Five-O-Five Apartments

Luxury residential development install CHEMTROL® controller for advanced features and remote control functionality

Client:    Five-O-Five Apartments 

Facility: Luxury residential development

Equipment: CHEMTROL® PC5100 Programmable Controller

505 St Kilda Road is a luxury residential development in Melbourne with a 25 metre lap pool, who were looking to replace an existing controller that was performing poorly. 

We recommended they install the PC5100 Programmable Controller, our most advanced unit for pools and spas, featuring automatic maintenance of water chemistry, dual chlorine sensors control with UV, pH, TDS, temperature control and more. It also incorporates two unique solid-state PPM sensors that generate easy-to-use, direct and reliable readings of both Free and Total chlorine concentration in water.

Assistant Building Manager Julian shared his experience of the unit after nine months, and we also touched base with Sean Kenna of Australis Total Pool Care, who installed the controller – for more background about their setup.

Tell us about your facility?

There are 122 luxury apartments in the development, with a pool, spa and gym. The pool is a heated, two lane indoor 100,000 litre lap pool available for use by residents. 

The facility is open from 6am – 11pm for residents to use, and we have a booking system of hour blocks, with a 2 person limit. Families have unlimited use of the pool. The booking system gives us insights into the bather load, with around 75 – 105 swimmers using the facility per week.  

What specific problems were you experiencing?

The existing system was 20 years old and the pool was limping along with compromised probes and manual chemical dosing. Chloramines were difficult to control and remove which resulted in eye discomfort for bathers, and constant adjustments to chemistry.

From week to week it was difficult to get a handle on the water chemistry, especially the pH. The pool got cloudy quite often, and we would have to call the contractor in, who would manually dose – but this was happening far too often. 

” From week to week it was difficult to get a handle on the water chemistry, especially the pH, and the pool got cloudy quite often “

What does your new system consist of?

The PC5100 controller was installed with two chlorine (ppm) sensors, which is a feature of the Chemtrol PC5100 system to control chloramines. This gives us the ability to monitor free chlorine and total chlorine levels, and identify accurately excessive chloramines in the water.

Our new setup also includes Co2 control which were installed to address pH level and alkalinity parameters. A new salt chlorinator was installed, as well as a clear water ozone system, which activates once chloramines exceed 0.8 ppm. This powerful, secondary sanitation system burns out the irritants and maintains water balance equilibrium as required.

” We are also using less Co2 gas now than before, which our system uses instead of acid – so that is another benefit since switching to the new controller “

Why did you choose Chemtrol controllers?

We were looking to replace the existing controller which ceased to function, and wanted to upgrade to a smarter, more reliable system with added functionality, automation and access to more data. 

PC5100 Controller full-screen display, menus and keypad

What features do you appreciate about the new controller?

For a start, the Chemtrol system immediately addressed all previous issues we were experiencing. 

The Chemtrol controller is also cutting edge compared to our old unit, and gives us a whole range of new features, including detailed live data, autonomous dosing as well as the alarm function, which alerts us if there is an issue with the water chemistry. This goes directly to our pool maintenance service, Australis Total Pool – who also happens to have installed our new controller. To-date, we have not had an alert, which is a good sign. 

” The Chemtrol controller is cutting edge compared to our old unit , and gives us a whole range of new features, including detailed live data, autonomous dosing as well as the alarm function “

The remote access function on the Chemtrol controller means we don’t have to walk down to the plant room to view the water chemistry data. We also appreciate the ability to be able to login remotely via a PC or mobile phone, and of course we can also view the controller interface in-person if we are poolside. 

All key staff now have access to water chemistry readings & alerts via their phones, iPad, and computers in real time, which has resulted in faults and issues being detected well before they become a problem. In addition, our water chemistry alarms are also monitored in Chemtrol’s Sydney call centre, which automatically activates a call to the service operator alerting them to the issue. This redundant backup system ensures that critical alarms are not overlooked and actioned asap.

What is your overall experience of Chemtrol and the installation process?

Chemtrol Australia are committed to water chemistry and site equipment excellence 24/7. Our system was built and installed in a few days, and we are happy with service and follow up. It has also operated flawlessly since it was installed nine months ago. 

CHEMTROL® PC5100 Controller

The CHEMTROL® PC5100 Controller is a programmable control system that offers complete chemical automation for pools and spas.
This includes:

√  Dual ppm (Free and Total Chlorine) with UV control
√  pH
√  ORP
√  Conductivity or TDS
√  Make-up water and auto replacement
√  Water balance with Langelier Saturation Index
√  Temperature and heater control

This model also incorporates two unique solid-state PPM SENSORS that generate easy-to-use, direct and reliable readings of both Free and Total Chlorine concentration in water.

Get in touch for advice on the best programmable controller for your facility, that way we can provide a competitive pricing solution based on the functionality you need.