Greetings all,
I have finally completed the install of Stenner Pump. The largest wait was for my electrician to set up the new outlet, but it is working great. My install is setup a little differently from others I have seen, which I attribute to my own stubbornness. I wanted it to automatically chlorinate without making any other changes to my system. So let me show how that has worked out.
I have read all of the information regarding chlorine degradation due to time, UV light, and heat. So I put the tank in my basement only a few feet away from my equipment pad and conveniently located next to my sump pump. I had intended to buy a 15 gallon deldrum of chlorine and use that as a tank, but I could not find a source that would sell to me. They only did commercial sales. I eventually did find one, but only after I made the purchase of the Stenner pump and tank. I chose the gray tank even though it is in the basement to still protect it from the UV of the lights and in case I decide to move it back outside. The best price I found was poolweb.com as some others had ridiculously high shipping charges. I got the 85MHP5 adjustable pump.
I ran 3/4" conduit right next to the electrical conduit to house the chlorine line so that is not exposed to the sun and heating up and to keep it as cool as possible. It runs underground for a few feet and emerges right next to the check valve location. I used a PVC conduit cap(without glue) with a hole drilled to insert a 1/4" grommet for the chlorine tube to exit. I installed this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009F3JTFK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 near the end of the return line which made installing the check valve easy. It uses the upper (1/2") threads with Oatey Great White joint compound sealant. That stuff is hard to clean, you can see the residue on the check valve body but it shouldn't hurt anything.
The 220V outlet in the basement is connected to the Intermatic timer that runs the pool pump. So it is only hot and the Stenner pump will only run when the filter is running. Instead of using 1 gallon jugs of bleach, it was easier, and slightly cheaper to buy 5 gallon carboys of 12.5% chlorine from a pool store nearby. I did this for two reasons: 1) I want to make sure that the Stenner Pump doesn't run when the filter is not running. I realize this means it will still inject chlorine when I am backwashing or wasting, but for those times I can always just turn the pump off, or not worry about it since it will only be a small amount. 2) It eliminates the need for two separate timers that would have to be in sync and it can get tricky with a mechanical timer if I try to get it too close. Also, adjustments with a mechanical timer would not be as precise as I would like. I like using the adjustment dial (it seems to like it just above 3) on the pump to adjust the chlorine level. I can technically hear the pump operating from my dining room when it is running, but I would have to listen for it and it isn't that bad. If need be, I can enclose the unit in sound deadening insulation, but there is no need right now.
The sad part is I only got this installed after my vacations were already over. I had my neighbor pour a nightly gallon of bleach which worked out well. But half the point of this pump was to allow me to go on vacation without having to worry about the pool so much. But everything worked out perfectly and the pool has never been better. I have not experienced a single issue all season. This should work out really well to keep the pool in great shape until it is cold enough to close. But I really can't wait to take full advantage of it next year.
I have finally completed the install of Stenner Pump. The largest wait was for my electrician to set up the new outlet, but it is working great. My install is setup a little differently from others I have seen, which I attribute to my own stubbornness. I wanted it to automatically chlorinate without making any other changes to my system. So let me show how that has worked out.
I have read all of the information regarding chlorine degradation due to time, UV light, and heat. So I put the tank in my basement only a few feet away from my equipment pad and conveniently located next to my sump pump. I had intended to buy a 15 gallon deldrum of chlorine and use that as a tank, but I could not find a source that would sell to me. They only did commercial sales. I eventually did find one, but only after I made the purchase of the Stenner pump and tank. I chose the gray tank even though it is in the basement to still protect it from the UV of the lights and in case I decide to move it back outside. The best price I found was poolweb.com as some others had ridiculously high shipping charges. I got the 85MHP5 adjustable pump.
I ran 3/4" conduit right next to the electrical conduit to house the chlorine line so that is not exposed to the sun and heating up and to keep it as cool as possible. It runs underground for a few feet and emerges right next to the check valve location. I used a PVC conduit cap(without glue) with a hole drilled to insert a 1/4" grommet for the chlorine tube to exit. I installed this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009F3JTFK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 near the end of the return line which made installing the check valve easy. It uses the upper (1/2") threads with Oatey Great White joint compound sealant. That stuff is hard to clean, you can see the residue on the check valve body but it shouldn't hurt anything.
The 220V outlet in the basement is connected to the Intermatic timer that runs the pool pump. So it is only hot and the Stenner pump will only run when the filter is running. Instead of using 1 gallon jugs of bleach, it was easier, and slightly cheaper to buy 5 gallon carboys of 12.5% chlorine from a pool store nearby. I did this for two reasons: 1) I want to make sure that the Stenner Pump doesn't run when the filter is not running. I realize this means it will still inject chlorine when I am backwashing or wasting, but for those times I can always just turn the pump off, or not worry about it since it will only be a small amount. 2) It eliminates the need for two separate timers that would have to be in sync and it can get tricky with a mechanical timer if I try to get it too close. Also, adjustments with a mechanical timer would not be as precise as I would like. I like using the adjustment dial (it seems to like it just above 3) on the pump to adjust the chlorine level. I can technically hear the pump operating from my dining room when it is running, but I would have to listen for it and it isn't that bad. If need be, I can enclose the unit in sound deadening insulation, but there is no need right now.
The sad part is I only got this installed after my vacations were already over. I had my neighbor pour a nightly gallon of bleach which worked out well. But half the point of this pump was to allow me to go on vacation without having to worry about the pool so much. But everything worked out perfectly and the pool has never been better. I have not experienced a single issue all season. This should work out really well to keep the pool in great shape until it is cold enough to close. But I really can't wait to take full advantage of it next year.
