Pentair Intelliph - Further Reading

Basic Operation

Pentair IntellipH

The IntellipH dispenses a set amount of acid every 60 minutes while the filter pump is running. It does not measure the pH or determine how much acid is needed. Over time the user is expected to dial in the required amount of acid required hourly.

If wired correctly, the ipH can't pump while the filter pump is off, just as the IC40 can't produce. And the ipH doesn't dispense while the IC40 is producing, the ipH controller turns off the IC40 just before it dispenses.

The ipH controller monitors the IC40 flow switch, and won't dispense without flow (or isn't supposed to).

When acid is dispensed the ipH controller stops the IntelliChlor ICXX chlorine generation during the time of the IntellipH acid dispensing. The cell output is set to 0 with no LEDs lit and the Cell Status LED is off.

Checking the tank contents should be a daily chore, along with spot checking the filter gauge, the leaf baskets, the water level, etc. The problem with automation is that it will eventually fail, so you need to treat every day as the day it might happen.

IntellipH with IntelliChlor IC60 cell

A members board on his IntelliPH fried for the second time in about a year. The warranty service company told him that Pentair says the IC60 pulls too much current for the IntelliPH and Pentair wants to swap out the IC60 for an IC40.

If you are planning on this equipment combination you should check with Pentair on their latest thinking.

Two Different Peristaltic Pumps

522474 Pump

I have determined that the replacement peristaltic pump is indeed the old circa 2014 Shurflo pump. I made the request to Pentair to get me the new correct Stenner pump. I think the reason I ended up with the old one circa 2014 is because there is not a part number for the entire Stenner motor and pump head, but there is for the circa 2014.

There are two types of tank mounted pumps:

• black and white square pump 521348Z (old part, cheap) ShurFlo pump
• blue cover semi-round pump 522474 (new pump) Stenner pump

Maintenance & Repair

The old pump had to be entirely replaced, the new blue pump can be repaired and you're expected to change out the white tube every year.

You can order the super expensive pentair parts for replacement but it's a standard stenner econ pump head that pentair customized for their needs, so you can just order stenner econ replacement parts for not just the white roller tube but the rollers as well as they are the exact same part just a fraction of the price.

Also, pentair only sells you the tube two pack or a rebuild kit with one tube and the rollers for about $80. You can buy the stenner econ pump head roller alone (EC350, make sure you get the "white" version instead of the "black" version) for a fraction of the price ($15).

Capacity of the Pentair 4 Gallon Acid Container

The TOTAL capacity of the Pentair Acid Container (521378) or (522472) is 4 Gallons (15.1 Liters). Adding 4 gallons to an empty container will bring the level of liquid in the container to the very middle of the protective grid or to the bottom of the container top mounting lip.

​However, of these total 4 gallons. there is 10 ounces (295.7 mL) of liquid at the bottom of the canister that is unusable. This is due to the fact that the suction tube and plastic filter screen do NOT quite go all the way down to the bottom of the container. Hence the “usable” amount of liquid in the canister is 3 Gallons, 6 fluid ounces (3.375 gallons) or 11.8 Liters.​

By way of these measurements, it was also determined that the vertical sticker that is placed on the side of the container is inaccurate in its representation of actual liquid increments within the container.​

On pp 1 of the IntellipH Acid Dispenser System Installation and Users Guide, it refers to the “Storage Canister” as “3-1/2 Gallons.” This stated value in the users guide is off by only 2 ounces but I’m just stating the fact that in typical Pentair fashion, information found in Pentair documentation is NOT always accurate and in many cases, incomplete as well.​

Note: we assume that the same numbers defined above also apply to the Pentair 4-Gallon Chlorine Container (521397.) The only difference that could be found between those two part numbers (tank only), or between the two part numbers with a mounted pump (522472 vs 522473), is the fact that the color coded stickers placed on top of the lids are different.

Problems

Intelliph Emptied Entire Tank of Acid

The warranty company for Pentair came out and they replaced my entire peristaltic pump on my Intelliph with a different pump. Now the peristaltic pump says Shurflow and it has 4 screws not a lever to replace the surgical tubing and/or the wheel. The Shurflow wheel appears to have only two rollers not three like the original.

It sounds like they put the older pump head on. The newer one is a stenner style, the shurflo was the original.

Intellichlor ICXX Not Running

There was an issue where the ICs were having trouble running when connected to the intelliph. It seems these issues haven't been completely resolved.

The IntelliChlor IC40 or IC60 cell can draw too much power through the IpH and burn out a connector. This thread describes a fix to the burnt connector.

Power Supply Connector Burnt Pin

A member had the connector from the power supply to the IntelliPh circuit board overheat and melt. He had this occur not only on the original unit but a replacement (complete new unit). He also replaced 1 control unit separately. The overheated pin in the plug occurs on the black wire only.

He replaced the connector with one from TE.com, part # for the plug is 770759-1 (08P MINI UMNL PLUD HSG). The pin socket part # is 1-794407-0 ( MINI UMNL SOK 20-16 AWG AU LF). They also show the connector for the circuit board, however he did not need that as he had purchased a new board. He also got a crimper from Amazon (Dupont Crimping Tool Qibaok Pin Ratcheting Crimper).

Hacking IntellipH to work in cold water

As IntellipH (IpH) owners know, the IpH depends on an IntellliChlor (IC). The IpH uses the IC's power supply, and monitors its flow switch, so that it won't dispense acid if the IC is reporting low flow. Unfortunately, it also monitors the IC's water temperature reading, and won't dispense acid if the IC is reporting cold water. A fix for that is described in Hacking IntellipH to work in cold water.

Servicing an IntellipH Injector

Short version: ya don't! You just replace it periodically.

Periodically perform a very simple, non-invasive test of the injector. Maybe a few times a year. Unscrew the white nut that clamps the acid delivery tube to the injector body and pull the tube out. Then turn on the filter pump (relatively high RPM) and observe. If no pool water drips out of the top of the injector, then the seals are fine. If you see water, time for a new injector.

See the thread for the full discussion --> Servicing an IntellipH Injector

Tips

Dilute 31% acid 1:1 with water

Which means there's never more than about 1.5 gallons of acid in the tank at any given point. Not enough to be much of a concern should the system malfunction.

Muriatic acid and water mix well, and the mixture is almost complete by the time you close the bottle up. HCl has an enormous solubility in water and, unlike sulfuric acid, is not very viscous so it mixes very well. If you add your jug of water to the IpH (yes, add that first) and then your jug of acid to the IpH, you can stick a plastic rod into it, give it three turns of your hand and then close up the holding tank. By the time you clean up all your tools and take a sip of beer, the solution is mixed.