Intellichlor IC40 reading 4600 ppm

[Enzman]

Hi everyone

I've had this pool for a couple years now, built new by me. I have a TF-Pro testkit that I test constantly with. My problem is that, my salt test kit has been reading and still does read 3600 for over a year now. The ONLY thing I've done to my pool in the last year is added (I'd have to check exactly) 50 or so pounds of boric acid to my pool. That was the fall of 2022. My salt has been reading around 4100 for the last couple months and today it hit 4600 (on my screenlogic app). Is this thing faulty, or is it somehow reading the boric acid in the water and messing up the reading? I can't find much info on this anywhere, but now my chlorine is only around 5 and I have CYA between 70 and 90. I live in Las Vegas and today is the first real day that it's gotten hot enough to get my pool above 78 degrees (I don't have a ton of direct sun exposure. Sun doesn't fully cover my pool until around 1pm and then it's only full coverage until 5pm).

In the meantime, is my pool generating chlorine at 4600?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Enz,

High salt will not keep your IC40 from generating chlorine.

Is your green good salt light flashing?

If your FC is 5 ppm, it is because you are not running your cell long enough, or at a high enough output.

IntelliChlor salt cells have a known issue where the thermistor in the flow switch fails, which can cause the cell to think the salt level is way too high or way too low.

How old is the cell?

Try this test.. Set the output to 50% and then go monitor the "Cell" light. It should come on for about 2.5 minutes, while the cell is making chlorine, and then it will be off for about 2.5 minutes, while the cell is at rest. Rinse and repeat.. If this test works, then most likely the cell is making chlorine.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Enzman]

Enz,

High salt will not keep your IC40 from generating chlorine.

Is your green good salt light flashing?

If your FC is 5 ppm, it is because you are not running your cell long enough, or at a high enough output.

IntelliChlor salt cells have a known issue where the thermistor in the flow switch fails, which can cause the cell to think the salt level is way too high or way too low.

How old is the cell?

Try this test.. Set the output to 50% and then go monitor the "Cell" light. It should come on for about 2.5 minutes, while the cell is making chlorine, and then it will be off for about 2.5 minutes, while the cell is at rest. Rinse and repeat.. If this test works, then most likely the cell is making chlorine.

Thanks,

Jim R.

I have my cell set at 79%, 1850 rpm from 6 am to 8 pm. I know the cell is making chlorine, I just don't know if it's doing it 100% of the time it should be. Last year, I had my chlorinator set much lower around 70% iirc and it was only for 12 hours and my chlorine was consistently 10-12. I wanted to superchlorinate when I tested today but my IC40 won't let me do that so my assumption, wrong or right is that it is working intermittently.

The cell is just over 2 years old, February 2021. I cleaned it for the 2nd time a month ago and it wasn't having any problems working before the cleaning. It definitely had some buildup but it wasn't much, especially considering how hard my water here is in Las Vegas.

My "good cell" light is solid green. My salt level light is flashing green (high salt).

I know 100% my cell is creating chlorine, as mentioned above. A telltale sign is the bubbles piling into my spa from the return. I just don't know if it's working 100% of the time that I have it programmed.

 

[mknauss]

What volume is your pool?

 

[Enzman]

What volume is your pool?

It's hard to calculate properly for me but I think it's around 19,000 gallons. 35x16 rectangle 3'6 at each end, 5'8" in the middle. Then I have a 13'x6' wet deck (outside the pool footprint) and a 10x10 spa (also outside the pool footprint).

 

[mknauss]

At your stated 79% for 14 hours, you are adding 4 ppm FC per day. A little less than I need right now, so I would say that is about right.

 

[Enzman]

At your stated 79% for 14 hours, you are adding 4 ppm FC per day. A little less than I need right now, so I would say that is about right.

I just bumped it to 6am to 10pm now, as actually my pool can use the extra skimming anyways. I appreciate your information, so that tells me that the chlorinator is likely working 100% of the scheduled time.

That being said, why is the salt level so high?

 

[mknauss]

As Jim said, your thermistor in the flow switch may be acting up. I use the hack shown in our wiki to replace that thermistor with an external thermistor installed in the plumbing. See Pentair Intellichlor ICXX SWG - Further Reading

 

[JamesW]

Cut the white wire.

 

[Enzman]

As Jim said, your thermistor in the flow switch may be acting up. I use the hack shown in our wiki to replace that thermistor with an external thermistor installed in the plumbing. See Pentair Intellichlor ICXX SWG - Further Reading

Fair, I will test it now. If this is the case, I imagine cutting that wire could void my warranty?

 

[JamesW]

If this is the case, I imagine cutting that wire could void my warranty?

In my opinion, it shouldn't, but it's not my decision.

I would just ask Pentair to send you a new flow switch under warranty, which is cheaper for them to do than to assign a warranty company and pay for parts and labors/repairs.

You have to cut the wires anyway to replace the flow switch.

I would install the external temperature sensor and leave the flow switch alone.

 

[Enzman]

I did the temperature test and the temp sensor was calculating my pool at 80 degrees if I'm doing it right, so I'm not convinced that is the problem. 80 degrees was right on the money.

 

[mknauss]

See how things go over the next few days. As long at the SWCG is happy and making chlorine, all is good.