Got it. I don’t have chlorine, but will get some tomorrow. I guess my oclt will have to wait 1 day.
Salt Cell - is this clean or dirty?
- Thread starter rich6429
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,026
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Well you can see what your 3 ppm test tells you. But if it does not drop to 1 or 0 ppm as a fail I would go a test tomorrow with 5+ ppm of FC.
Turn your SWG on to 100% and take a water sample right in front of your outlet jet. That will tell you if you‘re at least producing chlorine. I had your problem and it was a stabilizer problem. I didn’t have enough. What is your reading for CYA and where are you getting your reads from - pool store or self test?
Instead of an OCLT, I would have turned the SWG up to 100% or super chlorinate if your unit has that and tested the chlorine after sunset and before sunrise. That would give you some idea of how much chlorine you’re producing. Of course if you have an algae problem, you’re swimming up stream.
Also, make sure you run your pump at a high enough speed to get the SWG to work. If I recall, mine needs to be up to Medium for mine to make chlorine. Again, turn you SWG to 100% and see what happens with the pump at various speeds. I get a light indicator at the panel if the flow is too low.
And, get some liquid chlorine in there before you do have an algae problem. Frankly, that’s more important than anything else right now.
Instead of an OCLT, I would have turned the SWG up to 100% or super chlorinate if your unit has that and tested the chlorine after sunset and before sunrise. That would give you some idea of how much chlorine you’re producing. Of course if you have an algae problem, you’re swimming up stream.
Also, make sure you run your pump at a high enough speed to get the SWG to work. If I recall, mine needs to be up to Medium for mine to make chlorine. Again, turn you SWG to 100% and see what happens with the pump at various speeds. I get a light indicator at the panel if the flow is too low.
And, get some liquid chlorine in there before you do have an algae problem. Frankly, that’s more important than anything else right now.
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,576
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I would recommend the OCLT first. If that shows no drop overnight and you know you're not battling an algae issue, then I'd do what you recommend to verify the cell is producing.
out of curi
I normally test my water with the Taylorkit...but decided to bring my water to the store this morning for a test. And noticed that my phospates are high (780). Is this something to be worried about? Does Slamming help? Or should I get a chemical to address the phospate?
780 ppb is 0.780 ppm.
Ignore this.
Nothing to worry about.
Pool stores love to terrorize customers with scary warnings about their "High" phosphates when it's just not an issue.
Ignore this.
Nothing to worry about.
Pool stores love to terrorize customers with scary warnings about their "High" phosphates when it's just not an issue.
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,576
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
See here:
www.troublefreepool.com
Phosphates are something you can worry about AFTER you know nothing is growing (by passing the OCLT) and that your salt cell is working (by checking generation overnight after OCLT passes). If you want to.
Phosphate Removers - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Phosphates are something you can worry about AFTER you know nothing is growing (by passing the OCLT) and that your salt cell is working (by checking generation overnight after OCLT passes). If you want to.
That makes sense, but I’d still grab a quick sample right from the jet and see if it’s got chlorine. I’d just use the OTO side of the PH tester and make sure it‘s good and yellow. It should read over 5ppm right out of the jet.
Personally, I think it’s a stabilizer issue.
kaabob
Member
- Aug 7, 2022
- 7
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
5PPM FC over current PPM pool FC? My cell was producing 1PPM when the pool was 0PPM... I've since replaced the cell and currently in the SLAM process... waiting for my TF-100 to arrive in 4 days and keeping FC over 5PPM with liquid chlorine until my kit arrives to do a OCLT even though water is clear (pool store says CYA is ~60 but I don't have an accurate test for CYA right now)
Stoopalini
Gold Supporter
- Jun 8, 2020
- 590
- Pool Size
- 14060
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
What speeds are you running the pump, and on what schedule?
If your filter is in need of cleaning, it could be the low speed is no longer enough to activate the SWCG to produce, where when the filter was clean, it was enough.
I used to run my pump at 1100rpm 24x7, but changed it to 1300rpm because of this issue.
If your filter is in need of cleaning, it could be the low speed is no longer enough to activate the SWCG to produce, where when the filter was clean, it was enough.
I used to run my pump at 1100rpm 24x7, but changed it to 1300rpm because of this issue.
kaabob
Member
- Aug 7, 2022
- 7
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
Thing is it worked better last year and could keep up but after a cell and filter cleaning this year it’s performing worse.. so figure the cell was prob on its last legs. Running 9hrs a day at 3450rpm
Stoopalini
Gold Supporter
- Jun 8, 2020
- 590
- Pool Size
- 14060
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Sorry, my comment was meant for the starter of this thread, @rich6429. He stated he runs his pump 24x7, on a varying schedule throughout the day.
i did clean my filter a bit, and seemed to have helped.
my schedule is 5 hours at 2800rpm (mid - 5am) , 6 hours at 2400 (330pm-930pm), and 13hours at 1800 (when the other 2 speeds arent running)
when I last tested a few weeks ago using the taylor kit, it was 60. waiting for my reagent refill to arrive so took to a pool store to get tested and the reading came back at 66...rounded it up to 70.
sorry - doing the OCLT tonight. I didnt have enough reagents and ordered a refill. will see what the results provide and go from there.I feel ghosted.Where did you go rich? Looking for an update.
in the meantime, I have cleaned my filter (not terribly dirty, but needed some cleaning). FC seems to be holding at 5.5 and I have turned it down to 65% from 100% a few days ago.
Stoopalini
Gold Supporter
- Jun 8, 2020
- 590
- Pool Size
- 14060
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
1800 RPM should be plenty to activate the flow switch in the SWCG. Out of curiosity, is your SWCG installed in a horizontal or a vertical orientation?
The other thing which could be happening, and this would be a long shot .... is the internal thermistor within the SWCG might be reporting the wrong water temp, and if it's reporting something way too low ... maybe the SWCG is turning off?
You can check what water temp the SWCG is detecting by following the procedure in this video:
The other thing which could be happening, and this would be a long shot .... is the internal thermistor within the SWCG might be reporting the wrong water temp, and if it's reporting something way too low ... maybe the SWCG is turning off?
You can check what water temp the SWCG is detecting by following the procedure in this video: