New Pentair IC-40 just installed

pool512 · Jun 17, 2022

I just installed a Pentair IntelliChlor 40 and am trying to get my levels where they need to be post-conversion. FC is at 1.8 this morning, and PoolMath tells me to run the pump at 91.5 hours at 8%. Why wouldn't I run it much higher for a shorter time to get the FC up to my target (5 PPM)? Thank you!

Meghanfoss · Jun 17, 2022

pool512 said:
I just installed a Pentair IntelliChlor 40 and am trying to get my levels where they need to be post-conversion. FC is at 1.8 this morning, and PoolMath tells me to run the pump at 91.5 hours at 8%. Why wouldn't I run it much higher for a shorter time to get the FC up to my target (5 PPM)? Thank you!

Hello!! So, from what I’ve learned, SWG’s are great at maintaining chlorine but not great at playing catch-up. That said, I’d add some liquid chlorine to get yourself to your target of 5ppm (Target should be 7.5-10% of CYA) and then switch on the SWG to maintain that so it produces 3ppm per day which is what is typically consumes during the day.

You can figure out runtime and percentage using the “effects of adding” in the menu of your Pool Math app. So if my pool was the same size as yours (15k gallons) I’d need to run it at 40% for 16 hours a day to generate 3ppm FC. You can play around with that to see what works best for your schedule.

Hope that helps!

Texas Splash · Jun 17, 2022

I agree ^^, add some liquid chlorine right away. Get the FC up to about 5-6 ppm now. Don't wait for the SWG. It's much better at maintaining an FC level as opposed to doing a quick increase. Have you already increased your CYA to 70? If not, that's a must as well with our current temps and intense sunshine. Adjust your FC to the ideal level by adjusting your SWG output and/or pump run time for the desired results. It's flexible based on your schedule.

If you have questions about any other levels, feel free to post a full set of results so we can see them all.

Determine Pump Run Time

To figure out how many hours you need to run your pump, you need to know how fast your pump works. You can find this here.

www.troublefreepool.com

Meghanfoss · Jun 17, 2022

Texas Splash said:
I agree ^^, add some liquid chlorine right away.

Oh my goodness I answered a question right!! I was so nervous but was like “I feel like I have an idea” and figured you guys would correct me or supplement additional info where needed.

Woo!

pool512 · Jun 17, 2022

Thanks for the advice! Posting my most recent results. A couple notes on what I did (using PoolMath) after testing:
1. I bumped the SWG to 50% from 2% where my installer set it.
2. I added acid to try to lower PH to 7.2 (and to get Alkalinity down).
3. I added stabilizer to raise CYA to 75.
4. I'm getting conflicting salt readings between strips (all the store had in stock) and my IntelliCenter/IntelliChlor, so I'm leaving salt alone until I get a digital tester delivered. IntelliCenter says I'm at 3600, and the strip shows 2790.

So, if I understand correctly, the SWG recommendation that PoolMath gives me is to maintain the FC level? So, add chlorine to get to the 5 PPM recommended by PoolMath for CYA of 75 (it shows 60-90 target), and then follow the recommendation from PoolMath to set the SWG at 7.5%?

Best Regards!

Lake Placid · Jun 17, 2022

pool512 said:
4. I'm getting conflicting salt readings between strips (all the store had in stock) and my IntelliCenter/IntelliChlor, so I'm leaving salt alone until I get a digital tester delivered. IntelliCenter says I'm at 3600, and the strip shows 2790.

Pentair indicates a variance of +/- 500 ppm is an acceptable range in their SWG sensors, just be prepared for a variance between your tester and the reading the SWG produces. Always best to add less salt than you think you need and ease up to your final value.