Pentair IC40 alternatives?

[PumpinIron]

I’ve seen a number of Pentair IC40 salt cell alternatives so I thought I would ask you if any of them are worth it or if it’s just better to spend the money and get a replacement IC40?

The rear of my system is Pentair if it matters.

Also, any recommendations on where to get the best price on a new salt cell?

 

[Newdude]

I thought I would ask you if any of them are worth it or if it’s just better to spend the money and get a replacement IC40?

We dont see alot of the generic ICXXs being used, but many (of any brand) have smaller plates and shorter lifespans. Make sure you're comparing apples to apples with 8k to 10k expected lifetime hours, and not 3k to 5k. Or do the maths if they're not the same to see if it may still be reasonable to go generic.

Also, any recommendations on where to get the best price on a new salt cell?

That varies by the hour sometimes. Some days, anyone having it to sell beats a backorder somewhere else. Polytech pools, inyopools and recsupply are 3 biggies for online shopping. Leslie's and Dohneys are 2 more if the price is good. Amazon is hit or miss. When I purchased a replacement cell in '19 I ignored the 'only 13 left' while considering it and the next day the price doubled on Amazon. I was able to find it still at the lower price at a reseller with a UPS store in NV as their address, but it came a week later as promised so the gamble paid off.

 

[proavia]

The best alternative to an IC40 is an IC60.
50% more chlorine generation for only a few hundred dollars more than an IC40.

If you follow TFP methods and keep your CSI in the 0.00 to -0.30 (negative 0.30) range, your SWG shouldn't scale up.
Probably your biggest issue is continually increasing CH do to hard water here in the desert southwest (unless you have a water softener plumbed to your autofill).

If your SWG does need cleaning, use cleaning vinegar instead of muriatic acid/water mix.

 

[Jimrahbe]

P,

About 75% of reported SWCG failures are not failures at all, but caused by users having no clue what they are doing...

I doubt you fall into that category, but tell us what kind of problems are you having???

Do you have an standalone cell, or is it part or your automation system?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[PumpinIron]

P,

About 75% of reported SWCG failures are not failures at all, but caused by users having no clue what they are doing...

I doubt you fall into that category, but tell us what kind of problems are you having???

Do you have an standalone cell, or is it part or your automation system?

Thanks,

Jim R.

When you look inside of it the calcium deposits have quite literally eaten away at the fins. Not all of them, but several of them.

I inherited the system from the previous home owner who cleaned it regularly with muriatic acid. Of course from what I’ve been told they only last 3 years or so which is about how long this one has been running.

How do I tell if it’s standalone or part of a system?

 

[mknauss]

How do I tell if it’s standalone or part of a system?

Do you have automation? A remote or app?

Of course from what I’ve been told they only last 3 years or so which is about how long this one has been running.

I just replaced mine after 8 years. It had not stopped working, but was acting odd.

If you are getting scale in the SWCG, your pool water chemistry is not properly managed. And it is not good to use muriatic acid to clean a SWCG. At most use a cleaning vinegar.

 

[Dirk]

The rear of my system is Pentair if it matters.

Not sure what that means, but if you have, or ever plan to have, a Pentair automation system (like IntelliCenter), know that only Pentair gear talks to Pentair gear (same for other brands, too). With automation, you can set the IC40 (or IC60) output to 1% increments, and you can do so remotely, as the need arises or as the seasons change. Any automation system can be setup to turn any SWG on or off, but for full and fine control, you have to match brands.

I dial in my IC40 many times a year, often increasing or decreasing by just 5%. Something you can't do with a stand alone IC40/60, and something you wouldn't be able to do with other brands if you went with Pentair automation.

If you already have an IntelliFlo VS pump, and Pentair automation is part of your plan, stick with an IC40 or upgrade to the IC60.

 

[Jimrahbe]

When you look inside of it the calcium deposits have quite literally eaten away at the fins.

P,

Calcium is a chemical issue and not a brand issue. With the same chemical levels, any SWCG will have the exact same problem.

Most cells (all brands) usually last 5 to 7 years if they are properly sized for your pool. A 40K cell in a 16K pool is perfectly fine.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[PumpinIron]

P,

Calcium is a chemical issue and not a brand issue. With the same chemical levels, any SWCG will have the exact same problem.

Most cells (all brands) usually last 5 to 7 years if they are properly sized for your pool. A 40K cell in a 16K pool is perfectly fine.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Interesting

I have calcium build up on the spillway from the spa to the pool and inside of the IC40 as well. So many pool guys have told me it's normal down here in Arizona with the hard well water we have.

I just looked at my paperwork and this pool was installed by the previous homeowner in early 2019. So the cell lasted me 4 years give-or-take.

It sounds like I need to fire my pool guy who I've been using to maintain my water. If there is calcium accumulating like this can I safely assume that he isn't doing his job?

I've been putting off taking the reign on this myself being that I'm very busy, but now I'm thinking that old adage is true, "if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself".

I guess the first place I need to start is by purchasing a new IC40 and then using Poolmath (which I haven't used yet) to see where I am at.

 

[proavia]

pool guys have told me

Don't believe everything pool guys tell you.

I've been putting off taking the reign on this myself being that I'm very busy, but now I'm thinking that old adage is true, "if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself".

Ding, ding, ding - this right here. This is the reason most of us are here. And you will save money in the process.

Fill out your signature with pool, pool equipment (including manufacturers and model numbers) and test kit info.
This assists us in providing you with help more specific to your pool without needing to ask you each time.

Post a full set of current test results from one of the recommended test kits.

FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt (from a drop based test kit)
Water temperature

 

[PumpinIron]

Don't believe everything pool guys tell you.


