Pentair Intellichlor Salt Water Chlorine Generator Operation

A short to the point video explaining the functions of the Pentair Intellichlor system. This is the newest generation as of this date, some older units may not have all the functions or led's.
Openings, closings and everything in between, call Bob's Pool Service at 732 251 0951 for all your in-ground swimming pool needs in Central NJ.
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[@paulj2383]

Thank you for an excellent explanation. I read the manual, however you told us things not in the manual and made them simple. Very helpful video.

[@FishOnAH]

Thank you for this video. I had a hard time finding information on the Cell light going on for a period then going off. I knew it wasn’t ‘flashing’ but wanted to understand the behavior. On when producing chlorine, off when not. Your video helped explain this section of the owners manual: 0% No LEDs lit - No chlorine produced - IntelliChlor SCG is off. 2% 1 LED blinking Produces chlorine for 64 seconds of every hour. 4% 2 LEDs blinking Produces chlorine for 127 seconds of every hour. 6% 3 LEDs blinking Produces chlorine for 16 seconds of each 5 minute period. 8% 4 LEDs blinking Produces chlorine for 21 seconds of each 5 minute period. 10% 5 LEDs blinking Produces chlorine for 27 seconds of each 5 minute period. 20% 1 LED solid Produces chlorine for 53 seconds of each 5 minute period. 40% 2 LEDs solid Produces chlorine for 106 seconds of each 5 minute period. 60% 3 LEDs solid Produces chlorine for 159 seconds of each 5 minute period. 80% 4 LEDs solid Produces chlorine for 212 seconds of each 5 minute period. 100%5 LEDs solid Produces chlorine for 265 seconds of each 5 minute period.

[@BobsPoolService]

Thanks for all the technical info Adam, I wasn't aware of these exact production times, even a seasoned pool guy can learn from his viewers. I would have though all 5 LED's would be 300 seconds but I guess it needs a break and shuts down for a short duration. Having installed and used all the different brand SWCG I still prefer the Pentair over all others, it may not have things like a salt PPM readout but overall we find the units have a much smaller failure rate than some other popular brands. Glad you found the video helpful and thanks for the comments.

[@jeffkuzniar4877]

Your video helped me tremendously. I hadn't understood the flashing lights versus the solid lights when it comes to chlorine output. I couldn't figure out why my chlorine was so low on my new unit. Pentair was zero help.

[@BobsPoolService]

Glad it helped, even as a pool pro I've found the literature included with many products to be confusing. I'm a visual learner myself.

[@laymanhomestead4711]

Thank you so much for this information. I had no idea why sometimes the cell light was green and sometimes off. Great explanation!

[@BobsPoolService]

Yeah, that's a bit confusing how it works. We get several calls a year saying it's "blinking" when it's merely turning on and off. Glad I was able to explain it.

[@trufflepup1]

Thank you for THOROUGHLY explaining how the chlorine generator works and all the nuances of operation.

[@adrianepirro9632]

Thank you soooo much! I've looked everywhere for directions (on their website) with no luck. Thanks for explaining so clearly.

[@BobsPoolService]

Really glad it served to help out. I'm a visual/hands on person myself so I totally understand how watching a video makes learning easier. This is the talk I generally have with all of my customers after we install a new unit.

[@cwsosby]

Great video and to the point!! I needed a little refresher this season. Also, if you hold the more button it will give you the life left of your cell.

[@BobsPoolService]

Yes, it definitely will tell you how much life has been used used up. They're rated for about 10,000 hours of operation. We've had really good experiences with the Pentair units overall and a few are going on over 8 years and still working perfectly.

[@joemerrill320]

This was great I was getting ready to take this chlorinator in for servicing because it was flashing 100% on the lower scale and your video clarified why it was doing this. Keep up the awesome work!

[@BobsPoolService]

Glad the video helped!

[@user-ps3zr2sc8x]

You are awesome! I had mine flashing at 2% and wasn’t sure how to get back up to solid green. Thanks for taking the time to make this video

[@BobsPoolService]

Yes, the literature isn't always great and prior models didn't have this feature either. Glad the video solved your question.

