Pentair Intellichlor IC60 Hours

[dw886]

I have an IC60, and I know that pressing the "MORE" button for 3 seconds is supposed to show you the number of hours that a cell has been used. When I do this, the lights scroll, and then return to normal. I have an EasyTouch, an IntelliChem, and ScreenLogics. The IC60 is connected to my EasyTouch panel, and is controlled by the IntelliChem.

Since I have these integrated, does that not allow me to see the number of hours on the cell?

I'm asking because my IC60 looks normal (no trouble lights, everything looks like it always has), but I don't think that it's actually generating chlorine... To test, I started the cell, waited 5 minutes, and the pulled water from right by a return. That water FC tests the same as from any other area of the pool, and I would have expected it to be hyper-chlorinated...

 

[dw886]

Just to add to this, when I press MORE and it scrolls, none of the lights for % runtime are shown. If I hit the more button again, which would cycle to the current temperature, the 80% and 100% lights come on, showing that the temp is: 80 and 100%..................86 to 95F , which it is.

So basically it doesn't show anything for hours. It's on it's 3rd season...any thoughts?

 

[mknauss]

You may not have hit 2000 hours yet. Covered pool and short season.

 

[dw886]

You may not have hit 2000 hours yet. Covered pool and short season.

Perfect, that's exactly what I was thinking.

So how can I tell if the SWG is working effectively?
1.) My current FC is 6.5. I had the pump on a higher speed (2400 RPM) and started the cell, waited 5 minutes, and filled up my water bottle from the return jet. It tested at 6.5 (same as the water from another corner of the pool).
2.) I then turned the pump down to 1700 RPM (about the minimum I can run right now to prevent the low flow light from coming on with the cell) to give the water more time to interact with the SWG. I let the SWG run for 30 minutes out of a 40 minute run. I again filled up my testing water bottle from the same return jet. It tested at 11, so it looks like it's working at least somewhat.

Background to the question: The reason that I'm asking is that it seems that my SWG is running more than it should, and FC isn't going up. I don't think that I have an algae outbreak at this point. I think that either my flow hasn't been sufficient (I had it at 1600 RPM, and am now at 1700 RPM so the Flow light goes off), so ScreenLogic makes it look like it was dosing, but it actually wasn't because of the flow switch on the cell, or that my cell is generating less than it should (or maybe a combination of the two). My FC from last night was the exact same as it tested this morning, but according to the ScreenLogic history, the SWG was dosing all night long in increments set by my IntelliChem (40 minutes on, 10 minutes off).

 

[VirtualChris]

Derek,
I've got an IntelliChem/IC40 and had the exact same issue, where I was running my pump at 1600 and needed to bump to 1700.
Funny. The IntelliChem said there was sufficient flow at 1600, but the IC40 didn't like 1600, it likes 1700...but there is no alert in IntelliCenter to inform you that the flow switch of the IC40 is not satisfied at 1600...unless you are standing at the equipment pad...so...the IntelliChem says 'dosing' at 1600, all 5 output lights were ON the IC40 at 1600 and the IntelliCenter usage reports said that chlorine was feeding.....but NOPE...just like you...a BUG in Pentair software. Things got better at 1700, but I would agree that ORP readings are all over place...high at night (800), and low during daylight (600)...
Chris

 

[dw886]

Things got better at 1700, but I would agree that ORP readings are all over place...high at night (800), and low during daylight (600)...

This is likely because your probe canister is getting hit by direct sunlight. I used to see this at daybreak - my ORP would tank and the pool would dose until about 9am. I eventually figured out that it was the sun hitting the clear canister that the probes are in - the sunlight affects the ORP reading. I put black neoprene around the canister, and now that doesn't happen anymore...the instructions say to install it away from direct sunlight. I thought that having it on the north side of my house would be enough, but in the summer, the sun is far enough north that it gets sun for a few hours each morning.

 

[VirtualChris]

Derek, did you put the black neoprene around the clear plastic part of the canister, or did you cover any of the tubes, or pH/ORP probes? I covered my clear plastic portion with aluminum foil and that didn't make any difference, but when I leaned a sheet of plywood over the whole area I could see that the ORP didn't fluctuate as much. Just trying to fine tune it if you don't mind me asking...as my canister does get direct sunlight for most of the day.