Off Brand Intellichlor with Intellicenter

[heckofagator]

Your Automation / Screenlogic will only work with a Pentair Intellichlor. The off=-brand can be turned on and off, but not controlled and no information is reported back from the unit.

is this true of the Intellicenter, too? I need a new SWG - does this mean I need to stick with a "real" IC40 if I want everything to work correctly?

 

[ajw22]

is this true of the Intellicenter, too? I need a new SWG - does this mean I need to stick with a "real" IC40 if I want everything to work correctly?

Yes.

 

[heckofagator]

thanks, so just to confirm, I can set the % output on the knock-off itself and the system will work as intended. I will NOT be able to see salt water PPM (which is not all that accurate anyway, I think) or change the % in the app or Intellicenter box. I don't think there's much else to do with these so you may not be missing out on much.

 

[mknauss]

If you don’t travel and you are satisfied replacing the unit more often, get a non Pentair cell.

 

[heckofagator]

Are you guessing the non-pentair cells don't last as long or is this a known thing? I thought the jury was still out on the Apex, from what I was reading.

I mean....a lot of this does come down to cost. If the knock off is half the price, but you have to replace twice as often, then there's no savings. But if they both last 3-4 years, then I guess I'd rather have the $600 in my pocket.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Are you guessing the non-pentair cells don't last as long or is this a known thing? I thought the jury was still out on the Apex, from what I was reading.

I mean....a lot of this does come down to cost. If the knock off is half the price, but you have to replace twice as often, then there's no savings. But if they both last 3-4 years, then I guess I'd rather have the $600 in my pocket.

Not enough is known about the Apex products to say for sure. What we have seen is that if you look at the “generic” Hayward replacements versus the OEM Hayward cells, the generics rarely ever go the distance. So we can’t really say for sure either way.

 

[ajw22]

Are you guessing the non-pentair cells don't last as long or is this a known thing? I thought the jury was still out on the Apex, from what I was reading.

I mean....a lot of this does come down to cost. If the knock off is half the price, but you have to replace twice as often, then there's no savings. But if they both last 3-4 years, then I guess I'd rather have the $600 in my pocket.

Depends if you think Pentair is price gouging, willing to not be price competitive, and charging an inflated price for their cell.

Or if you think the way the clone cells are able to sell at lower cost and make money is by using plates that are coated with less expensive rare earths and thus do not last as long.

My belief is the cell price is proportional to the amount of rare earths and cell life you are buying.