They do need changing every few years in my experience (on other pH pump with the same setup). The rubber tube is a replaceable item so its worth having one in stock. They can be suprisingly expensive for some models. The other item that will eventually wear out is the foot valve on the end of the tube in the acid container.
Just received confirmation of Simpool PH order
- Thread starter susa
- Start date
does the small short tube (in previous picture) need a lubricant to allow the rollers to "slide" ? when new, it had a substance on the surface, similar to vaseline.
I'm not absolutly sure on your application, but I bet you could use a small amount of silicone o-ring lube.
GuamGuy makes a good point - do not use Vasoline because it is a petroleum-based product, and will deteriorate the tubing. Using an O ring lubricant, preferably silicone, should be best if a lubricant is needed (or recommended) at all.
Absolutely! from my earlier post is the CHART and benzene (petrol) based substances are the worst and so is silicon lube for Santoprene tubing. Don't use anything, the wheels on the rotor reduce friction.Ohm_Boy said:
>> benzene (petrol) based substances are the worst and so is silicon lube for Santoprene tubing. Don't use anything, the wheels on the rotor reduce friction.
hmm... wonder what was the white grease initially on the tube when new and why it existed at all?
not sure how to read your "...wheels on the rotor reduce friction..", why would there need to be any friction ? the tube is squeezed as the pump runs and small amount of fluid is propelled forward into 2" pipe.
hmm... wonder what was the white grease initially on the tube when new and why it existed at all?
not sure how to read your "...wheels on the rotor reduce friction..", why would there need to be any friction ? the tube is squeezed as the pump runs and small amount of fluid is propelled forward into 2" pipe.
A design without the wheels would have considerable drag on the tubing.
Funny, I actually built a pump like this once, in a machine shop class. Milled the body out of a solid block of aluminum, turned the shaft, rotor, rollers, and a V-belt pulley on a lathe. Used it to pump coolant on the shop power hacksaw. Memories.
>> without the wheels would have considerable drag on the tubing.
quite agreed and I fully understand why there is a wheel design, just don't understand why I would want friction as the unit, when brand new, had copious amounts of white (lithium?) grease on the small looped santoprene tube, much of which has since dried up or evaporated in the sun. it is true that the manual makes no mention of maintenance for any of the parts and since it is so inexpensive, I thought of just popping into an automotive supply place and perhaps I can find something similar as a spare part. there is generic santoprene coated teflon and santoprene coated silicone, will have to check and see if they handle acid without issues.
quite agreed and I fully understand why there is a wheel design, just don't understand why I would want friction as the unit, when brand new, had copious amounts of white (lithium?) grease on the small looped santoprene tube, much of which has since dried up or evaporated in the sun. it is true that the manual makes no mention of maintenance for any of the parts and since it is so inexpensive, I thought of just popping into an automotive supply place and perhaps I can find something similar as a spare part. there is generic santoprene coated teflon and santoprene coated silicone, will have to check and see if they handle acid without issues.
Right, you don't want friction.
That was the point of the post, which said, essentially: "Don't add lubricant, as the wheels eliminate enough friction to render any need for lubricant moot."
That was the point of the post, which said, essentially: "Don't add lubricant, as the wheels eliminate enough friction to render any need for lubricant moot."
Susa, the aqua.it equipment is very appealing. I emailed them for a brochure and they promptly sent one (likely an automated response), but no response yet to a follow-up email from me asking for price/shipping info on a few of the controllers. Been just a few days though. Should I try Google Translate to get Italian? Did they seem responsive/interested in doing business in the USA? Spare/service parts may be a bit of hassle, although I suspect any pH electrode or santoprene tubing of the same type/size would work.
They also seem to have a reseller in Great Britain (http://www.aquawatersystems.co.uk) which I might try if no response from Italy.
Interestingly, we use ORP+pH industrial process controllers (similar to aqua.it's Technopool dual-head unit) that manage coolant (pool-like) water, and they just disable ORP control & start beeping when the pH gets outside of a fairly narrow range. Our chem dude said don't even bother with an ORP reading if pH isn't well-controlled (+/-0.1 !). Is this why folks report their ORP units can get quirky?
