Help Setting up Pump Speeds/Run Times

[native sun]

I'm sure there is a resource that will help me figure this out, so please point me in that direction if it already exists.

I have a Pentair Easy Touch with Pentair Intelliflo Variable Speed pump and Pentair Intellichlor IC40 SWG. My pool is around 18,000 gal, two skimmers, 5 returns, if any of that is part of the equation.

So, I am trying (why is this so HARD!!!!) to set up my Easy Touch schedule. But have no idea what I should be aiming for as a baseline for pump speed, duration, time of day, or SWG output percentage.

Can anyone lend me some guidance? Self-built, so no pool builder guidance.

 

[PoolNewb2020]

Hi,
Since you have an SWG, the first thing is to establish minimum pump speed where the SWG stays on. Since pump speed and water flow have no relevance on how much chlorine an SWG produces, running above minimum speed is simply a waste of electricity.
Basically start with a speed around 1800-2000rpm and start lowering it 50RPM at a time until the SWG turns off. Then add 100-200 rpm on top of the speed before the SWG turned off and that is your minimum RPM to generate chlorine.

Then you need to figure out the % value of your SWG and the amount of hours to run it in order to add 3-4 ppm of FC daily. Pool Math can help with that.

 

[Jimrahbe]

NS,

In my mind the first thing to do is to determine how long your pump needs to run to generate the amount of chlorine your pool needs.

If you run your IC40 at 100% output, you will have to run your pump for 8 hours to make 3 ppm of chlorine.. (Your cell makes about .375 ppm of FC per hour at 100%)

Assuming you want to run your cell at 50%, you will need to run your pump for 16 hours.

This is the great thing about a VS pump.. running at a low RPM for a long time is very cheap.

You do need to run fast enough to close the IC40's flow switch.. I would not run slower than 1000 RPM. (For simple pools I only recommend using RPM and not Flow)

Find where the flow light just turns green and then add a 100 or 200 RPM to be safe.. Call that the slowest speed you ever want to run..

For me.. 1200 RPM works great and even keeps my pool skimmed.. If your pool does not skim at that speed, then you should increase your speed a little and then use that as your skimming speed.

What kind of pool cleaner do you have? If a water powered cleaner, you will need to find a speed to make it work.. And that would be your Cleaner Speed.

It is really up to you.. there is just no right answer here.

Thanks,

Jim R.