New Acid Pump/Ph Controller

[Frank Rizzo]

My pool has in-floor cleaning, SWG and a Solaxx acid dosing system, so it is as close to "maintenance free" as one can get.

Untill...my Solaxx acid pump and controller started to go haywire. The peristaltic tube wore out, rollers got weak and the duckbill valve started to leak. Well...Solaxx discontinued their PhTek controller and no longer support it. It uses an Italian controller (sorry, the brand escapes me) so I found them on the web emailed them and go no response. Ive gotten used to low maintenance so I stated searching for a new acid pump and controller.

I found a really neat dosing pump made by Hanna Instruments called the BL 100. They do not stock them, they are made when you order so It took about 3 or 4 weeks to receive. They sell direct from their website and the guy I spoke with on the phone was very helpful, we even ordered couple of spare parts like the tube, checkvalve and even another probe.

pH Controller and Dosing Pump BL100

As a leader in pH and titration science, we help professionals and hobbyists with their everyday testing needs.

www.hannainst.com

I installed it a couple of weeks ago and I really like it. It has proportional control and the set point goes to two decimal points, and has kept the Ph perfect since install. The display is green backlit when everything is OK, but turns red if it goes out of your high/low/over run parameters. It also has dry alarm contacts and a level switch contact to keep the pump from running if the tank is low. The Ph probe ready the Ph and temperature that is dispayed on the controller. Everything comes with its own a signed certificate of calibration. It is a neat piece of kit if you ask me.

Since I was replacing an existing pump set up, it was realtively straightforward for me. I used the old tank and ran a new injector line and check valve. I bought a cutting board from Wally World to mount the new controller on the slumpstone block. Its wired into my Jandy system so it is programmed to run with the main pump via the iAquaLink just like the Solaxx was.

Probe

Controller and Ph probe


Old Solaxx pump

Anyhow...if anyone is looikng for an acid dosing pump and controller, I give thumbs up to the Hanna BL 100.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Thanks for the heads up and good pictures. I'm sure this will be helpful to someone on TFP looking to automate their acid.

Maddie

 

[rmundo21]

I wish I knew about this a couple of years ago before I dropped $1500 on a CAT1000 pH controller.

 

[scottts]

Looks like a really nice standalone pH controller. Thanks!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I wish I knew about this a couple of years ago before I dropped $1500 on a CAT1000 pH controller.

How much acid does your vinyl pool meed that you felt you needed a fancy device? I barely add acid more than twice in a long summer.....? Do you have a large water feature that drives your pH up?

Maddie

 

[rmundo21]

I have a basic vinyl lined IG pool, 24k gallons, nothing fancy, with a SWG. I keep my water in line with recommend TFP levels, with the pH set at 7.5 and usually go through two gallons of muriatic acid over a 4 month season. Before the CAT 1000 I was still using about the same. I do confirm the sensor reading with the drop test a few times a season to be sure it doesn't need calibration. I top off the pool once a week with about 1-2" of well water due to evaporation. Don't know if that would cause high pH.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

ah, ok....thanks

 

[ChristopherDB]

My pool has in-floor cleaning, SWG and a Solaxx acid dosing system, so it is as close to "maintenance free" as one can get.

Untill...my Solaxx acid pump and controller started to go haywire. The peristaltic tube wore out, rollers got weak and the duckbill valve started to leak. Well...Solaxx discontinued their PhTek controller and no longer support it. It uses an Italian controller (sorry, the brand escapes me) so I found them on the web emailed them and go no response. Ive gotten used to low maintenance so I stated searching for a new acid pump and controller.

I found a really neat dosing pump made by Hanna Instruments called the BL 100. They do not stock them, they are made when you order so It took about 3 or 4 weeks to receive. They sell direct from their website and the guy I spoke with on the phone was very helpful, we even ordered couple of spare parts like the tube, checkvalve and even another probe.

pH Controller and Dosing Pump BL100

As a leader in pH and titration science, we help professionals and hobbyists with their everyday testing needs.

www.hannainst.com

I installed it a couple of weeks ago and I really like it. It has proportional control and the set point goes to two decimal points, and has kept the Ph perfect since install. The display is green backlit when everything is OK, but turns red if it goes out of your high/low/over run parameters. It also has dry alarm contacts and a level switch contact to keep the pump from running if the tank is low. The Ph probe ready the Ph and temperature that is dispayed on the controller. Everything comes with its own a signed certificate of calibration. It is a neat piece of kit if you ask me.