They also seem to have a reseller in Great Britain (http://www.aquawatersystems.co.uk) which I might try if no response from Italy.
Interestingly, we use ORP+pH industrial process controllers (similar to aqua.it's Technopool dual-head unit) that manage coolant (pool-like) water, and they just disable ORP control & start beeping when the pH gets outside of a fairly narrow range. Our chem dude said don't even bother with an ORP reading if pH isn't well-controlled (+/-0.1 !). Is this why folks report their ORP units can get quirky?
No, ORP has other problems, not just PH variation. ORP can be affected by several things, some of which are directly related to sanitation and others of which are not related at all. If the not related factors tend to vary in your pool you will have problems with ORP automation. This tends to be a particular issue in pools with SWGs, which tend to create dissolved hydrogen gas, which can dramatically affect ORP without having any meaningful effect on sanitation.
I'm having trouble with my Simpool this year. It has a flashing red light which means that the sensor is reading a value way out of range and thus will not pump. I then checked the sensor with a 7.3 buffering solution that came with the pump and has been stored in the fridge. The pump still will not pump when I turn the dial down to 7.0 although the green light does show (indicating that the pH is within range). It seems like the sensor has failed after 6 months even though it was stored in RO water during winter. I'm in contact with Simpool direct so I'll let you know how this pans out but I can't say I'm a happy bunny right now.
Contact Giorgio Denaro directly, he is the Intl Market Mgr and am sure he will be happy to assist.
Let us all know how it goes.
Let us all know how it goes.
>> but no response yet to a follow-up email from me asking for price/shipping info on a few of the controllers.
if you still have no direct reply, send me a PM and I will fwd the direct email for the intl market manager & team
as for my experience, I wrote in english, got price quote, made payment (*before* shipment) and had unit in my hands one week later, no difficulty. one invoice arrived in italian but google translate handled that automatically.
if you still have no direct reply, send me a PM and I will fwd the direct email for the intl market manager & team
as for my experience, I wrote in english, got price quote, made payment (*before* shipment) and had unit in my hands one week later, no difficulty. one invoice arrived in italian but google translate handled that automatically.
Thanks susa, it only happened today so I'll wait a day or so for a response. I'm in Europe so I may have to get in touch with someone else. I'll let you know how i get on.
>> Maybe the sensor was dirty
hibernating sensor
I would still ask Giorgio as he may very well be willing to send you a replacement, what with warranty and all, you never know before you ask.
hibernating sensor
I would still ask Giorgio as he may very well be willing to send you a replacement, what with warranty and all, you never know before you ask.
Trying out a Technopool-
After a bit of study on these forums, I got an Aqua Technopool Rx+pH model, and have had it in operation for a week or so. I used XETrade to send a wire transfer after getting a quote with Aqua Italy; even today sending money internationally is like watching your treasure galleon sail off into a storm. I made a separate manifold from 1.5in PVC, since my old filter is a marvel of compact inaccessible plumbing. The 50mm saddle adapters supplied with the unit fit this O.D., and you could also use compression fittings (use two O-rings in place of the metal ring!) if you drill out the stop to pass the probe through. The unit was not much more than the cost of a couple of bare peristaltic pumps, mid-$700s including shipping at 1.45 $/euro. I pondered the ongoing expense of having to get spare probes, tubing & etc internationally from Aqua, but lots of sources here like Omega have replacements (take heart, Simpool owners). The pH and Rx (ORP) probes seem to be standard 12mm, and are $30-$50 each. The Santoprene pump tubing is also available for around $1/ft. I can probably reuse the pump end fittings, or just leave them off. The unit also has a dose-vs-temperature correction feature for which I would have bought the optional Aqua probe if our communication had been a bit better. Instead I just bought an Omega version (100 ohm platinum RTD) for $40. The unit is well-built, in a watertight box with access for adding relays, level sensors, etc. I let it slurp diluted bleach and acid from a couple of gallon jugs for now. It has programmable limits, delays, alarms and setpoints galore, but I just set it for 675mV ORP and 7.5 pH and it has held each to within a percent. It powers on when my pump does, and can (again programmably) stabilize for a time before dosing. The home brewing and aquarium hobby sites also have lots of info on probes, tubing, etc. Aqua is good to work with and their prices reasonable (esp. with no VAT), but their UPS shipping was over $100. I'll work hard to avoid that unless I have a repair or [2 yr] warranty issue.