Ding, ding, ding - this right here. This is the reason most of us are here. And you will save money in the process.

Fill out your signature with pool, pool equipment (including manufacturers and model numbers) and test kit info.
This assists us in providing you with help more specific to your pool without needing to ask you each time.

Post a full set of current test results from one of the recommended test kits.

FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt (from a drop based test kit)
Water temperature

Thanks! I'll go to a pool store and get a test kit and post the results. I'll also add all of the equipment to my signature in the next day or two as well.

I'm really sick of these Dang pool guys.

 

[ajw22]

You can not find a good test kit in Pool Stores.

We recommend the Taylor K-2006C or TFT Test Kits

See
Test Kits Compared

 

[proavia]

Thanks! I'll go to a pool store and get a test kit and post the results. I'll also add all of the equipment to my signature in the next day or two as well.

I'm really sick of these Dang pool guys.

Don't try to find a test kit at a pool store. Efen if they had one of the recommended test kits, they would be over-priced.

See Test Kits Compared
The TF-Pro Salt would suit you well. It has more of the reagents residential pool owners use, includes the drop based salt test and comes with the stirrer device.

 

[Newdude]

There are two price points :

K2006 : small bottles and you have to add the $30 k1766 salt kit

Tf100-salt: 2.7X the supplies and includes $30 K1766 for $20 upgrade over regular TF100. (Hands down winner)

------------

K2006*C* : more CH and TA tests than you'll ever use and probably not enough CYA and FC tests. Also have to purchase the $30 salt kit.

TFpro-Salt : bottles sized for how we do things. $30 salt test included for $20 upgrade over TFpro. Includes $48 stirring device. Nice organized case. (Hands down winner)

 

[Dirk]

Do you have a water softener for your home? Many of us top off our pool's evaporation loss with soft water, to avoid the problem you're having. Every time your pool fills, you're adding more calcium. It doesn't evaporate with the water, so it just builds up. You can replace water periodically to try and lower your CH, but you'd be replacing it with calcium-rich water! It's very tough to control CH that way. Some here even have a dedicated softener just for their pool.

My pool finish was destroyed by a careless "pool guy" and my city's hard water. Since taking over the pool (after replacing the finish) I no longer have any build up on the pebble surfaces. It's been about six years. Just his last year I replaced about a foot of water to bring my calcium back down, but that's it. No build up on my SWG. Nothing on the finish. I get some crud at the water line, but that has more to do with evaporation than it does chemistry.

Don't try to save money on a cheap test kit. Get one of the two we recommend. It'll pay for itself.

I was on a mission to see how I could shave my pool maintenance tasks, and have it down to about 10 minutes a week, most times less. My water and pool are way better off with me doing it. As yours would be. And I save about $1500 a year! Surely you can find 10 minutes a week...

 

[PumpinIron]

You can not find a good test kit in Pool Stores.

We recommend the Taylor K-2006C or TFT Test Kits

See
Test Kits Compared

Thank you for saving me more time and money.

 

[PumpinIron]

Do you have a water softener for your home? Many of us top off our pool's evaporation loss with soft water, to avoid the problem you're having. Every time your pool fills, you're adding more calcium. It doesn't evaporate with the water, so it just builds up. You can replace water periodically to try and lower your CH, but you'd be replacing it with calcium-rich water! It's very tough to control CH that way. Some here even have a dedicated softener just for their pool.

My pool finish was destroyed by a careless "pool guy" and my city's hard water. Since taking over the pool (after replacing the finish) I no longer have any build up on the pebble surfaces. It's been about six years. Just his last year I replaced about a foot of water to bring my calcium back down, but that's it. No build up on my SWG. Nothing on the finish. I get some crud at the water line, but that has more to do with evaporation than it does chemistry.

Don't try to save money on a cheap test kit. Get one of the two we recommend. It'll pay for itself.

I was on a mission to see how I could shave my pool maintenance tasks, and have it down to about 10 minutes a week, most times less. My water and pool are way better off with me doing it. As yours would be. And I save about $1500 a year! Surely you can find 10 minutes a week...

We do indeed have a water softener for our home but I'm not entirely sure it's setup to work with the water that feeds into the pool. Do you know how I might go about finding out if that is the case?

Yep, 10 minutes a week wouldn't be an issue at all. I've been looking at this as a very daunting and time consuming task that my wife got me into (since she is the one that insisted on a pool with the house). It sounds like I'm greatly overcomplicating it as I do with most things.

Thanks for the recommendations on the test kits as well.

 

[proavia]

That one or the TF-Pro Salt - which comes with the stirring device.
Yeah, you may think you don't need the stirrer, but one you have it, you'll know you needed it all along.

 

[PumpinIron]

There are two price points :

K2006 : small bottles and you have to add the $30 k1766 salt kit

Tf100-salt: 2.7X the supplies and includes $30 K1766 for $20 upgrade over regular TF100. (Hands down winner)

------------

K2006*C* : more CH and TA tests than you'll ever use and probably not enough CYA and FC tests. Also have to purchase the $30 salt kit.

TFpro-Salt : bottles sized for how we do things. $30 salt test included for $20 upgrade over TFpro. Includes $48 stirring device. Nice organized case. (Hands down winner)

Yep, looks like the TF-Pro Salt is the way I'll go now that I just looked at it more. The stirring device is a nice upgrade.

 

[proavia]

Remember - happy wife, happy life.

Do you know where the autofill is hooked into your house water?
Once you get your test kit, you can test the CH of your fill water to see if it's soft or hard.

Does your house have an existing soft water loop where the softener was added?

Post a few pics of your autofill conjection point and the water softener setup.