Pentair IC40 - Low Chlorine Production

[ShooterMcGavin]

How do you know if/when your SWG is actually going bad? I can’t get my IC40 to produce more chlorine than what it already is. Tried Superchlorinate for 24 hours with no effect. It has been set for 80% for the past three days and won’t raise the chlorine level. Normally, it is set for 40-60% and results in about 3 ppm FC and TC. No error LEDs. Everything seems normal. IC40 was installed in 2020. Cell is clean too. I’m in Michigan so it hasn’t been running for more than 6 months each year due to our short season.

FC and TC are 1 ppm
TA 110
pH 7.6
CYA 40
CH 220
Salt 3250

Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

The lights on your IC means it is creating chlorine. I have never seen one with all the lights and it not create chlorine.

First, water chemistry. Is your pool algae free? Do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test. A SWCG cannot create enough chlorine to fight off algae.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

The water is a little cloudy. I don’t know if I would consider it as having algae though. I’ll add that the temp is 83 and the pump runs 24 hrs a day. This problem has been going on for a little less than a week.

 

[mknauss]

Cloudy is not good. Do the OCLT. Raise your FC to 10 ppm using liquid chlorine and do the test tonight. Be sure the SWCG is turned off for it.

 

[Jimrahbe]

SM,

The number one reason that makes pool owners think their salt cell is not working, is algae, even before you can see it.

The number two reason is very low CYA.

Both of these are chemical issues and not because of a problem with the cell.

You have a CYA of 40, so your target FC should be about 5 ppm.

Algae can eat chlorine faster than the cell can make it.

Can you see any algae in your pool? If so you need to do a SLAM

If you can't see any visible algae, then you need to do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test (OCLT) Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

There is no visible algae. I will do the OCLT but with a current FC measurement of 1 ppm, it sounds like my reading would have to be basically 0 in the morning to confirm that it is algae?

 

[mknauss]

Raise your FC to 10 ppm using liquid chlorine and do the test tonight.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

Oh sorry, I misread that. I’m on the same page as you now