Happy Labor Day weekend! Hope everyone's using their pools after all that hardwork keeping it crystal clear
Been reading a few threads about people’s general advice on evaluating automation panels for an upgrade. Also read the “Pentair automation further reading”.
When I first got on TFP, @ajw22 recommended intellicenter lite i5p pool only for my setup. But now that I’ve learned more about my pool and what I’d like, I wanted to get thoughts on what makes the most sense.
My pool:
-14k gallons
-One intellibrite pool light
-Breeze 540 SWG
-Aquatherm panels for solar heating - Old pentair compool lx220 that doesn’t work (another post on that coming soon to see if it’s fixable)
-Calimar 1.5HP VSP (has a automation upgrade but will likely take up 3 relays
-Seperate above ground Jacuzzi J-475
-No water features
My goal:
-Upgrade to intellichlor IC40
-Change filter out to Pentair Clean and Clear 420 (current Sta-Rite is 20 years old)
-Get pool automation
-Plug in landscape lights to an aux relay - I have one 300W transformer that powers all of them currently
-Eventually upgrade to Intelliflo 3hp VSP
-Possibly a slide for the kids which may need its own pump, but unlikely
Questions:
1) intellicenter lite i5P vs intellicenter i5p with salt cell
- I have an intermatic timer panel that houses all the pool equipment breakers and where the power comes in from the main panel.
- I don't need a load center, so IC LIte would work... but with IC Lite, I'd have to get intellichlor transformer and cell to switch to intellichlor . Current Breeze 540 SWG works but if I'm going to upgrade, might as well do the SWG too. The cost of IC lite + intellichlor transformer + IC40 cell is about the same as the intellicenter with built in load center and salt transformer + IC40 cell.... Additionally, it would be cleaner to just have 1 box for everything, instead of the intermatic timer load center, SWG transformer, IC lite. Am i thinking about this correctly?
2) i5p only vs i8ps? (understand that i8 only comes as i8PS and I don't need spa, but it's cheaper than i10 pool only)
- I will use up 3 relay for the filter pump/salt with the current Calimar VSP
- solar will be a function circuit so won't use a aux relay
- Intellibrite will use one aux relay
- landscape lights will use one aux relay
- That uses up all 5 relays, but don't think I need anything else?
- When I upgrade to intelliflo pump, I'll free up 2 out of the 3 relays.
- If I get a slide down the line, it will likely be after the intelliflo pump, so i'll have relays available
- I understand its better to have more relay than you think you need... but a roughly $1000 difference is hard to ignore
- Are there other features that will need a relay that I am not thinking about?
Thanks!
Been reading a few threads about people’s general advice on evaluating automation panels for an upgrade. Also read the “Pentair automation further reading”.
When I first got on TFP, @ajw22 recommended intellicenter lite i5p pool only for my setup. But now that I’ve learned more about my pool and what I’d like, I wanted to get thoughts on what makes the most sense.
My pool:
-14k gallons
-One intellibrite pool light
-Breeze 540 SWG
-Aquatherm panels for solar heating - Old pentair compool lx220 that doesn’t work (another post on that coming soon to see if it’s fixable)
-Calimar 1.5HP VSP (has a automation upgrade but will likely take up 3 relays
-Seperate above ground Jacuzzi J-475
-No water features
My goal:
-Upgrade to intellichlor IC40
-Change filter out to Pentair Clean and Clear 420 (current Sta-Rite is 20 years old)
-Get pool automation
-Plug in landscape lights to an aux relay - I have one 300W transformer that powers all of them currently
-Eventually upgrade to Intelliflo 3hp VSP
-Possibly a slide for the kids which may need its own pump, but unlikely
Questions:
1) intellicenter lite i5P vs intellicenter i5p with salt cell
- I have an intermatic timer panel that houses all the pool equipment breakers and where the power comes in from the main panel.
- I don't need a load center, so IC LIte would work... but with IC Lite, I'd have to get intellichlor transformer and cell to switch to intellichlor . Current Breeze 540 SWG works but if I'm going to upgrade, might as well do the SWG too. The cost of IC lite + intellichlor transformer + IC40 cell is about the same as the intellicenter with built in load center and salt transformer + IC40 cell.... Additionally, it would be cleaner to just have 1 box for everything, instead of the intermatic timer load center, SWG transformer, IC lite. Am i thinking about this correctly?
2) i5p only vs i8ps? (understand that i8 only comes as i8PS and I don't need spa, but it's cheaper than i10 pool only)
- I will use up 3 relay for the filter pump/salt with the current Calimar VSP
- solar will be a function circuit so won't use a aux relay
- Intellibrite will use one aux relay
- landscape lights will use one aux relay
- That uses up all 5 relays, but don't think I need anything else?
- When I upgrade to intelliflo pump, I'll free up 2 out of the 3 relays.
- If I get a slide down the line, it will likely be after the intelliflo pump, so i'll have relays available
- I understand its better to have more relay than you think you need... but a roughly $1000 difference is hard to ignore
- Are there other features that will need a relay that I am not thinking about?
Thanks!