Since I was replacing an existing pump set up, it was realtively straightforward for me. I used the old tank and ran a new injector line and check valve. I bought a cutting board from Wally World to mount the new controller on the slumpstone block. Its wired into my Jandy system so it is programmed to run with the main pump via the iAquaLink just like the Solaxx was.
View attachment 165804
Probe
View attachment 165805
Controller and Ph probe
View attachment 165806

Old Solaxx pump
View attachment 165807
Anyhow...if anyone is looikng for an acid dosing pump and controller, I give thumbs up to the Hanna BL 100.

Hi Frank! This has inspired me to pick up a BL100. Where did you wire it into your Handy system so it runs with the pump?

Thanks!

 

[Frank Rizzo]

I have Jandy Aqualink controls and there is one spare relay that can be used for a solar pump by default. Since I dont have solar - I repurposed it as "Chem Feed" in the Aqualink. Then I built a schedule for it that copies the main filter pump, minus one hour on either end.

This has more info about the overall concept but the OP was using it for chlorine instead of acid:

Jandy AquaLink Relays

Hello, I am in the process of adding a Stenner pump to inject chlorine into my return. I want to use the AquaLink to run the pump via a relay. I plan on wiring an outlet to the relay and plugging the pump into that outlet. I think I can then set my AquaLink to run the pump for a set number...

www.troublefreepool.com

.

 

[uraceulose]

I have Jandy Aqualink controls and there is one spare relay that can be used for a solar pump by default. Since I dont have solar - I repurposed it as "Chem Feed" in the Aqualink. Then I built a schedule for it that copies the main filter pump, minus one hour on either end.

This has more info about the overall concept but the OP was using it for chlorine instead of acid:

Jandy AquaLink Relays

Hello, I am in the process of adding a Stenner pump to inject chlorine into my return. I want to use the AquaLink to run the pump via a relay. I plan on wiring an outlet to the relay and plugging the pump into that outlet. I think I can then set my AquaLink to run the pump for a set number...

www.troublefreepool.com

.

Doing it this way Frank....does it completely cut power to the BL100 when the relay triggers the off position? Or just does it stay live but not actually dose other than when the pump is running?

Thank you,

Donnie

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Donnie
It shuts it off completely. The display goes blank.

When it starts up from your schedule, the BL100 takes about one min. to "boot up" (adjustable via the menu - mine is set at 120 seconds). This is to give the probe time to settle down and give a more accurate reading.

 

[uraceulose]

Thank you sir

 

[uraceulose]

I'm having a tough time finding the Pool Controller Aspiration Filter PN# BL120-200, the Pool Controller Injector PN#BL120-201 al well as the Aspiration & Dispensing Tubing PN#BL120-202.

I can probably figure out a filter...do you happen to know the exact size of the tubing and or a source for an Injector?

Found a BL100 but it's not the kit with the injector or flow-thru system.

 

[uraceulose]

Got it figured out this morning. Hanna has everything. $115 shipped including a couple sets of extra tubing for everything.

 

[jerryk1234]

This is *very* interesting. My salt water pool constantly trends alkaline. For a complete system, where to you get the tub in which to keep the acid?

 

[uraceulose]

I'll be using a good quality HPDE 5 gallon bucket for a tub/tank/reservoir.

 

[jerryk1234]

I'll be using a good quality HPDE 5 gallon bucket for a tub/tank/reservoir.

So HPDE is acid-proof? How will you connect to it? I would worry about spills.

 

[jerryk1234]

OK, I'm convinced. I just ordered a complete kit from Hanna Instruments. I'm tempted to get a second PH probe to have as a spare. Do they store well?

 

[uraceulose]

I don't know for sure on storage/shelf life on the probe but I did not purchase an extra probe. The HPDE seems to be what most of the reservoirs are made of so we should be good there. There is a bucket lid in my "adding a pool heater bypass" thread that has a link to the exact lid I used due to the fact that it has a pour spout opening in the lid.

 

[jerryk1234]

I was just thinking - how about the jugs that acid comes in? They're clearly acid-resistant. Only trouble is, they are NOT UV-resistant. They fall apart in the outdoors. So: I drill a hole in a jug top and pass a hose through it. When it runs out, I get the next jug and move the hose & top to it. Set the jug inside a 5-gallon bucket for UV protection.