Nominal SWG not making chlorine ?

[dradam]

Having trouble keeping up my FC after a replaster in April.

18K
intellichem
Muriatic and Intellichlor swcg
Fc 5.8
cc .4
cya 35
salt 4050
cH 350
ph 7.3
TA 110
borates minimal

test kit taylor 2006 fresh reagents.

FOCL .6 loss and cc.4
Water clear

Orp probe is new and responding to additions of chlorox.

All lights are green on intellichem including flow and salt level.Swcg plates are clean. only 40% of 10k hour runtime used up. Diagnostics mode shows no issue.

When intellichem is on I took a sample from the jets and a sample from the pool and FC was the same. I also do not see bubbles coming out of the jets that i usually see when the swcg is working.

Has anyone seen a SWCG fail with all light indicating that it is working correctly? Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[cowboycasey]

2 things I see from your numbers

1. Your CYA being at 35/40, you need to be at least at 70 for a SWG
2. you're fighting something in the pool with a CC of 0.4/5 nothing bad, could just be bugs from the night before..

your SWG is working overtime trying to keep up, your sunscreen is not high enough (CYA)

I hope this helps

 

[ping]

You do not want to raise the CYA due to issues with high CYA levels and the intellichem probes.

Do you mean FOCL .6 loss is the OCLT?

Usually if there are no error codes and all the lights show that the SWG is working there is some other water chemistry issue going on. I do know that when using ORP with CYA it can be a headache to get working properly.

 

[cowboycasey]

You do not want to raise the CYA due to issues with high CYA levels and the intellichem probes.

Do you mean FOCL .6 loss is the OCLT?

Usually if there are no error codes and all the lights show that the SWG is working there is some other water chemistry issue going on. I do know that when using ORP with CYA it can be a headache to get working properly.

Thanks for that info, I thought that was what ran the SWG not muriatic acid injection and ORP...

 

[dradam]

Thank you both. Yes , the cya needs to run low for my intellichem to work. It has not been a problem because my pool is mainly covered and has been fine for the past seasons. I think the issue is either something eating the chlorine, or not enough output from the SWCG despite good green lights.

With an overnight chlorine loss of .6 and a CC.4 I didn't think i needed to do a formal SLAM, but this may be the case.

I am still suspicious of the SWCG even with geen lights because readings of a pool sample vs a return jet sample showed no difference in FC. I would have expected higher output of FC from the jet.

Is it possible to to have all green lights without making chlorine? Like the circuitry working but not sending power to the fins. I see no bubbles at the jets.

It is hard for me to find the time to do a prolonged slam. Can you recommend a one an done shock ? Thanks again.

Thanks.

 

[ping]

Make sure all the lights are solid green and try to take a water sample from the return side of the cell. Slightly unscrew the cell fitting so just a bit of water leaks out of the cell. This sample will not be diluted with any water from the pool itself.

The problem with the Pentair cells is that you need one of their wands to find out what the cell is actually doing.

Do you have any warranty time remaining? If so, give Pentair a call.

 

[dradam]

Thanks,

Testing the leaking outflow side is a great idea. All lights are green. Wish I had the wand.Still suspicious about the intellichlor because I see no bubbles. Unit is 3 years old, but only 40% so no warranty- shame.

Thanks again.

 

[dradam]

So this morning -- checking the pool I suddenly see bubbles coming from the jets. I test the FC at the jets and it is twice the pool Fc-- I appear to be making chlorine !!. Unfortunately this stops after about 5 minutes, still well below the programed ORP.

I reset the IC 40 and as all light become green it once again starts producing chlorine....... for about 5 minutes and then stops.

Any Ideas what could cause it to stop producing after 5 minutes even though all light are up and running?

Truely Baffled

 

[ping]

My guess is the cell is wearing out and only one side of the cell produces chlorine. SWG's switch polarity to help keep them clean of scale and when the polarity switches it either works or doesn't in your case. My AquaRite cell died with that exact symptom last month.

I'm guessing that 3 years of use with a low CYA pool is about right for the IC-40 on your pool even though they say 10,000 hours.

 

[dradam]

Thanks, You have been very helpful. I wonder if there is a thermal cut off switch inside. My salt level is in the normal range but higher than I have had it before. I have read that higher salinity means more conductivity in the cell which could mean more heat (?)

may try a higher flow rate or dropping the salinity a bit before I give up.

 

[Joey316g]

Depending on what percent output you have it set to, it will cycle off and on. That's how it regulates how much chlorine it generates. For instance, at 100% it is designed to run for 59 minutes an hour and off for one. 80% is 48 on and 12 off and so on and so forth. And it doesn't run 48 minutes straight and off for 12 straight.. It breaks it up and cycles off and on multiple times an hour.

As as a test put it on 100% and watch the lights. The cell status light should stay on practically straight through the hour because like I said, at 100% it's designed to generate for 59 minutes an hour.

Hope this helps

 

[dradam]

Thanks for your reply. Holding the max button will initiate a reset, and after this I can see it producing chlorine for about 5 minutes and then shut off. I know it is off by FC readings and the fact that when it is making chlorine it produces bubbles. Even with all lights green as it should -- no chlorine. Really not sure what is going on this year. Only difference is a new orp probe(just in case but I think the old one was ok) and I upgraded the intellichem firmware.

Goes on and off when it should based upon orp levels -- just no chlorine?? Thx

 

[dradam]

So follow up and closure on this thread. Finally was able to communicate with Pentair. Because the intellichlor unit was only 40% through it useful hours they were kind enough to replace it under warranty.The rep admitted that they had " had some trouble with these units". I replaced my intellichlor with the new unit and all is good. It cost me shipping and a new ORP probe which I didn't need ,but I am grateful to Pentair for replacing it. It is still fascinating to me that my old unit could have all lights green and good-- and still make no chlorine.