[@GodisAlwaysLove]

@@BobsPoolService Question my system is stating that my salt is low. Do I add it to the pool and then hit the buttons simultaneously so it can channel through the system?

[@GodisAlwaysLove]

@@BobsPoolService All my lights are like yours accept my salt is basic red and the last row is all solid green all the way up to 10%

[@GodisAlwaysLove]

What type of salt should I use for my system?

[@BobsPoolService]

@@GodisAlwaysLove you should have the water checked with an accurate salt meter and then add the appropriate amount of salt. The salt is added directly to the pool, let it circulate for 48 hours to get mixed up into the water and the red light should turn to green showing proper salt levels in the pool. You don't need to do anything with the IC 40 to activate the salt. Hope this helps.

[@hfelix21]

Very easy to understand and I appreciate the assistance. Thank you

[@BLKMGK4]

Thank you! I now understand WTF is meant by a "salt water pool" and what's going on with my salt cell - previous owner ignored it and just added chlorine. Big help, thank you!

[@BobsPoolService]

So you CAN put chlorine in your salt pool, the salt cell simply produces chlorine by electrolysis of the salt water. However, I wouldn't have an automatic chlorinator on the same system with the salt cell, it would eat it up.

[@BLKMGK4]

@@BobsPoolService right now the pool doesn’t have salt in it and is just being treated as a normal chlorine pool - cell flashing low salt. I’ll test the cell when I’m there next and decide if I want to use it or not. At least I now understand how it works and the mystery of “salt pools” I kept seeing advertised!

[@SheriMarieA]

So helpful! 👍 I worked for a pool company for 15 years and knew my chlorine pool inside and out. But last Sept 2022 I switched to a salt water pool, and wow, this is a whole new ballgame! My salt cell has a constant red light on low. I'm hoping I just have to add some salt and that nothing is wrong with the salt cell seeing that it's only 7 months old? 😊

[@BobsPoolService]

I'd check the salt with an accurate meter to make sure the cell isn't reading it incorrectly. If you just opened the pool and get rain it can be common to have low salt levels, we often need to add 300 lbs of salt in the spring time.

[@gregorykazian804]

Awesome informative video. Just installed a new pool and my pool school guy didn't explain this device nearly as good as you.. Thanks

[@BobsPoolService]

Glad it helped

[@Steve-it7oq]

Excellent video. Good explanation of all the features, and not too long. Thanks!

[@stevebrown1997]

Oh my gosh thank you! My cell has been driving me nuts with the low output mode glad I checked KZbin before putting in a service call!

[@alexmurphy1699]

Great information! Very clear and helpful. Thank you for posting!!!!

[@parkerhubs]

Excellent video on this unit. Thank you for the great and easy details for the operation!

[@BobsPoolService]

Glad you liked it!

[@Machbft]

Wow! what a great video Bob. Thanks a lot!

[@Doggo_Norse]

Thank you so much this was very helpful turns out that my pool guy turned off my salt cell and my pool was green I shocked the pool and this video helped me fix my pool THANK YOU

[@BobsPoolService]

Glad the video explained it for you!

[@jw8560]

Excellent instructional video!!

[@easylivingsherpa]

Pentair has the incredible stigma of customer service. New IC20 arrived DOA. Took then 2 months to replace it amongst many unanswered emails and several calls with empty promises of callbacks. Only when I turned to the BBB and social media did they do something. Thay have 2 star ratings across the board. Will be buying another competitor when this one breaks. 1300 every 3 to 5 years is an expensive nut to crack. They also lied to the BBB stating they left several voicemails when it never happened.

[@BobsPoolService]

We don't make pool equipment, we just install it. That's unfortunate about your experience. I have seen across the board lowered quality on everything, so far we've been more fortunate with Pentair than other brands but as a pool professional we have different ways of reaching out to these companies so it's likely a different experience. One thing I will note that manufacturers are doing is supporting products differently depending on if it's an e-commerce purchase or if it's through a brick and mortar business... honestly I believe the product is likely the same but the warranty and support you'll get can be VASTLY different, from a full 3 years to virtually no warranty. I've been doing this for 40 plus years now and back in the day as a contractor we could purchase our products much cheaper therefore matching online prices... fast forward to now and sometimes I see products we sell cheaper on amazon and other online outlets so to stay in business we simply have to make it up somewhere. I contacted the companies and they told me the difference is the warranty so tell your customers if they buy it online they only get 6 months of support versus 1-3 years depending on the product. I liked the old way better honestly, give professionals a way to make 20% on the product and give equal support to all purchases provided it is genuine.

[@charlierose1708]

Things to remember with a salt cell they don't actually measure salinity they measure the continuity of water. The continuity of water changes with water temperature, so never add salt or drain to lower salt level without performing a standalone salt test. Otherwise the salt level will be too high or too low when swim season starts

[@BobsPoolService]

Absolutely true, the cells give a rough idea but we always use our Myron meter to get accurate readings. Another BIG mistake people make is in the spring time they test the water before letting it circulate and homogenize thus measuring the rainwater that's stratified and laying on top! If you take a sample from a pool that's been covered all winter, expecially with a mesh style cover it will read close to 0 salt. Still we have some clients that want us to test the water when we open the pool but doing so is a terrible practice and inaccurate. I suggest just adding a shock and letting the pool circulate for 48 hours before making any adjustments to the chemistry.

[@johnragsdale9356]

Very nice video. I learned some things about explaining the units functions during consultations.

[@Jw_Fox10]

Thank you so much for this. Very helpful.

[@aquababysurvivalswimschool3210]

This was super helpful! Now I just need to know how to clean it.

[@BobsPoolService]

I'm glad it was helpful, I haven't made a video on cleaning for the reason that it involves somewhat hazardous acids that if handled improperly could be dangerous, for example if you add water TO acid it can react and explode, you need to always add the acid to the water yet I've seen many instructional cleaning videos on youtube where the company did it incorrectly. The instructions for cleaning/acid washing are in the manual but frankly there's a "feel" do cleaning the cells, you don't want to use more acid than necessary because it shortens the life of the cell yet you do want to have it cleaned regularly so it functions efficiently and you don't get a situation with a lot of scale and built up material. We clean the cells for most of our customers over the winter and return the cells in the spring time when we open the pool.

[@yenbbc8840]

@@BobsPoolService i worked in a dupont chem lab and one of the old timers used to say "acid in the water like ya oughter"

[@deependfrank]

Great video. I recommend having the salt level tested independently with a salt test kit or strip once a month. This way you don't accidentally over salt your pool if the cell is falsely reading low.

[@BobsPoolService]

I couldn't agree more and in fact always mention that to customers. I have seen pool owners over salt their pools greatly from this very scenario you point out. Another important detail is never check the salt level when a pool has sat over the winter. Do it after it's circulated for at least 2 days. The reason is salt water is denser than fresh water and the rain water that comes through the cover will sit on top giving a false reading for salt (and everything else). People sometimes ask why we don't test the water the day we open up the pool and this is why, it'd be a totally incorrect reading. The best chemical addition for a newly opened pool is simply 1 lb of shock per 10,000 gallons since the pool has been without chlorine for months. After the pool has run for 2 days and the water is homogenous THEN do a test and adjust your chemistry including salinity. Thanks for the comment.

[@deependfrank]

Nothing is worse than telling a client that they have 8000 ppm of salt in their pool and need to drain over half.

[@CFCookRN]

I am trying to boost or increase the sanitizer output. I hold the less/more down simultaneously and it will do the dance once, but then turn back to what it’s set on (6%/60%). It is this one with the cold water function. While I’m trying to do this, salt level is solid green.

[@BobsPoolService]

Is it a stand-alone installation or do you have an automated controller? If it's the former then likely the unit has a problem but in the latter (automated controller) it may not allow adjustment on the unit itself. I've never see one do this.

[@lawrencesantana2760]

Great video! Really explains how this darn thing works! Thanks!

