just a dribble and I put a 90 elbow on it facing up and that stopped it.
The GPM is really not a big deal...as you may have read here "turnover is a myth". You mentioned you have 1/2 returns open....do you have more and can you control them separately? You might open more returns either partially or all the way and run the pump a little higher to increase flow if that bothers you.
I have not paid close attention to this...I know there is still 2 or so inches of water in the bottom when the pump kicks off...but I have not measured it.
Have you checked your run time...i.e. how long the pump runs sending cold water out and then the time the return pump is off while the basin is filling? Do you have the return to pool line restricted with a valve or is it wide open?
- May 7, 2014
- 429
- Pool Size
- 29980
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
My only concern is that I would want the chiller on a dedicated GFCI breaker. I am not a fan of sharing breakers for multiple pieces of equipment although lots of people do it.
A better solution would be to buy a small 8 space breaker box and then use a 60 amp 220 breaker from your main box to power the sub-panel...of course you would have to immediately move one double or two single breakers to make room to supply power the sub...but you could move those to the sub and you would still end up with 6 empty slots in the new panel. Provided that the supply wires to the original panel is beefy enough to support the additional load.
Following this. I am hoping performance gets better than 89-85 overnight. I am still considering this but I can get that with the three PVC pipes with holes drilled into them. One off each return going 3-4” above water line and then spraying across pool during the night.
siffert
Member
"That is a start. The wetness is not normal...my pad and surrounding dirt are dry as a bone after an overnight run. I was getting some water out of the overflow before the pump would kick on to pump the cold water back into the pool. It was just a dribble and I put a 90 elbow on it facing up and that stopped it."
The wetness around the cooler running all night I discovered is from occasional water sprinkles sprinkling out from the basin when the drops falling from the wands hits into the water basin. So I guess to call that normal. Its about a one foot ring of dampness outside and around the cooler.
"Have you checked your run time...i.e. how long the pump runs sending cold water out and then the time the return pump is off while the basin is filling? Do you have the return to pool line restricted with a valve or is it wide open?"
Yes. It takes 15 seconds from when the pump float hits the top and starts sending cold water out and then stops (float hits bottom). It then takes 90 seconds from when the float hits bottom to fill up so that the float hits the top spot and cycles again. Process is water down about 3 inches and then rises 3 inches.
The wetness around the cooler running all night I discovered is from occasional water sprinkles sprinkling out from the basin when the drops falling from the wands hits into the water basin. So I guess to call that normal. Its about a one foot ring of dampness outside and around the cooler.
"Have you checked your run time...i.e. how long the pump runs sending cold water out and then the time the return pump is off while the basin is filling? Do you have the return to pool line restricted with a valve or is it wide open?"
Yes. It takes 15 seconds from when the pump float hits the top and starts sending cold water out and then stops (float hits bottom). It then takes 90 seconds from when the float hits bottom to fill up so that the float hits the top spot and cycles again. Process is water down about 3 inches and then rises 3 inches.
Thanks everyone for the replies!!! I must have gotten busy enjoying the pool and missed all of this. Can't wait to read about how you all installed!
jark87
Silver Supporter
- Jun 5, 2011
- 1,181
- Pool Size
- 25500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
I tried those things, but didn’t have any real success. Technically, I was able to get a 3-4° drop overnight, but as soon as the sun started hitting my pool, water temp would climb right back to where it was. By early afternoon, it would be back in the 90s. I tried this over the course of 2-3 summers and used 2 different types of sprayers: the upright PVC pipes that you mentioned, as well as some that sprayed like a lawn sprinkler and therefore were only an inch or so above the water line. Aesthetically, those were much better, but they didn’t achieve much. Others on this forum have reported better outcomes than what I experienced, though. It’s definitely worth experimenting with because your investment will be less than $50.
An unexpected problem with the sprayers was wind. It would blow the mist onto surrounding landscaping and kill the plants. That cost isn’t included in the $50.
- May 7, 2014
- 429
- Pool Size
- 29980
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
You may need to slow down the spray wand rotation a little bit. You really should not have any splashing out the top or the bottom. The range of 7-12 is for a broad range of coolers, I have the 210 and I get no splash out at 12 RPM, your 25 is different.
This is controlled by spray head RPM and any metering of the return valve. Again, you have a different model than me. I have not closed off the return line valve any thus far, and it works good for my setup.
The runtime for my setup is as follows:
- With the spray bar rotating at 7 RPM's the water from the chiller to the pool runs for 1 minute and 20 seconds with 40 seconds of downtime while the basin re-fills.
- With the spray bar rotating at 12 RPM's, the water from the chiller to the pool runs for 2 minutes and 43 seconds with 32 seconds of downtime while the basin re-fills
- With the spray bar rotating at 12 RPM's, the water from the chiller to the pool runs for 1 minutes and 5 seconds with 36 seconds of downtime while the basin re-fills (no eyeball)
- May 7, 2014
- 429
- Pool Size
- 29980
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
An unexpected problem with the sprayers was wind. It would blow the mist onto surrounding landscaping and kill the plants. That cost isn’t included in the $50.
They also cause lots of aeration to occur which will cause your PH to go up, so you have to keep an eye on that.
siffert
Member
"How is yours plumbed?"
I finally balanced my Glacier GPC25 pool cooler. The inlet #1 ball valve controls wand rpm speed same as my Pentair Variable Speed pump speed setting. I normally run my Pentair at 1500 rpm all night but that only produced 10 gpm which caused my Glacier to take 11 hours to drop pool water temp 4 degrees. By setting my Pentair to run at 2200 rpm at night I get 40 gpm (read from my flow meter) and only took 5.0 hours to drop 4 degrees and 10 hours to drop the pool water temp 8 degrees. So rpm pump speed really makes a difference!
My #1 inlet ball valve is now permanently set at around 10 degrees to give me 11.75 rpm wand speed with my Pentair Variable Speed Pump running at 2200 rpm. It takes about 50 seconds now for the sump pump to fill the basin from its lowest float point before it goes off again at the top of the float. My #2 outlet ball valve is now set at about 10 degrees too which takes about two minutes 10 seconds (2:10) for the sump pump float at the top to go to the bottom of the float to deplete. Therefore, per every hour of time, it is about 15 minutes of warm water going into the Glacier and about 45 minutes of cold water from the Glacier going back into the pool.
I finally balanced my Glacier GPC25 pool cooler. The inlet #1 ball valve controls wand rpm speed same as my Pentair Variable Speed pump speed setting. I normally run my Pentair at 1500 rpm all night but that only produced 10 gpm which caused my Glacier to take 11 hours to drop pool water temp 4 degrees. By setting my Pentair to run at 2200 rpm at night I get 40 gpm (read from my flow meter) and only took 5.0 hours to drop 4 degrees and 10 hours to drop the pool water temp 8 degrees. So rpm pump speed really makes a difference!
My #1 inlet ball valve is now permanently set at around 10 degrees to give me 11.75 rpm wand speed with my Pentair Variable Speed Pump running at 2200 rpm. It takes about 50 seconds now for the sump pump to fill the basin from its lowest float point before it goes off again at the top of the float. My #2 outlet ball valve is now set at about 10 degrees too which takes about two minutes 10 seconds (2:10) for the sump pump float at the top to go to the bottom of the float to deplete. Therefore, per every hour of time, it is about 15 minutes of warm water going into the Glacier and about 45 minutes of cold water from the Glacier going back into the pool.
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