Help me dial in my SWG -- How much UV does an auto cover block?

[Jimrahbe]

Trey,

I think opening and closing the cover, while you are troubleshooting the problem, is not helping, it is just compounding the problem.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[treyrich]

I can for sure convince my wife for a 1-night period of keeping it open, but I guess the question is how long are we talking about leaving it open?

I’d probably have a lot more luck saying we’re keeping it closed for a period than open…

 

[treyrich]

Ok, ran an OCLT and passed again

Will keep the SWG off today (I dosed up to 15 FC with bleach this morning), then I will run one more overnight production test with the SWG tonight and see the results and then I guess it’ll be time to chat with pentair.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Trey,

Did we talk about the SWCG only working if you were in the Pool or Spa mode???

I have seen people that have the Cleaner Circuit on at night, and their programing actually shuts off the Pool mode when the cleaner is on..

Just grasping at straws...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[treyrich]

Yeah, pool mode runs 24/7 so that wouldn't be the issue, plus the lights on the cell are working as they should be all of the time as well.

 

[Newdude]

Your warranty is going to be expired by the time you get around to calling them. Just saying.

To recap :

1) multiple passed OCLTs
2) confirmed unit 'on' when it should be
3) little overnight gain.

It's time to call the PB. I doubt he'll be able to find anything wrong but the cell. You've done your homework.

 

[treyrich]

Ok. Results of the overnight production test are confusing, but again low. An overall net gain of 1.5ppm was observed where a gross gain of 4.3 was expected. However if we give the SWG the benefit of the doubt and say the pool used 1ppm overnight (most observed in recent OCLT) then we actually show a gross gain of 2.5 (~58% of desired output). This isn't dissimilar to the previous overnight production test which yielded a net gain of 1ppm. All of that to say, it's obviously still under producing, but by what factor I cannot say. I'm planning on calling the pentair tech today and I'll see what he has to say.

 

[FlappyLipps]

Start the warranty. They are going to have you recheck everything you have already checked.

 

[treyrich]

I talked to the local pentair rep today. He said he'd work me into his schedule before Thursday this week and he'd do a 'bucket test' on the cell and replace it for me. I'm not sure what the bucket test is, but I'm guessing I'm going to fail it if it's a 'is it generating chlorine or not' test, because obviously it's generating something just not enough.

Anyways he said he'd just replace it either way if I'm having all of these issues. So hopefully it's fairly straight forward, but I guess we'll see.

 

[an1vrsy]

Good luck with the warranty swap out. Nice. One question I don't recall or have read that you've answered is if you've turned off SWG percentages when the cover is either open or closed? If you haven't then when you close the cover the SWG is generating less but you're expecting more chlorine.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Trey,

Curious if you have ever tested for phosphates??

I think that is one of the things that Pentair requires, valid or not..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[treyrich]

Good luck with the warranty swap out. Nice. One question I don't recall or have read that you've answered is if you've turned off SWG percentages when the cover is either open or closed? If you haven't then when you close the cover the SWG is generating less but you're expecting more chlorine.

Yeah, I originally had this on and it was working fine, but then when it stopped producing reliably I turned it off. In theory as long as the lights on the cell indicate the same percentage with the cover open and closed I'm set right? The lights used to change with the cover opening and closing so I think the lights are a safe indicator, but dummer things seem possible if for some reason the thing lights up but doesn't produce with the cover closed.

Also the settings on the intellicenter are super misleading, because the setting you have to turn off says "IntelliChlor Active" (page 8 https://www.pentair.com/content/dam...nter-pool-cover-installation-installation.pdf). I have been basing all of my tests off of the lights on the cell because this setting is too confusingly labeled. Currently I have it set to 'off' which I believe just leaves the cell working the same whether it's open or closed.

Trey,

Curious if you have ever tested for phosphates??

I think that is one of the things that Pentair requires, valid or not..

Thanks,

Jim R.

Yes, I only did the test once, but got ~250ppb. What are they going to look for as an ideal value on this?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Trey,

250 is just about the same as zero.. I was hoping for 5 or 10K...

Another swing and a miss...

Jim R.

 

[Newdude]

Anyways he said he'd just replace it either way if I'm having all of these issues. So hopefully it's fairly straight forward, but I guess we'll see.

So, my Pentair rep was, bless her heart, not the sharpest tool in the shed. But it worked in my favor and she replaced my whole filter which inadvertently solved my much simpler issue. It came with the wrong carts because somebody put the wrong sticker on them. So, the right sticker on the wrong carts. Neither the pool store people nor the Pentair rep could grasp the concept that the true model # was molded into the filter housing, and it didn't agree with the sticker. The gamble paid off when the new filter came with the proper cartridges. I was happy to just swap the carts but mine was 'defective' so I had to bring the whole thing back.

 

[Bperry]

I was just gonna suggest leaving the cover open and there’s multiple threads of people not being able to figure out why the SLAM keeps failing but when they leave the cover off, the problem goes away.

 

[treyrich]

Ok, I just got a message from the rep and he sent me a video of the cell in a bucket with it generating chlorine and a water test before and after the cell ran in the bucket. Ultimately all it shows is that the cell is producing chlorine, which I already knew, but his comment is that the cell is working great. (Attached a screenshot of the video he took)

He also sent a very difficult to understand message: "I thinks the heater bypass I’ll be back next week to recover the actuator for the bypass. I can’t get to the screws to remove it. Actuator is eh.. too."

Which is very confusing, I can't tell if he's saying my heater bypass is causing the issue, or if he's talking about something different entirely. I asked him to clarify and haven't heard back.

Anyways, I guess my question at this point is should I push harder? Kinda hard to bench test my claim that the cell is only generating ~40% of the chlorine it should be, so I think it's going to come down to me either insisting on a replacement, or accepting that it's working properly and there's something that I'm not seeing that I'm doing wrong. Thoughts?

 

[Newdude]

Insist that while it's making FC, it's producing 40% of its stated 2lbs per 24 hours. Detail the overnight test results as proof. 'Squeaky wheel' the snot out of him.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Hey @treyrich...

Any updates?

 

[treyrich]

Hey @treyrich...

Any updates?

Nope. I sent the pentair guy a long detailed explanation of what I saw going on and he said he was headed out of town. I think he's back this week, but I haven't heard from him.

I've got the PB coming by early next week to do a quick change-order for me (need to add a sump in my trampoline pit), so when he comes I was going to go over things with him. At this point I've been able to maintain the FC just fine at around 60%, so I've just been doing that for the time being while I wait until it's sorted out.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

10-4. Thanks for the update.