Has anyone here repurposed their puck feeder to inject chlorine bleach? I have a Pentair Rainbow Model 320. It seems feasible that a injection point could be added between the dial/controller and the body of the unit. Has anyone attempted this modification?
Stenner liquid chlorine pump - How to choose and install
- Thread starter Steve_in_C
- Start date
colonelkirby
Silver Supporter
- Mar 20, 2017
- 139
- Pool Size
- 25500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The inline model's body can be unscrewed from its T-fitting. I then re-purposed the T to attach the Stenner injection point. There is one gotcha though, there is a set screw in the vertical T component. Feel around under the feeder body to find it. Remove it before you unscrew the body so you don't wreck the threads.
Attachments
- May 23, 2015
- 24,403
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
This is generally not suggested by TFP. Accidentally mixing bleach and trichlor can cause the buildup and release of chlorine gas and/or cause an explosive condition. If one were to modify the puck feeder in a non-obvious way to inject bleach and another individual was unaware of the modification, that person could be exposed to a very dangerous condition. It might be a low probability event, but modifying a product in any way voids the manufacturer’s warranty and liability and shifts all responsibility and liability to the person that modified it.
Basically, use a saddle clamp and find a different injection point OR remove the puck feeder altogether.
Please forgive me if this has been answered. I am buying a replacement solenoid dosing pump for liquid chlorine injection. From years of experience, I know that I regularly use between 1 liter and 1.25 liters PER DAY to keep my free chlorine level at 2-3ppm which is fine for my pool. My question has to do with the SIZING of the dosing pump. My circulation pump runs 8 hours per day in 4 intervals. My old dosing pump runs on a timer which is activated when the circulation pump turns on . I control the amount of chlorine added by how long I have the dosing pump running, usually 1 to 2 minutes for each circulation pump interval. My question is which of the following models would be best to choose as a replacement. The 0110 model is closest to what I am replacing but since the circulation pump operates at a low bar, I am wondering whether the 0607 might be better suited. The dosing pump models shown can be adjusted to lower the “strokes” which would reduce the amount injected per “run”. (PS I live in Italy and hence the liters/hour etc.). I know that most of the models shown (on the left side of the graph) would work, but which would be best? Many thanks for your advice
Attachments
Not being familiar with solenoid dosing pumps, I assume that you can set it down with a timer or some type of control. The lowest value listed for the models on your data sheet shows 1 liter / hour. Since your usage is 1-1.25 liters per day, I would think that the lowest volume model would work. But it's all dependent on the controls that you have. If you set this up, let us know how it works,, costs, etc..
Getting ready to start a new build of 25K gallon pool in Houston, TX. Would like to add 2 stenner pumps, 1 for chlorine and 1 for acid dispensing. Will be using Pentair VS pump, what model / size stenner pumps do you recommend?
I travel a lot for work and am gone for weeks at a time. I want to add the stenner pumps for automatic dosing as my wife will not be able to handle this duty.
Pool will be in full sun, with hardly any shade around.
I travel a lot for work and am gone for weeks at a time. I want to add the stenner pumps for automatic dosing as my wife will not be able to handle this duty.
Pool will be in full sun, with hardly any shade around.
Iam1964
Bronze Supporter
@b_hol i have a 10 gallon per day model with the 15 gallon tank and it seems plenty for my needs, probably yours too. I only use it for chlorine and currently I am running it in the morning for 13 mins and in the afternoon for 12 mins. It is keeping my chlorine levels at a very steady 6 to 6.5 ppm. I also calibrated the pump and my pump is actually flowing at 12.2 gallons per day.
Do you have the 45MHP10 adjustable head model or single fixed model? 25psi or 100psi max?
I was looking at the 45MHP10 , but didn't know if I would need the adjustable head. How is the tank holding up in the weather, did you get the gray UV or regular white tank?
Thanks
I was looking at the 45MHP10 , but didn't know if I would need the adjustable head. How is the tank holding up in the weather, did you get the gray UV or regular white tank?