After a bit of study on these forums, I got an Aqua Technopool Rx+pH model, and have had it in operation for a week or so. I used XETrade to send a wire transfer after getting a quote with Aqua Italy; even today sending money internationally is like watching your treasure galleon sail off into a storm. I made a separate manifold from 1.5in PVC, since my old filter is a marvel of compact inaccessible plumbing. The 50mm saddle adapters supplied with the unit fit this O.D., and you could also use compression fittings (use two O-rings in place of the metal ring!) if you drill out the stop to pass the probe through. The unit was not much more than the cost of a couple of bare peristaltic pumps, mid-$700s including shipping at 1.45 $/euro. I pondered the ongoing expense of having to get spare probes, tubing & etc internationally from Aqua, but lots of sources here like Omega have replacements (take heart, Simpool owners). The pH and Rx (ORP) probes seem to be standard 12mm, and are $30-$50 each. The Santoprene pump tubing is also available for around $1/ft. I can probably reuse the pump end fittings, or just leave them off. The unit also has a dose-vs-temperature correction feature for which I would have bought the optional Aqua probe if our communication had been a bit better. Instead I just bought an Omega version (100 ohm platinum RTD) for $40. The unit is well-built, in a watertight box with access for adding relays, level sensors, etc. I let it slurp diluted bleach and acid from a couple of gallon jugs for now. It has programmable limits, delays, alarms and setpoints galore, but I just set it for 675mV ORP and 7.5 pH and it has held each to within a percent. It powers on when my pump does, and can (again programmably) stabilize for a time before dosing. The home brewing and aquarium hobby sites also have lots of info on probes, tubing, etc. Aqua is good to work with and their prices reasonable (esp. with no VAT), but their UPS shipping was over $100. I'll work hard to avoid that unless I have a repair or [2 yr] warranty issue.
Re: Trying out a Technopool-
>> an Aqua Technopool Rx+pH model, and have had it in operation for a week or so
post a couple pictures, please
>> an Aqua Technopool Rx+pH model, and have had it in operation for a week or so
post a couple pictures, please
Technopool pics
I mounted the unit onto a panel so I can take it in for the winter. It uses a rear dovetail & plate for mounting. I used ells for the manifold ends so the electrodes wouldn't dry out if the filter drains down. I tied into the filter hose bibb and a drain on the heater, and use around a 2-4 gpm flow. I mounted the CL and acid injection ports 8 inches apart to avoid any nasty reactions, but the unit thoughtfully seems to pump each at separate times. It pumps a bit if needed, and then waits awhile to assess the change. It will alarm if it doesn't see any change. Now I need to find some 2 gal carboys (glass?) for a permanent supply. I also am making a cover (Home Depot drywall mud tub) to protect everything. Both the sun and critters are pretty ruthless here in So AZ; unpainted PVC gets chewed right through. The unit's operating temp range is 0 to +45C (113F) - not bad. With a recent pool replaster and 80F temps, a gallon each of 15% acid and 4% bleach seem to last a week or so. I've been checking with the TF100 and the readings seems right on.
I mounted the unit onto a panel so I can take it in for the winter. It uses a rear dovetail & plate for mounting. I used ells for the manifold ends so the electrodes wouldn't dry out if the filter drains down. I tied into the filter hose bibb and a drain on the heater, and use around a 2-4 gpm flow. I mounted the CL and acid injection ports 8 inches apart to avoid any nasty reactions, but the unit thoughtfully seems to pump each at separate times. It pumps a bit if needed, and then waits awhile to assess the change. It will alarm if it doesn't see any change. Now I need to find some 2 gal carboys (glass?) for a permanent supply. I also am making a cover (Home Depot drywall mud tub) to protect everything. Both the sun and critters are pretty ruthless here in So AZ; unpainted PVC gets chewed right through. The unit's operating temp range is 0 to +45C (113F) - not bad. With a recent pool replaster and 80F temps, a gallon each of 15% acid and 4% bleach seem to last a week or so. I've been checking with the TF100 and the readings seems right on.
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