Hello TFP! Please forgive me as I attempt to explain my pool situation and questions.
I purchased a home last year that came with an in-ground pool, the first one I’ve ever owned. It’s been quite the learning curve. I’m a DIY’er and trying to move forward this year without the help of a pool company. I also just really want to understand our system. Our pool was installed in 1998 by Maryland Pools, which went out of business a few years ago. So I am trying to figure out our system without much background info.
We have a 27,000 gallon in-ground pool, freshwater/chlorine, no spa or water features. The pool has an ICC 2000, 6-valve in floor automatic cleaning system, with one main drain. There is a Paramount debris in-deck canister, and a Waterway Renegade Venturi skimmer. The entire system is run with one pump, a Challenger Centurion 1.5 HP (which may also be from 1998). The filter is a Pentair Clean & Clear Plus CCP420 cartridge system. We also have a propane heater, the Purex Triton MiniMax Plus 250. We did not use the heater last summer and have no immediate plans to regularly use it, but I’d like to leave it connected. There is a single in-water pool light. And finally, there is a Superior Aqua Healthcare Systems (no chlorine system) attached that we plan on removing this year and getting rid of.
We want to make a couple of big changes to the system this year. First, we’d like to convert the pool to salt water. Second, we’d like to upgrade to a new variable speed pump. For the pump, we are looking at installing the Pentair IntelliFlo VSF 011056. For the salt water change, I’m planning to install the Pentair IntelliChlor IC40 saltwater generator. I plan on installing it (plumbing-wise) where the Superior Aqua system is now, after the pump/filter/heater. I’d also like to install the Pentair IntellipH to help balance the pH of the pool with muriatic acid. We also plan on installing the MVFuse safety system in the deck canister for safety since we only have one drain.
I have some questions/concerns about this installation because of the ICC 2000 system.
- I read somewhere that the chlorine generator needs to be on a bypass if the flow in the system is going to exceed 80gpm. Is this true? How do I know if my flow is going to exceed 80 gpm or not?
- I read the ICC 2000 needs to have a minimum pressure of 20 psi at the valve in order to operate correctly. Is that true? Does this mean I will need to set the new pump to never run below a pressure that keeps the ICC at 20 psi? Or is it ok if the pump isn't always providing enough pressure for the pool to be actively cleaning.
- I’m a bit unsure of what to expect out of pressures/timing, especially with a variable speed pump. Last summer, we had to run our old pump 24/7 or the water would get disgusting. We have a timer on the system, and even if we tried to turn it off for an hour or two at night, the water would get bad. The pool company we used told us we should just let it run 24/7 "like it’s supposed to". The more I read online, it seems like it’s really not supposed to be necessary to run the system 24/7. But adding the in floor cleaning system and salt water generator complicates it a bit. Our pool gets good sun and not too much debris. I’m not sure how long I’m supposed to expect the system to run for with all of this new equipment. Any help here? I've heard things about turning over the water at least once, and then heard that this isn't true.
- Speaking of run times, we also currently don’t have any type of controller system beyond the manual rotating clock that can turn the pump on/off. I’ve looked at both the IntelliCenter and the IntelliControl. I think the difference between the two comes down to whether or not we would need to open/close valves. Only the IntelliCenter can integrate with the Pentair IntelliValves. I get confused with this since last year we ran our pump 24/7. But now with the salt water generator going onto a bypass (along with the heater having it’s own bypass), would it be necessary to have these installed? Or will the system not need these and run on their own as the speed of the pump changes?
- Our pool is concrete, but we’ve considered adding a pool finish (such as Pebble Tec) to give it a face lift. Will this affect any of these plans?
I realize this is a lot of information and pretty detailed questions. I appreciate any help you can give as we look to upgrade our system and getting our pool running properly. I’m under the impression that last year it really wasn’t running efficiently. I really want to dial it in this year.
I’ve attached some pictures of our pool and system for reference. Please let me know if there are any questions and thanks so much for the help!
