Intelliflow revisited
I herewith submit for whatever value it might prove to the pool owner considering a switch to Variable Flow an interchange recently intercepted through a glitch in Internet security between pool owner Elad Namel and one Slenn Glensker who is apparently considering the conversion
Hi Slenn
You had asked for a report as I presume you too might be considering a switch to vf and if I have no other virtues, I do report. Incidentally a $300 rebate on the model our dear friend/installer Ike Borsch had selected came today and so I herewith take the opportunity to thank him also for undergoing the somewhat tedious job applying for it on our behalf
Thanks to the heroic efforts of Ike, Mel, and No. 1 Son Ellie I'm delighted to report the pool so far is beautiful and some of its new features admirable such as means to separately control the sweep and provisions that start the pump in cold weather to prevent freezing. Only minor drawbacks such as:
Otherwise the device largely deprives one of control. For instance as the basic unit contains no way to easily preempt certain basic functions Ike (who is incidentally a high muckitimuck in Aerospace and so naturally understands all vastly complex technological advances) volunteered to install a remote facility to energize the pump, change its speed, and activate the sweep. It has certain apparent limitations, however, though not terribly serious Ike has promised to look into, for instance
1. Because the vf station is situated at a level above the pool surface, when first energized at low speed the vf wouldn't pump but only sucked air Ike found it necessary to program for brief prime at high speed before dropping to low. However if I arrogate control using the remote, when I'm done the program resumes operation but reverts to low speed. So if the interruption was long enough to drain the input tubing, it then won't pump. Of course if I remember I can now use the remote to initiate a prime though I must now also remember to then terminate else it run at that speed all night if I don't intervene
....(a) As the booster purportedly is in danger of self-destruct shoud it suck air, Ike found it necessary in order to ensure a positive pressure at its intake to program the vf at half-speed during sweep time. Because sweep is more efficient at high as I will elucidate, it might prove desirable occasionally, especially after a windstorm, to operate the sweep at that setting, a condition however the program at least as now written won't permit
....(b) Since the remote is the size of a credit card, in my waning years approaching senility I will surely lose it. Somewhat OT but my No. 2 Son Spacey has a brilliant suggestion for Modern Industry. Open letter to the makers of household electronics: Build a beeper into all remotes of every kind as well as a button to activate any other such remote so it's capable of triggering others within range
2. A few localized deposits of black sand (perfectly sanitary though), especially in the corners at the deep end for which I speculate two principal reasons:
....(a) With vf set to low the lighter debris of course is picked up by the sweep but at this flow rate some heavier deposits are no longer carried away by circulation to skimmer port or drain
....(b) But the main one being I now run the sweep for only one hour compared with three before. The Polaris 380 sweep helps remove sand not so much by picking it up as with other debris but by the slashing tail reducing particles to a size more easily suspended. Of course I could have Ike reprogram to sweep 3 hours as before and with vf at high but after all the entire purpose of vf is to save electricity
3. Previously the pump station was virtually immune to damage by sun, wind, rain, falling tree limbs, vandalism, children or other accidental human contact, etc since it used no lightweight components and the wiring was all in conduit. Now however the new system includes delicate and unprotected attachments, two thermal sensors and the remote receiver, connected by a network of relatively fine wiring not easily protected from its environment so I'm contemplating the building of a shed to house the entire complex
Then I would of course endeavor to always leave the remote in the enclosure handy where I could always find it but shielded from the elements. Open letter to Intelliflow: To make the remote unnecessary you should institute a new model master control box with manual control provision built-in using clearly labeled pushbuttons
Such paltry hindrances of course aren't terribly serious, Slenn, but illustrate the vast complexity introduced by the digital megillah and make you feel sorry for the average clod (me) who isn't an expert in the field and wonders how he'd cope if Ike for instance were transferred to Boston. Again however, we're ever so grateful to him and crew since any inconveniences are far overshadowed by the potential saving in electricity since in spite of my advanced age of 80 I plan to live to 104 so I can see my grandchildren graduate college
Your old pool buddy
Elad
jenleighj
dalehilemanOriginal Author
dalehilemanOriginal Author
jenleighj
dalehilemanOriginal Author
poolguynj
dalehilemanOriginal Author
poolguynj
llcp93
dalehilemanOriginal Author
Rack Etear
waterbear
dalehilemanOriginal Author
poolguynj
dalehilemanOriginal Author
waterbear
dalehilemanOriginal Author
dalehilemanOriginal Author