IC20 replacement?

[Rhodes54]

Think I joined the forum just in time. Our pool is green and the 3.2 year old Intellichlor IC20 has a red power light and the cell light doesn't come on. I tested the pool this morning with DPD from Leslies and got (I'm still new at this):
FC 0
TC 0
pH 7.4
CH 540
TA 80
CYA 0 ( the water in the test thing NEVER got cloudy) I did add a gallon of acid two days ago, so that's odd

Just to confirm/compare, I took it to Leslies and THEY got
FC 1.5
TC 1.5
pH 7.2
Salt 2200
CH 500
CYA 30

I spoke with Pentair and they said the SWG is out of warranty by a few months and needs replacing. Soooo, where is the best place to buy a replacement and should I get another IC20?
Is there anyway of using the pool (or at least getting less green) without the SWG being on?


Thanks in advance,

Stewart

 

[Poolsean]

Welcome Stewart,

First, it's always worth it to replace the cell when it come time to. There are several choices:
1) Do an internet search to compare prices.
2) Save some time and call Josh from SaltPoolGuys.com. He's offers Trouble Free Pool members discounts on pool equipment.
3) My blatant favortism says you should replace the IC20 with a Pool Pilot system! he he he Josh can help you with that too.

What can you do while your salt system is down? Circulate your pump and add copious amounts of bleach to get the green out. Jasonlion has a chlorine calculator that will tell you how much you need.
However, you need to learn how to use your test kit so you don't have to rely on the stores results, or at least you can compare your results with confidence against the pool store's.
Regarding the test results:
If your pool is outdoor, you need to increase your cyanuric acid to at least 60 - 80ppm. You mentioned that you added a gallon of acid, which is probably MURIATIC acid (a pH decreaser). This is not the same as cyanuric acid (a chlorine "sun-block").
TA is good.
pH level is good.
Calcium Hardness is on the high side. Make sure you maintain your pH and TA where they are to avoid scale formation on your replacement IC20 cell.

It would be helpful if you can include your equipment in your signature.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Can you confirm what kind of acid you added?

Have you visually inspected and cleaned the cell - if you added that much muratic acid your PH must have been awfully high - combined with the high CH it makes me wonder if there is scale on the unit causing it to malfunction... especially if the PH/CH have been left unchecked for a while?

You need an FAS-DPD test to supplement your kit. The DPD can only test up to 5 and that won't help you when you are shocking the pool.

Read and follow the instructions in How to Shock your Pool and Defeating Algae in Pool School.

 

[Rhodes54]

Thank y'all for your replies. The acid I added was from Home Depot and appears to be Muriatic or Hydrochloric (says both on the box) I DID clean a lot of calcium buildup off the cells, but the power light still comes on red and the cell light doesn't come on at all. As I said, the SWG is a little over 3 years old, is that all the life I can expect out of one? I've added 1.46 gallons of liquid bleach (grocery store brand) and a pound of shock. I'll do another test this afternoon. The kit I'm using is the Leslie's Complete Poolcare DPD Test Kit, but if I need the FAS-DPD, I'll get one of those. I bought the Borax, baking soda and have more bleach on hand for AFTER I read the Pool School instructions.

Thanks again, if you ever need help with an old synthesizer, electric piano or any Apple question, maybe I can help YOU out.

Stewart

 

[New2Me]

I've added 1.46 gallons of liquid bleach (grocery store brand) and a pound of shock

Shock is like happiness- you don't buy it, it's what you work for!

 

[Rhodes54]

So I checked again this afternoon and here's the results with the DPD test:
FC 0
TC 0
pH 7.6
TA 90
CH 800
CYA 0 (according to the kit, fill to 7ml and add drops to 14ml) it never becomes cloudy.
Wasn't much point in testing the salt, since the generator isn't working.

Given all this, how much liquid bleach and/or shock do I need to add just keep the pool reasonably clear until I can get a new SWG cell? Seems like over the last week I've put in 2 lbs of shock and 3 gallons of liquid bleach with no difference.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

If you read the articles in Pool School I mentioned above, and learn how to use the Pool Calculator - you can determine how much bleach to add to reach shock level. The key is reaching shock level, and holding it there thru frequent additions of chlorine. You can shock up to 10 for now, but I suggest you get some CYA in there or you'll lose your chlorine to sunlight.

 

[Rhodes54]

If I'm trying to swear off pool stores, where do I get CYA for a reasonable price? Up until joining TFP (hooray me!) , whenever someone said "add x amount of acid", I just assumed it was Muriatic and got a few gallons from HDepot. Now I know better, but don't know where to get CYA?

I should also add that my pool, in addition to being in Central Texas, has VERY little overhead shade. Great for not having to deal with many leaves, but lousy for keeping it cool enough to swim and having faster chlorine dissipation.

Thanks again,

Stewart

 

[Bama Rambler]

You can buy CYA at Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, Etc. Most places that carry pool supplies have it. It's usually called Stabilizer or Conditioner. Be sure to read the label and make sure it has almost 100% Cyanuric Acid. The stabilizer I bought at Walmart was 100% Cyanuric Acid.

 

[Rhodes54]

Now that I'm swimming in clear blue Clorox , Do I just test/treat my pool as a 'regular' non-SWG pool until the new IC20 arrives? Should be about a week. Is there anything I can do to prepare for the return to SWG?

Thanks again to everyone who's responded. This is a great forum and I look forward to the day that maybe I can answer some other newbie's question.

Stewart

 

[cobra46]

At the beginning of the Summer I did a CYA cost comparison and found that Lowes was far less expensive than Home Depot. Of course it could be different in different locations.