Where is the chlorine from my Intellichlor ic40?

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D

davedive

Well-known member
Apr 17, 2017
57
Westport, CT
Pool Size
37500
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
How do I know if my Intellichlor ic40 is really producing chlorine as it should? The unit is about 4 years old, my salt level is good, all the lights are green, I'm running it at 100 percent output, I have even cleaned it with acid and there is almost no buildup inside. So why is the chlorine level in my pool low to undetectable???. I've been testing my water every week and dumping different chemicals (and salt) in to get everything at the proper level. My last visit to the pool store showed these results:

38,000 gallon pool
chlorine: 0
cyanuric acid: 70
total alk: 90
calcium hardness: 180
salt: 3,000
phosphate: 500

and Since that visit I added:
25lbs conditioner (to increase calcium hardness)
40lds salt: to bring that up closer to 3,600
2 qts phosfree: to bring phosphate down
I also acid cleaned the cell (never did it before so it was the first time)

but 3 days later still cannot get any pink on that strip! After reading a bunch of posts I'm starting to suspect it might have to do with the total amount of running time. The pentair intelliflow pump is running 12 hours per day, the pump speed is set at 3, the ic40 is set at 100 percent output, and the pool is 38,000 gallons. Is it not enough time? Thank you for your help!
 
The IC40 is too small for your pool, and you may have the start of an algae bloom that is consuming the chlorine as fast as it is being made.

The IC40 produces 1.4lbs of chlorine gas per day at 100%, which would be about 0.2ppm per hour in your pool. To cover the average 4ppm daily loss you would need to run the cell for 22 hours at 100%

Right now running at 12 hours at 100% you are only making about 2.4ppm of FC a day.

https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/122980-SWG-Run-Time-Calculator

https://www.discountsaltpool.com/Compare-Saltwater-Chlorine-Generator-Systems-for-Pools
 
With your pump run time and setting, you are creating 0.7 lbs of chlorine gas per day. IN a 38000 gallon pool that is just over 2 ppm of FC added to the pool each day.

Not enough. Your cell is undersized for your operating parameters. You need to run your system for at least 22 hours per day at the height of summer.

Since you have been running at too low of FC you now most likely have an algae bloom occurring or soon to. You should run an OCLT soon, but you do not have a proper test kit from your posting. So order one now. I use the TF100 from TFTestkits.net. Best value there is.

In the interim, you should add bleach to supplement your SWCG or you should up your run time. It will not solve your problem, just keep it at bay.

Good luck.
 
Thank you all for your help! I just have to say this forum is great and the advice really good. I would not be trying to do this stuff without it. Anyway...
I've learned a few things:
I think my pool builder should have put in the intellichlor ic60 instead of the ic40- the ic40 isn't big enough
I'm going to start running the filter pump 24 hours a day
I have been really trying to avoid pouring liquid chlorine into the pool but I will now to get up to 2-3 on the chlorine

one thing I'm wondering though: I can change the speed of my filter pump from 1-4 but I don't like to leave it on 4 because it's pretty loud and annoying. Can I just leave it on three, and how do you calculate for that variable?

Thanks again!
 
davedive said:
Thank you all for your help! I just have to say this forum is great and the advice really good. I would not be trying to do this stuff without it. Anyway...
I've learned a few things:
I think my pool builder should have put in the intellichlor ic60 instead of the ic40- the ic40 isn't big enough
I'm going to start running the filter pump 24 hours a day
I have been really trying to avoid pouring liquid chlorine into the pool but I will now to get up to 2-3 on the chlorine

one thing I'm wondering though: I can change the speed of my filter pump from 1-4 but I don't like to leave it on 4 because it's pretty loud and annoying. Can I just leave it on three, and how do you calculate for that variable?

Thanks again!
Click to expand...
With a CYA of 70ppm, your daily FC target is 5ppm. The minimum safe FC level would be 3ppm.

https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock

Flow rate (as long as the cell is happy) does not factor into the FC production, go ahead and kick it back a notch!
 
A couple items.

You showed some test results. You got those from a pool store. One, we do not accept pool store results as being accurate, repeatable, or reliable. So, please get yourself a proper test kit. I recommend the TF100 from TFTestkits.net. Designed for the residential pool owner.

Second, with a pool store CYA of 70, you need to have a minimum FC of 6 and target 7-8. You will not keep algae away at a 2-3.

On the pump speed, run it high enough to close the flow switch on your SWCG. In my system, that is 1500 RPM on my Intelliflo VS. You can adjust that via your Easytouch.

Take care.
 
mknauss,

thanks for all the help!
I will get the test kit for sure. I do have a taylor salt test kit with the drops and all but I found it was not accurate. My SWCG was showing low salt- kind of made sense after a lot of rain. Then I tested and was getting 4,000. hmmm.. I tested again and got the same result. So that is when I went to the pool store and they got a reading of 2,800!?!? they tested it twice and since it validated the SWCG I went with that number and added more salt. Now the SWCG is happy with the salt level, but what happened with the my own test? Is there something more reliable for the homeowner?

On the CYA the pool store was recommending 60-90 so I brought it up to 70 only to find out after reading my intellichlor manual that Pentair recommends 30-50. So that was kind of annoying. I think 30-50 is a better range, right?

RE the pump speed: I don't have an easytouch control panel- I have something else (jandy) so I adjust the speed at the pump itself.

Again Thanks!
 

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