Intellichlor May Be Kaput

[Modawg2k]

My IC40 is about 4 years old. Says it has about 40% life left but the cell light now blinks green all the time while all other lights are working fine. How do I determine that this cell is indeed dead and I need a new one? Just go by the blinking light?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Mo,

A flashing cell light on an IC40 means the cell needs to be inspected and most likely cleaned.. Not sure if you have done this already or not.

There should be no calcium build up on the internal plates. If there is, you need to soak the plates in diluted Muriatic acid.. 1 part water and 1 part MA.

They sell a cap that goes over the end of the cell that allows you to fill the cell with the MA solution.

It is best to use a garden hose and to remove as much scale as possible before using the MA.

I only soak long enough for the bubbling to stop and then I rinse the cell out...

Thanks,

Jim R.

- - - Updated - - -

In more than three years I have never had a blinking cell light and have only cleaned my cell once.

 

[Modawg2k]

Mo,

A flashing cell light on an IC40 means the cell needs to be inspected and most likely cleaned.. Not sure if you have done this already or not.

There should be no calcium build up on the internal plates. If there is, you need to soak the plates in diluted Muriatic acid.. 1 part water and 1 part MA.

They sell a cap that goes over the end of the cell that allows you to fill the cell with the MA solution.

It is best to use a garden hose and to remove as much scale as possible before using the MA.

I only soak long enough for the bubbling to stop and then I rinse the cell out...

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks Jim. I should have mentioned that my cell is clean. I gave it a soak this past weekend. I'll admit I was not good about calcium buildup this past year or so, which lead to longer MA soaks which I know is not good for the cell.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Mo,

In theory, the cell produces no chlorine when the cell light is blinking.. You can test that theory, by taking a water sample with the cell off and then again with the cell on and compare the difference. If the cell is working the FC will be much higher.. Of course you would take the sample right at the pool return.

I 'assume' your cell light is constantly flashing.. and not going on for five minutes and then off for five minutes, which would be normal...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Modawg2k]

Mo,

I 'assume' your cell light is constantly flashing.. and not going on for five minutes and then off for five minutes, which would be normal...

Correct, it's not the flashing that is done at startup. I was bad with my pool the past month or so, so there was no chlorine when I was correcting things this weekend. I slammed it and cleaned the cell, but the fact that there was no chlorine could be the indicator that it isn't producing.