New Pool motor and salt water Chlorine Generator? Intelliflo and Intellichlor?

[mrrparker]

Hello Everyone.
Currently I have a 1hp pump and a Hayward Chlorine generator which I have never been all that happy with. It seems like I am always having to adjust the salt content up and down to keep it in the narrow band to keep it working.
The reason I want to change out the pump is when it turns on I can see a huge spike in my electrical usage and I estimate I can lower my electric bill by changing it out an save money in the long term.
After researching this website and others I was thinking of using the Intelliflo and Intellichlor since they can link up. Does anyone have any experience with using the Intelliflo and Intellichlor together and what advice would you give.

Any other suggestions are welcome.

Thank You


Here is the info on my pool.
I run it for 4 hours at night in the winter time and during the day in the summer time because of the solar panels.

Solar panels are 100ft away 2 inch pipe on a second story house on automatic valve.

All piping is 2 inch pvc except for one of the returns that T's off so I have a 2 inch and 1 1/2 inch return for the pool cleaner.

420sqft Pentair cartridge filter at 10-12 psi.

The pump sits on grade level about 1 foot above grade

The pump is 20'-22' away from the pool.

Summer rate is $0.147840/kwh and maybe higher if I keep hitting the higher tiers.

PGE rebate, $100.

[mas985]

Sounds like you are in CA. For most CA residents, I usually recommend a VS pump and especially someone with a solar system. The RPM can be optimized for maximum heat transfer and minimum energy use. You will easily make up the cost of the pump over its life.

As for your SWG, you really shouldn't need to adjust the salt level much unless, you are losing a lot water via splash out or a leak. Which Hayward SWG unit do you have?

[mrrparker]

I will have to get the specific information next week on the salt water converter. Like I said it salt water concentration it measures varies day to day driving me crazy. I have been researching VFD and 3 phase pool pumps and I have read a lot of complaints about the Intelliflo VFD controller failing and you cannot just replace that one part you have to replace the entire pump. What I have found out is that you can buy any 3 phase poop pump and buy a VFD separately and you have a system similar to the Intelliflo that can be repaired. The only question is what VFD to use with which pump?

[PoolDoc]

You know Mr Parker, I'm not sure I can figure you out. Once minute, you sound knowledgeable to the point I'm thinking you are in the pool business, and the next you are talking about using a 3ph motor in a residential application!

Are you working commercial pools?

Regardless, discussions of roll-your-own VFD systems don't belong in the general discussions, so I'm moving this to the China Shop.

[mas985]

You could build your own VFD pump but last time I looked into it, it wasn't that much more cost effective than just buying a VS pump. You need an inverter duty motor, special sheilded power cables to prevent interference and to protect the drive and a NEMA water proof enclosure (if outside). I know of a few people who have tried this and skipped some of the steps only to have a drive fail in short order. BTW, you can sometimes find Intelliflo drives on eBay.

If you are concerned about the VS drives, which I don't blame you, you can get most of the energy costs savings with a two speed motor. That is the route I chose because when I did the economics, I found replacing a single speed motor with a two speed motor (off craigslist) would pay for itself in less than a year and it would take more than 5 years for the Intelliflo to be more cost effective than the two speed.

[mrrparker]

You know Mr Parker, I'm not sure I can figure you out. Once minute, you sound knowledgeable to the point I'm thinking you are in the pool business, and the next you are talking about using a 3ph motor in a residential application!

Are you working commercial pools?

Regardless, discussions of roll-your-own VFD systems don't belong in the general discussions, so I'm moving this to the China Shop.

No I am not in the pool business but I was an engineer in the computer chip industry and was a Landscape contractor some 20 years ago plus did residential electrician work when I was in high school.
I am an engineer at heart and am always looking at how things are made and how can it be done better and cheaper.
I just have a residential pool and my electric meter was just upgraded so I can go onto PGE and see the electric use and their is a huge spike in usage when the pump turns on. I am just trying to decide what is the best way to lower the cost. Seems like their are two choices. VFD and 2 speed. Both are better then a single speed it seems.
Ok gotta get back to my project. At my moms house fixing her sprinklers.

[PoolDoc]

I just have a residential pool and my electric meter was just upgraded so I can go onto PGE and see the electric use and their is a huge spike in usage when the pump turns on.

And, when they upgraded your meter, they also upgraded your power from single phase, to 3 phase????

[mrrparker]

No but the VFD units will convert 1 phase to 3 phase. I am still researching and will post my results when I get some more information.

[PoolDoc]

OK, I'll buy that.

But you are into a level of hobbyist experimentation that is very different from most of our members, and also not characteristic of most guys in the pool business. So, the China Shop is the appropriate place for your discussions.

You might find this site interesting:
http://www.truetex.com/poolcontrol.htm

He's a very advanced pool hobbyist.