Automatic Monitoring Systems
What is an automatic monitoring system
A typical automatic monitoring system comprises a control unit connected to probes supplied with a sample of pool water via a sample line taken from the circulation pipework in the plant room.
These probes are constantly monitoring the levels of free chlorine and pH. They are electrically linked to pumps that operate according to the probes’ readings and the parameters pre-programmed into the control unit.
How automatic monitoring systems work
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Cleaning and calibration of the system
Some systems won’t need cleaning or calibrating as they are self-cleaning. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions to determine what type of ongoing maintenance your system requires. If it does need to be cleaned and/or calibrated by the user, this usually involves isolating the incoming feed, disconnecting the leads from the control unit to the probes, unscrewing the probes and either dipping them into or wiping them with a probe cleaning solution.
If calibration is being done at the same time, this usually involves navigating into the appropriate menu screen on the control unit and following the step-by-step instructions.
Watch the video to see how it’s done on the Bayrol PoolManager system.
It is recommended that pool plant operators request that the service engineers provide a tutorial on the automatic control unit during one of their service visits. It is worth remembering that most probes require replacement on an annual frequency.
This video will take you through how automatic dosing works and also talks about some mistakes that often get made when calibrating sensors.
Unless the system is very old, it should be possible to download the User Manual PDF for the system in use at your facility (we’ve included a few below). These manuals will include a step-by-step procedure to follow to clean and calibrate the probes.
What solution do you recommend for cleaning of the probes?
A mild liquid detergent, but double check the user manual for the unit you have installed.
What is the different between standardise and calibrate? should you standardise a system on every manual pool test?
Hi Simon, Some controllers have both calibrate and standardise functions. Technically, calibration adjusts the rate of probe response and standardisation involves inputting DPD1 and Phenol Red result when a variance is indicated (15% for DPD1, 0.2 for Phenol Red). Most people tend to use the word calibration instead of standardisation though.