Upgrading - could use some feedback

[jakesym]

Hello,

First time poster here, but I've been reading the valuable advice everyone posts here for quite a while.

Our 20 year old pool equipment has slowly been dying. Upgraded the pump to an Intelliflo VSF and the heater to a MasterTemp 400 HD.

Now I've come to realize that we don't have a good way to make sure the heater turns off before the pump. Can have a timer switch to control the heater, and try and make sure it's within the hours the pump runs... but the timer can get out of sync. And, we often use the pool outside of the regular pump schedule (have to love the egg timer feature on the Intelliflo), but this means we'll have to remember to turn off the heater ahead of time.

Honestly, we like to leave the heater on during fri-sun, and just know the pool will be heated. This seems like a no-go without having some way to turn off the heater 15 mins or so ahead of the pump, right?

So, I feel like my hand is forced, and it's time to add IntelliCenter. Also seems like a good time to go switch to a SWG.

We have a 20,000 gallon pool, so I am thinking of IntelliCenter with IC40 or IC60 (sounds like everyone would recommend IC60). But, I'm pretty confused by the options. We have a home automation system I'd like to integrate with, which is why I'm leaning towards IntelliCenter.

We have a spa that spills over into the pool. We have to manually change the valves whenever we want to change the water to divert to the spa only.

We don't have much else for features. Just a light in the pool, a light in the spa, and a small fountain that shoots water into the pool when another valve is turned. We do plan on adding some landscaping lighting some day, so maybe that would run through IntelliCenter, too.

Any advice on which IntelliCenter system to get? Also, I assume we need to change out our old metal filter for the SWG, get some actuators for the valves, and I'm not sure what other components for adding a SWG.

(Honestly, I'd probably delay on all this other stuff, if we could just get the heater working well with the pump right now... but I'm sure I'll be happier once we get automated and switch to a SWG.)

Thanks for any input you might have!

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

If you are willing to continue to turn your spa valves on and off manually then the IntelliConnect will give you control of your IntelliFlo pump, Intellichlor SWG, MasterTemp heater and pool lights.

IntelliConnect® Pool Control System

The IntelliConnect® pool control and monitoring system from Pentair lets owners monitor and control their pool's functions conveniently and easily. Learn more.

www.pentair.com

If you want to automatically turn your spa on and off then you want the i5ps IntelliCenter bundle that includes the IntelliChlor IC40 (although some vendors will swap it for an IC60) and two IntelliValve actuators.

 

[jakesym]

Thank you! If I need to put some automation in there to make sure the heater is off before the pump, then I might as well take the plunge and go all the way with IntelliCenter. Thank you for the i5ps recommendation.

A few followup questions:

1. I'll have to ask about the IC60. But if they won't swap out the IC60, is IC40 enough for our 20,000 gallon? Does this force most people with even bigger pools to have to buy the cell separate from the IntelliCenter bundle?

2. I have read that there is a Pool or Spa and a Pool and Spa version. For my setup, I'd want the Pool or Spa I assume?

3. In the meantime, while waiting to upgrade to an IntelliCenter and SWG, I can just make sure that the heater is off 15 mins before the pump? We do have a timer in the subpanel that isn't being used now, and our service guy would like to connect a fireman switch to it and use it to turn off the heater (with the timer window inside of the pump's window). But is there any point to the fireman switch here since the pump isn't on the timer anymore? Can't we just have the load side of the timer turn off the heater? Are there any blowers that kick in when you turn off the heater via the fireman switch as opposed to just cutting the main power to the heater completely? (Couldn't find anything about this in the manual.)

4. Any recommendations on a new filter for our 20,000 gallon pool/spa since I might as well switch to SWG at this point if moving to IntelliCenter for the heater/pump situation?

5. And one other situation we are having. Since we switched to the IntelliFlo, our pool guy reasonably suggested that we run that pump at low speed most of the day, but at high speed for a few hours. However, at low speed, we just get a dribble of water from the spa spillover... which aesthetically just looks bad. In the end, we ended up setting it to run at just over 2000 RPM for 8 hours a day... which keeps the spillover looking nice instead of dribbling, but defeats much of the benefit of being able to run at low speed for long periods of the day. Was wondering if there's a better solution.

Can't thank you enough for the assistance!

 

[ajw22]

1. I'll have to ask about the IC60. But if they won't swap out the IC60, is IC40 enough for our 20,000 gallon? Does this force most people with even bigger pools to have to buy the cell separate from the IntelliCenter bundle?

An IC40 will work fine in a 20K pool.

2. I have read that there is a Pool or Spa and a Pool and Spa version. For my setup, I'd want the Pool or Spa I assume?

There is a Pool only version - i5p - and a Pool and Spa version - i5PS for Pool and Spa with shared equipment. There is also a dual equipment version for managing two bodies of water with separate equipment.

3. In the meantime, while waiting to upgrade to an IntelliCenter and SWG, I can just make sure that the heater is off 15 mins before the pump? We do have a timer in the subpanel that isn't being used now, and our service guy would like to connect a fireman switch to it and use it to turn off the heater (with the timer window inside of the pump's window). But is there any point to the fireman switch here since the pump isn't on the timer anymore? Can't we just have the load side of the timer turn off the heater? Are there any blowers that kick in when you turn off the heater via the fireman switch as opposed to just cutting the main power to the heater completely? (Couldn't find anything about this in the manual.)

You can do it either way. Automation systems can more easily switch a low voltage 24V connection then a high voltage connection.

4. Any recommendations on a new filter for our 20,000 gallon pool/spa since I might as well switch to SWG at this point if moving to IntelliCenter for the heater/pump situation?

CCP420 or 520

Clean & Clear® Plus Cartridge Filters

The Clean & Clear Plus filter delivers commercial-grade performance that keeps pools clean and clear, day in and day out. Find out where to buy here.

www.pentair.com

5. And one other situation we are having. Since we switched to the IntelliFlo, our pool guy reasonably suggested that we run that pump at low speed most of the day, but at high speed for a few hours. However, at low speed, we just get a dribble of water from the spa spillover... which aesthetically just looks bad. In the end, we ended up setting it to run at just over 2000 RPM for 8 hours a day... which keeps the spillover looking nice instead of dribbling, but defeats much of the benefit of being able to run at low speed for long periods of the day. Was wondering if there's a better solution.

With the IntelliCenter you can schedule when you run your spillover at whatever RPM you want.

You can program your IntelliFlo to run at 2000 rpm the times you are at home and care about aesthetics and let it run slower other times.

We don't recommend continuous running of the spillover as the aeration from the spillover causes your pH to rise faster.

 

[jakesym]

CCP420 or 520

Allen, thanks, again! All of this makes sense to me. One last question on the filter.

My pool service guy is highly, highly advising not to go with a cartridge filter (the CCP520 is what I was originally thinking, too)... and to instead go with the FNS Plus 60.
His reason is that we have a couple of overhanging trees that drop a lot of small seeds/balls at certain times of the year. We probably should look at getting rid of these trees at some point (one main one is actually the neighbor's), but he said that the cartridges are much, much hard to keep clean for our situation.

Curious if this makes sense, or if there's an even better option for this situation.

Thank you!

 

[ajw22]

I happen to like my FNS Plus 60 DE filter. If you don't have a problem handling DE and have a place to route the backwash line to dispose of the DE then go for it.

You lose water from the pool with every backwash and will use a lot more water then a cartridge filter which can be an issue where you are located.