Thanks
Iam1964
Bronze Supporter
I bought the fixed head model as it seemed to be a bit easier to dial in, I also heard the adjustable head can be a little noisy. It is rated for 100 psi. The tank is the gray model and is pretty sturdy. I did build a box around it to keep it a bit more shaded. So far, I am more than pleased with It.
I am just south of Conroe if you want to check it out.
I have the adjustable head model, but I keep mine on full flow, and use an external timer to control it.
I run the 45MPHP22 100psi fixed head 22 gallons per day model for my chlorine injection. I run it for 18 minutes during the middle of my main pump run cycle and that's it. I started with the 3 gallons per day model and it seemed to run all day. (18 minutes vs over 2 hours) Now I get it in quick and be done. Less run time is less pump wear and less electricity. I use a Woods outdoor digital timer for control.
I have run the 45MPHP10 model since October 2016. Lately, I have been on the cusp of going SWG. I seemingly burn through a lot of chlorine in the summer here in Phoenix. Last year, the pool consumed $241 worth of chlorine, which was a total of 36 gallons of 10%. That may be on par with a decent pool seaon; I don't know. All in all, in order to fight the solar burn-off, the Stenner runs 4x a day at 15 minutes.
It probably was mentioned before, but I will state it again: a Stenner pump or other means of chlorine injection still needs to be maintained. Being that I only have experience with a Stenner pump, I will say that it has been anything but headache-free. You must keep your eye on it! Set a calendar reminder on your phone to perform periodic and preventative maintenance. Of course, AZ is brutally hot in the summer and the sun is intense, but most of my failures below occurred in the "cool" season.
Over the course of ownership, I have replaced countless tubes (one of which downright split causing a disasterous low-chlorine situation in full Phoenix sun), countless ferrules, several duckbills, brittle sections of tubing (caused by the chlorine, not the sun), just replaced the roller head the other day, and so on. I've found that the tubes fail inconsistently. It may be a year, it may be 6 months. It could be 4 months. The failures may be in the form of split tubes or hardened tubes that may allow back-pressure (failed duckbill) to put water into the chlorine tank.
So all in all, if you go Stenner, keep your eye on the Dang thing!
It probably was mentioned before, but I will state it again: a Stenner pump or other means of chlorine injection still needs to be maintained. Being that I only have experience with a Stenner pump, I will say that it has been anything but headache-free. You must keep your eye on it! Set a calendar reminder on your phone to perform periodic and preventative maintenance. Of course, AZ is brutally hot in the summer and the sun is intense, but most of my failures below occurred in the "cool" season.
Over the course of ownership, I have replaced countless tubes (one of which downright split causing a disasterous low-chlorine situation in full Phoenix sun), countless ferrules, several duckbills, brittle sections of tubing (caused by the chlorine, not the sun), just replaced the roller head the other day, and so on. I've found that the tubes fail inconsistently. It may be a year, it may be 6 months. It could be 4 months. The failures may be in the form of split tubes or hardened tubes that may allow back-pressure (failed duckbill) to put water into the chlorine tank.
So all in all, if you go Stenner, keep your eye on the Dang thing!
Has anybody used a stenner to pump a diluted acid solution into the pool to eliminate dosing by hand?
I think everyone who uses a Stenner to pump acid does this to some degree. Depending on your timer/controller, it can be easy/hard to do a manual dose. Currently I use a sprinkler controller to control my Stenner pumps (that will change soon with updates to my automation system). For me, I turn the sprinkler controller on manual mode and run the pump for TBD minutes. I put full strength 34% acid in my Acid tank. You obviously still have to deal with the MA when you fill your tank.
Hey GoGrab...I’m pretty new to the Stenner pumps (almost 2 years for chlorine, 1 year for acid), and have been lucky with only one failure: a leak in a line...BUT I didn’t have the UV resistant black tubing at the time. I also replaced my dosing tube in my chlorine pump at this time last year. Do you have the black tubing?