I purchased a home last year that came with an in-ground pool, the first one I’ve ever owned. It’s been quite the learning curve. I’m a DIY’er and trying to move forward this year without the help of a pool company. I also just really want to understand our system. Our pool was installed in 1998 by Maryland Pools, which went out of business a few years ago. So I am trying to figure out our system without much background info.
We have a 27,000 gallon in-ground pool, freshwater/chlorine, no spa or water features. The pool has an ICC 2000, 6-valve in floor automatic cleaning system, with one main drain. There is a Paramount debris in-deck canister, and a Waterway Renegade Venturi skimmer. The entire system is run with one pump, a Challenger Centurion 1.5 HP (which may also be from 1998). The filter is a Pentair Clean & Clear Plus CCP420 cartridge system. We also have a propane heater, the Purex Triton MiniMax Plus 250. We did not use the heater last summer and have no immediate plans to regularly use it, but I’d like to leave it connected. There is a single in-water pool light. And finally, there is a Superior Aqua Healthcare Systems (no chlorine system) attached that we plan on removing this year and getting rid of.
We want to make a couple of big changes to the system this year. First, we’d like to convert the pool to salt water. Second, we’d like to upgrade to a new variable speed pump. For the pump, we are looking at installing the Pentair IntelliFlo VSF 011056. For the salt water change, I’m planning to install the Pentair IntelliChlor IC40 saltwater generator. I plan on installing it (plumbing-wise) where the Superior Aqua system is now, after the pump/filter/heater. I’d also like to install the Pentair IntellipH to help balance the pH of the pool with muriatic acid. We also plan on installing the MVFuse safety system in the deck canister for safety since we only have one drain.
I have some questions/concerns about this installation because of the ICC 2000 system.
- I read somewhere that the chlorine generator needs to be on a bypass if the flow in the system is going to exceed 80gpm. Is this true? How do I know if my flow is going to exceed 80 gpm or not?
- I read the ICC 2000 needs to have a minimum pressure of 20 psi at the valve in order to operate correctly. Is that true? Does this mean I will need to set the new pump to never run below a pressure that keeps the ICC at 20 psi? Or is it ok if the pump isn't always providing enough pressure for the pool to be actively cleaning.
- I’m a bit unsure of what to expect out of pressures/timing, especially with a variable speed pump. Last summer, we had to run our old pump 24/7 or the water would get disgusting. We have a timer on the system, and even if we tried to turn it off for an hour or two at night, the water would get bad. The pool company we used told us we should just let it run 24/7 "like it’s supposed to". The more I read online, it seems like it’s really not supposed to be necessary to run the system 24/7. But adding the in floor cleaning system and salt water generator complicates it a bit. Our pool gets good sun and not too much debris. I’m not sure how long I’m supposed to expect the system to run for with all of this new equipment. Any help here? I've heard things about turning over the water at least once, and then heard that this isn't true.
- Speaking of run times, we also currently don’t have any type of controller system beyond the manual rotating clock that can turn the pump on/off. I’ve looked at both the IntelliCenter and the IntelliControl. I think the difference between the two comes down to whether or not we would need to open/close valves. Only the IntelliCenter can integrate with the Pentair IntelliValves. I get confused with this since last year we ran our pump 24/7. But now with the salt water generator going onto a bypass (along with the heater having it’s own bypass), would it be necessary to have these installed? Or will the system not need these and run on their own as the speed of the pump changes?
- Our pool is concrete, but we’ve considered adding a pool finish (such as Pebble Tec) to give it a face lift. Will this affect any of these plans?
I realize this is a lot of information and pretty detailed questions. I appreciate any help you can give as we look to upgrade our system and getting our pool running properly. I’m under the impression that last year it really wasn’t running efficiently. I really want to dial it in this year.
I’ve attached some pictures of our pool and system for reference. Please let me know if there are any questions and thanks so much for the help!
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