[@MrL1NC0LN]

Awesome video! Thank you so much for all of that. I would have loved to see some comments on what settings should be maintained for XX gallons/size of pool. Maybe another video? :)

[@BobsPoolService]

Hey Travel Geek, I wish I could do that but there's SO many variables a video like that would be of little use. Every pool and situation has a different demand and that can also vary with weather, shade and even as the units get older. What I can say is if you can afford the larger models it behooves you to upsize as much as possible, I've putting IC60 units on 25,000 gallon pools, with the new design you can turn them down to very small percentages and by oversizing your cell will always be enough and also last longer. The amount of time the customer runs the pump also has to be taken into account. Typically when I install a unit I set it to 60% output and have the customer check to see if the chlorine level is building or falling then adjust the unit accordingly. It's too bad self monitoring setups aren't practical for home use, they are made but maintenance and cost is extremely high so it only works for high end commercial applications.

[@MrL1NC0LN]

@@BobsPoolService Thanks, Bob, for taking the time to answer my question. Very insightful! Cheers, -L

[@thefirstkingridge]

If you hold the more button for 3 secs, the lights will "dance" and then stop on one of the percentage leds. This tells you the amount of usage of the salt cell, 20%=2000 hours, 40%=4000 hours, etc. Typically the unit needs to be replaced after 10000 hours usage

[@BobsPoolService]

Yes, I wanted to keep the video simple but there are diagnostics too. The thing is depending on the year of the salt cell it may or may not have this functionality, things like calibration were on the old ones but no more now.

[@cnghiem67]

Thanks for the video. It is very informative. What happens when cell light is not on?

[@BobsPoolService]

It just means it isn't producing chlorine at that moment, it will cycle on and off to show when it's active. If it NEVER comes on something is wrong. If you want to check, turn your cell up to 100% output and the cell light should come on and stay on.

[@cnghiem67]

@@BobsPoolService thanks fir the quick reply.

[@jjoser3104]

Thank you for this great tutorial!

[@BobsPoolService]

Glad it was helpful!

[@edwardsherman6309]

Great tutorial

[@BobsPoolService]

Thanks and glad it helped!

[@damonsdeliberatedetour492]

Thanks needed a quick 101 and this helped!

[@BobsPoolService]

Excellent, glad it was helpful.

[@damonsdeliberatedetour492]

@@BobsPoolService Yes I have my own pool service out here in CA and most of my customers have Salt Cells. So although I understand them I needed that extra course. Thanks again

[@talkwradio]

Thanks for making this video. Big help!

[@BobsPoolService]

Glad it helped!

[@financialadvisor1000]

Excellently executed. Hat off.

[@JnIII16]

Outstanding video, very informative.

[@mmilyo2576]

my water temp is 45 and the cold water light is not on nor is the cell light on --- all of the other lights are the same as you have. A dealer told me that I need to put a dummy piece in to save its life but if it turns off is that not as good?

[@BobsPoolService]

Well, anytime water is passing through something it will shorten it's life. If your water is only 45 degrees I can't imagine you're swimming in the pool or using it but I do understand you want to run the filter at least a few hours to keep the water clean and pick up debris. Are you intending to run the pool at these low temperatures for an extended period? Up here in my state most pools get winterized and closed in the colder months so wearing out the cell when it's not being used isn't something we've ever thought about. I have never heard that cold water in itself will wear out a cell any faster than warmer water but I do know they're less efficient when the water temperature is cold which is why the units don't try to produce chlorine below a certain temperature. If you're going to run the pool for months at temperatures where the system can't produce chlorine putting in a dummy cell which is just a piece of plastic with threads can't hurt but I think Pentair charges something like $50 for the piece. When we close pools and remove the cell unless the customer already owns a dummy cell we just plug the pipes with rubber winterizing plugs rather than sell this piece. We do have a few we keep for instances where a customer needs to have their generator serviced and in those cases we "loan" ours out and let the customer use it until the cell is serviced or replaced. Don't forget if you remove the generator or if it's too cold to function add chlorine to your pool and keep the level between 1 and 3 parts per million. If the water is cold enough algae usually won't grow but why take a chance if for some reason it warms up enough due to weather changes and then you could have a green pool.

[@JHNS_world]

This is great but my intellichlor doesn’t turn off just by pushing the less button. Very frustrating to run back and forth to the breaker

[@BobsPoolService]

If wired properly the generator should shut off with the pump. If you wanted to turn it off and run the pump you could unplug the power connector. It's designed to not need to ever be turned off, you can regulate the output down to as low as 2%.