On the brittleness, is that just for the tubing from the pump to the injection valve (which is higher pressure than the tank line)? I want to be careful to look for these failures. My system is pretty much entirely shaded so I am wondering if that might apply to my “luck”.
I haven’t had any ferrule issues. But I have worried about bending/pressure on those tubes which make tight turns right out of their connective points (at the pump or injection valve), could that be an issue?
Yes, I'm interested also. I've only been running my Stenner pump for a year, and no problems whatsoever. I also have a completely shaded system, and less heat. I also don't use anything stronger than the 6% bleach. Can you tell us more about if the cracks are in the PVC or in the black tubing? Thanks for the heads up. I'll have to check it out well. Perhaps I should change the tube in the pump in this next week. And being in Northern CA, we didn't run our pool from October till May 15th. But I'm installing solar panels soon, to try to lengthen that time.
paul
I haven't personally had any cracks but others have told me that the compression nuts for the tubing will crack secondary to sun exposure. As long as you look a them annually, you could just replace if they start to fail
agjr85
Well-known member
Is this the same thing as the Rola Chem
Peristaltic Pumps for swimming pool and spa systems by Rola-Chem
?
Peristaltic Pumps for swimming pool and spa systems by Rola-Chem
?
Similar. Any peristaltic pump should work. However, you need to be sure you can get the pump tubes and that the pumps are reliable. Stenner pumps and parts are all over the Internet / eBay / Amazon. There's once on eBay now for $207 + $10 shipping. STENNER PUMP 85MHP40 / 85MHP40 (NEW IN BOX) | eBay
And a used one for $100 + $20 shipping Stenner 45M1 Peristaltic Chemical Pump 25PSI 120VAC 3GPD | eBay
And a used one for $100 + $20 shipping Stenner 45M1 Peristaltic Chemical Pump 25PSI 120VAC 3GPD | eBay
Chiming in late. I ran a stenner pump on my old pool. It had lots of issues. But overall I would do it again. My pump was just screwed into where the pool builder had plumbed an inlet for a Rainbow puck feeder. I had them not install the puck feeder and just screwed it in - super easy. Over 5 years I never had a green pool, but I did come close. I had a 15 gallon barrel which would last about 3 weeks in texas summers. We would often vacation for 4 weeks so it wasnt quite enough. I would definitely get a 30 gallon barrel in the future. mine was in direct sunlight so I buried it about 2/3 of the way.
My biggest headache was the constant buildup of salt which clogged the outlet/inlet At various times:
stenner check valve died and let pool water backflow into bleach barrel and poured out the top getting bleach water everywhere corroding copper tubing.
outlet into the pool return got clogged with salt, causing pressure that caused bleach to spray, corroding a nearby airconditioning unit which had to be replaced. I would soak the inlet in vinegar to clean it around every 1.5 years.
the tubing in the pump would last 1.5 years, but would start to get hard after a year. When that happened no bleach would enter the pool and FC would drop
In 5 years I only disassembled the pump to lubricate once.
There were lots of times where FC would just stop flowing for one reason or another.
Also another reason to use bleach instead of saltwater is that in the event of an emergency you can filter the pool water and drink it, where with salt water you really cant.
My biggest headache was the constant buildup of salt which clogged the outlet/inlet At various times:
stenner check valve died and let pool water backflow into bleach barrel and poured out the top getting bleach water everywhere corroding copper tubing.
outlet into the pool return got clogged with salt, causing pressure that caused bleach to spray, corroding a nearby airconditioning unit which had to be replaced. I would soak the inlet in vinegar to clean it around every 1.5 years.
the tubing in the pump would last 1.5 years, but would start to get hard after a year. When that happened no bleach would enter the pool and FC would drop
In 5 years I only disassembled the pump to lubricate once.
There were lots of times where FC would just stop flowing for one reason or another.
Also another reason to use bleach instead of saltwater is that in the event of an emergency you can filter the pool water and drink it, where with salt water you really cant.
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