Replaced IC40 - Won't Generate Chlorine

[wcmaness]

I have an issue - My IC40 stopped generating after it popped the tiny breaker, so I replaced the IC40. All lights on the new one says it's working and the breaker doesn't pop; but even at 100%, no chlorine registers on the water test. So, I replaced the SWG transformer next, hoping it was a voltage issue. No change. What do I check next?

 

[Mdragger88]

Are you taking a sample directly from the return?

 

[Mdragger88]

Have you been manually chlorinating while your swg was on the fritz?
FC/CYA Levels
If not it’s possible that algae is consuming your fc & that the new cell is functioning.
How are you testing?

 

[Jimrahbe]

wc,

If all the lights on the cell are working, then the transformer and surge card should be good.

I too suspect that you have algae, even if you can't see it yet. Here is a simple test.

Set your cell's output to 50%.. Watch the "Cell" light and it should be green for about 2.5 minute and then off for about 2.5 minutes. It will just keep repeating this sequence.. If that works, then most likely the cell is making chlorine.

A cell will never be able to make more chlorine than algae can eat.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[wcmaness]

I have chlorinated to keep the level up around 3.5. Then when I stop, the level drops within a couple days. Tester is the Waterguru daily report. The Waterguru has always been pretty accurate - I do a separate water test at the pool store to confirm monthly.

I'll try the algae test. Maybe I'm just not maintaining the lever to get it up to a stable number long enough.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Your minimum FC for an SWG pool is 5% of CYA and your CYA should be no less than 70ppm which means 3.5ppm is the absolute minimum. A pool can easily use 2-4ppm per day and if you are only trying to maintain the minimum then that means your FC is dropping below that. Once you zero out FC or get too low, algae will start to grow.

My guess is you have a nascent algae bloom that you can’t see but your SWG is telling you is there. You need to perform an overnight chlorine loss test and then SLAM the pool if needed. You need to maintain a higher target FC or else you’ll find yourself battling algae all season long.

 

[wcmaness]

Got it - will do.