Stenner pump install

[Steve_in_C]

I have the black check valve from Stenner. I have not had any water back flow into my chlorine tank. I really like the idea of the tank buried in the ground for a cooler temperature, but I did not put mine in that way. The 10% (Pool Essentials $3.64/gal) concentrated bleach degrades quickly. Mine was about 2 months old (stored in the garage) and it degraded from 10% to 6.5%. My next bleach purchase was the 6% cleaner bleach from Walmart for $1.77/gal. Looks like the 6% is cheaper and more stable. The picture shows bleach stabilty. There was no copyright on the picture so I think it's safe to post. I set the Stenner pump to add 2ppm and then measure the actual change in FC. Since the relationships are all linear, you can just prorate your Stenner pump run time up or down to get the desired change in FC. Example: running for 120 minutes gives 4ppm increase in FC, so run for 60 minutes to get 2ppm.

 

[Bandit5]

I was hoping to have the check valve installed and waiting while i get the rest of the stuff setup. However my check valve seems to have a slow leak it bubbles slowly and then drips a drop every second or so.

Yeah, I had the same problem. The problem is that the back pressure from the return line is not strong enough to get the check valve to fully seat. So, it leaks. I too tried to just install the check valve and wait for the rest of the setup to complete, but I had to go back to the plug until it was ready.

I was worried that with the filter running and the pump off, that the water would back-fill into my chlorine tank. This is one of the reasons why I set mine up so it comes on whenever the filter is running. I am ensuring that there is always positive pressure pumping chlorine into the return and not allowing the pool water to push back into the tank.

I believe the pump rollers themselves might be the key to preventing the tank from getting filled. You should only have issues if your tube is worn out.

 

[gary300]

I have had a Stenner 10 GPD 100 PSI pump for going on three years now and here are some observations:

I believe that the Stenner check valve is only a secondary safety. The fact that the Stenner pump squeezes the pump tube very tightly against the plastic chamber is of in itself and very good check valve. The inline check valve would be useful if the tubing from the Stenner to the check valve opened up for some reason. It would somewhat prevent a whole lot of pool water from being pumped through the tube to the point of fracture and then going onto the ground (probably around your equipment pad) when the pool pump is on.

The duck bill check valve is prone to getting plugged up with salt residue, which might prevent chlorine from being injected at all. I change the duck bill each 6 months.

I change the pump tube, tubing and inspect the Stenner filter on the input hose each year just as routine maintenance, as my Stenner runs year around at various on periods depending upon the time of year. I also look at the roller assembly to be sure the rollers turn freely.

I keep a detailed Excel spread sheet on how much run time in needed for each month of the year, which makes dialing in the Stenner run time for each month easier.

Try to shade the Stenner tank as much as possible from the sun. I also keep my bleach inside my house (air conditioned laundry room) and only keep the Stenner tank about 1/3 full. Heat will kill bleach.

Hope these tips help.

 

[DavidTX]

Thank you all for the helpful information and it has me feeling less worried about the back flow.

Am hoping to build a wood box around my tank to keep it out of the sun and provide a mounting place for the pump. I got the idea from another members install. I have no space on my pad for the tank so I plan to put the wood box on some pavers next to the pad.

Currently keep my chlorine in the house in a plastic bin. Still undecided on what percentage to use as it seems like folks have had luck with 12.5% and 6% alike.

My plan is to start the box build this weekend and maybe install next weekend if nothing else comes up.

 

[Bandit5]

I used 8.25% bleach up until I finished the install of the stenner pump. But then my choice was to haul 15 gallons worth of bleach to my tank, or just fill with 12.5% chlorine. The 12.5% chlorine was actually cheaper overall and I don't have to buy several bottles, uncap each one to dump, and then fill my recycling with a ridiculous amount of bleach bottles. So now I only have to top off the tank with a 5-gallon carboy of 12.5% chlorine every once in a while. I just measured my tank last night, and it looks like it will last around 7-8 weeks until it runs too low to pick up any chlorine. So that means I will buy 1 carboy every 3 weeks or so. So the 12.5% will last longer, require less frequent top offs, and will require fewer bottles when you do it. You will have the degradation issue, but you are taking mitigation measures.

 

[peirek]

The key to selecting the bleach, IMHO, is picking that which is the freshest. In my recent new found quest this year, I discovered Walmart house brand was most always only 1-2 weeks from manufacture date. I discovered the "pool chlorine" from a home center, kept in the heat, was old and had deteriorated 30% before I even bought it..... Lesson learned but I am now running SWG (yes that other solution) so my purchase of Chlorine will be much more limited.

BTW: One day while purchasing 10 gallons at Wally a customer gave me a weird look. I explained I was cleaning up a body.... reaction: priceless.

 

[bard]

Mine doesn't have the check valve. A critter chewed my dispense line about halfway between the pump and the injection port and there was a steady dribble of pool water coming out. No real pressure behind it.

 

[DavidTX]

Thanks for all the info. I got up and running last weekend and have been working to dial it in.

Have been meaning to post some pics(will try tonight) but the week got away from me and have not made it here lately.

So far I am very happy with the setup and decided on using 12.5% as it is the cheapest and I have to haul less of it. Started with 5 gallons to see how it did and make sure nothing went wrong like water flowing back into tank. Planning to make a run for chlorine and top it off soon.

On a side note I had ordered and installed the woods 7 day that is recommended on here, but as I have been working to dial it in I have grown tired of removing the heavy cover for my enclosure and adjusting the timer, so I ordered a GE z-wave outdoor controller that I will use Smart things hub(recently added) to manage. Hoping adjustments, status, and one off need to add extra chlorine(runtime) will be easier as I can control from my phone.

 

[Mycall9550]

Any sources for the stenner tank where shipping isnt $100

 

[Regnar]

Any sources for the stenner tank where shipping isnt $100

If you don’t care who makes the tank I would try a car wash as they usually have barrels all the time for usually free. eBay and Craigslist are other options.

At first I wanted a barrel that I could remove the lid and pour the Chlorine in. That was a mistake and now I use a jiggle syphon to transfer from jug to tank. Takes about 30 seconds with no spillage. So what I am getting at is “bung” barrel would work just as good.

 

[Mycall9550]

Hoping to find oem to mount pump on tank.

 

[Bandit5]

I have the Stenner OEM 15 gallon tank. I only got it because my original plan to buy a 15 gallon chlorine deldrum fell through and it was just easier to buy the tank when I bought the pump. It is just a tank with this: MP80000 Stenner Mounting Bracket - Cannon Water Technology mounted on it. You still have to drill holes and install grommets to route your hoses into it.

It is not worth it. In fact, I find that the mounting location is too close to the surface of the tank, which makes it really hard to insert the line for the spill recovery. I would highly recommend getting a free tank from a car wash and creating your own mounting setup. The cost of the official tank is not worth it especially when it can be annoying to use. It may be important to note that I chose to get an adjustable pump, which is taller and sits closer to the surface of the tank than a non-adjustable pump. So a non-adjustable pump may not have the same annoyance with the spill recovery that I am experiencing.