SWG Just Won't Produce Chlorine!

[pwise79]

Hi everyone, new to the board here.

Last summer we bought an Intex Klearwater Salt System and tried to use it all summer without producing chlorine once. We got all the other levels good - pH, alkalinity, stabilizer, salt, etc. and no matter how long we ran the SWG it never produced any FC.

We contacted the company and they sent us a new sensor component or whatever which we replaced this year and still nothing! We have an 18'X48" Intex.

Any ideas? Do we just have a faulty unit? Thanks so much for any advice!

 

[Bama Rambler]

Welcome to TFP.

How do you know it's not producing chlorine as opposed to the chlorine being consumed as soon as it's generated?

Can you post a set of test results and how you got them?
What does the water look like?

 

[pwise79]

Thanks Bama! I guess I don't know that its not just being consumed as soon as it is generated, all I know is that the test strips always say 0, even when I test right after the generator ran.

I got the test results from a test strip so don't have exact numbers, just know that everything showed as in the ideal range.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I suggest you get a good test kit and at very least a FAS-DPD and CYA test.

Have you added any CYA to the pool since it's been filled?
Have you added any chlorine to the pool manually?

 

[pooldv]

Use Pool School - PoolMath to add plain bleach to get FC up to 3 ppm. Test every couple of hours to see how that holds up. After you get you FAS/DPD chlorine test kit at 8 or 9 tonight raise FC to 10ish, run pump 30 min to mix, retest and Pool School - Perform the Overnight FC Loss Test (OCLT) to see if there is algae growing or organic material consuming chlorine.

 

[gilbee]

A couple of thoughts:

From looking at pictures of that salt system, it looks like the cell is clear...can you see any air bubbles forming in the cell or coming out of the jet into the pool? These bubbles are chlorine gas, and if you aren't getting any, that could be a sign you aren't making any chlorine.

Definitely get a real test kit and stop using the strips...you're driving blind with those.

If you're in doubt, you need to be dosing with liquid until you're no longer in doubt.

 

[pwise79]

Thanks for the great advice everyone!