Pentair IC40 help

[persianrob]

Hi all, complete pool noob here. The Pentair IC40 indicators are showing everything is good, currently operating at 40% output. However, when we test the water with two different brand strips its showing almost zero chlorine.

Everything else looks good on the strips, including the stabilizer. What am I missing here? What should I try?

 

[curtisb]

Welcome!
If you have read the pool school documents? The 1st thing you are going to be asked is to get yourself a proper test kit (TFT100, K2006, and a salt tester). the test strips are not accurate (or reliable enough) for the TFP pool management.

Hope this helps!

Curt

 

[persianrob]

Welcome!
If you have read the pool school documents? The 1st thing you are going to be asked is to get yourself a proper test kit (TFT100, K2006, and a salt tester). the test strips are not accurate (or reliable enough) for the TFP pool management.

Hope this helps!

Curt

Thanks. What is strange is the "not accurate" test strips have been fine for 2 years (levels verified with Leslie pools) so I am not sure that is the weak link here. The system and strips are both indicating everything is fine, with the exception of the chlorine. How can that be?

 

[curtisb]

Umm...The TFP method id for you to accurately test the pool yourself. The pools stores are not accurate as well. I felt the same as you did, until I tried the TFP method and always have the same accuracy because I am utilizing a standard method every time. I have tried test strips, and if you snap it 2 times instead of 1, I am sure you will get a different result.

There are only 2 reasons you are losing CL, is the sun is sucking it up, or you have organics. Is it possible your Salt call is not ouputting? Also what is your CYA? that measurement is a critical to help protect the CL....

Please take a gander at pool school, and the ABC of chemistry, and you can see the methods are tried and true.

I am sure one of the veterans will chime in, and provide more information...
Curt

 

[Jimrahbe]

Everything else looks good on the strips, including the stabilizer. What am I missing here?

Rob,

Your "looks good" is most likely not close to our "looks good"...

The problem is that "looks good" is an opinion. We need numbers that you just can't get from guess strips.

That said, there are really only two possible reasons for your issue,

1. The IC40 is bad or not being used correctly

2. The cell is working just fine, but the pool is consuming all the chlorine that the cell is making.

We need more info.

How big is the pool in gallons?
How long are you running the cell each day?
What does the water look like?
What is your CYA level? (Even if from a guess strip)

I assume when the cell is running all the lights are green. What about the "Cell" light? At 50% output, the cell light should come on for about 2.5 minutes and then it will be off for about 2.5 minutes, and the repeat. Is that happening?

How old it the cell?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[persianrob]

Rob,

Your "looks good" is most likely not close to our "looks good"...

The problem is that "looks good" is an opinion. We need numbers that you just can't get from guess strips.

That said, there are really only two possible reasons for your issue,

1. The IC40 is bad or not being used correctly

2. The cell is working just fine, but the pool is consuming all the chlorine that the cell is making.

We need more info.

How big is the pool in gallons?
How long are you running the cell each day?
What does the water look like?
What is your CYA level? (Even if from a guess strip)

I assume when the cell is running all the lights are green. What about the "Cell" light? At 50% output, the cell light should come on for about 2.5 minutes and then it will be off for about 2.5 minutes, and the repeat. Is that happening?

How old it the cell?

Thanks,

Jim R.

Hehe, thanks.

• 13K gallons
• I assume the cell gets ran every morning during cleaning with auto mode enabled. I would gather that its ran for several hours.
• Water looks "good".
• The test strip is showing the stabilizer is "high" ~150
• Yes, the cell light is green, will come on and turn off around that interval.
• The cell is around 1.5 years old.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Rob,

I suspect that you have algae. I say this because with a CYA of 150 you'd have to have an FC of more than 10 ppm or so to keep algae at bay. Algae is consuming what little FC that the cell can make in "several" hours at 40%.

As a test, shut off the cell and add a gallon of 10% Liquid Chlorine at sundown and see what it does for your FC level. Test 20 minutes later and it should go up by a little more than 7 ppm. Test again at sunrise and see if it is all gone or not. If the FC drops overnight, it means you have algae.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[persianrob]

Rob,

I suspect that you have algae. I say this because with a CYA of 150 you'd have to have an FC of more than 10 ppm or so to keep algae at bay. Algae is consuming what little FC that the cell can make in "several" hours at 40%.

As a test, shut off the cell and add a gallon of 10% Liquid Chlorine at sundown and see what it does for your FC level. Test 20 minutes later and it should go up by a little more than 7 ppm. Test again at sunrise and see if it is all gone or not. If the FC drops overnight, it means you have algae.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Will try this out! tyvm