[@scottlarko5669]

Great video! Quick question: my unit is displaying solid red ‘Low’ however my local pool store said my salt level was good. Will it stay red until it detects 3600ppm? All other indicators functioning properly. Thanks!

[@BobsPoolService]

You probably need to change the sensor, it's connected to the flow sensor and they sell a kit with wire connectors. It should not be red unless you're under 2700ppm. Is your water cold? if it is that could also cause this. There's a temp sensor built into the flow switch that may have gone bad.

[@scottlarko5669]

@@BobsPoolService thanks for the advice. Probably need to change the sensor since the water isn’t cold, all other lights are green as expected and my water tested at salt levels of 3400ppm

[@darkknight4539]

Well done video. Short into the point! One question if I had a chlorine pool where I had to add chlorine tablets can I convert it to a saltwater pool by simply installing one of the salt generators?

[@BobsPoolService]

You absolutely can. Something a lot of people don't realize is salt water generators PRODUCE chlorine and "salt" pools are indeed chlorine pools. The only thing I wouldn't do is have a chlorinator on the system along with the salt cell because the acidic fumes from the trichlor tablets can ruin the plates inside there. When we install these generators we generally remove the chlorinator for the system and often even put the generator cell where it used to be. Also if you get a salt system keep any granular chlorine you may have, in fact it's always good to have granular or liquid on hand for shocking the pool. Even though the cell has a "boost" mode it's not the same as shocking where you get that strong initial dose all at once. It's akin to going to the ER and getting an IV versus pills for antibiotics, that strong dose can destroy algae. I hope this helps.

[@vincetrux]

Thank you for the video and explaining everything. Have you experience one of these salt generators not allowing to change the sanitizer output? I’ll press more or less and it won’t adjust. If I press and hold less or more the lights will move but then after a few seconds it’ll just go back to 80%. Seems like mine is just stuck at 80%…

[@BobsPoolService]

I had one where the button went bad like that but that's out of 100's we see so pretty obscure case. I even ripped it apart to see if it was repairable but inside the unity everything is potted in some kind of a resin making none of the parts under that panel replaceable. Of course the flow sensor can be changed but that's about it. That's unfortunate... sometimes I have noticed the less and more buttons can be quite hard to press and might take extra pressure to activate. I don't know if this would work for you but you could just keep yours at 80% where it's stuck and vary your filter timer to get correct output if it falls inside 8 to 24 hours or runtime, you could also wire in another timer to turn the power center for the cell on and off if you wanted to regulate it that way. When the cell is set to 80% it isn't like the power or output varies, much like a thermostat it simply toggles it on and off every few minutes so its' on 80% of the time. You may want to reach out to Pentair and see if they'll do anything for you although their warrant varies depending on if you bought it online for from a dealer. We've had very few units fail under 3 years which is the maximum warranty period and most of the failures were either a bad flow switch or the fuse inside the power center went out from an electrical surge. We get a few calls every time after a big thunderstorm hits with "dead" units, I carry 10A fuses of each style in our work truck. Hope this helps, sorry your unit is giving you problems.

[@vincetrux]

@@BobsPoolService thank you for your response. It’s unfortunate that I may have a faulty device. I’ll look into wiring a timer on it. I appreciate the insight and you taking the time to explain! You’re very kind.

[@sickm2]

Where it indicates salt level, the “good” indicator light is completely off, not flashing not solid, just completely off. My salt level indicator light is red, and reading low. My question is, when the salt level returns to normal operating ppm. Will the salt level light indicator then start working again, or is something wrong with my cell? I hope this question makes sense. Thank you.

[@BobsPoolService]

Yes, when the salt level is back to normal the red light will go out and then the green LED (top most one) will illuminate green. I would however check your salt level with a meter or strips, calculate what you need then add it to the pool over just adding salt until the light turns green. The danger of doing the latter is if the salinity sensor in the unit goes bad or loses it's accuracy you could wind up putting way too much salt into your pool. I saw a customer once that had 12,000ppm of salt, they just kept adding it expecting the light to come on green and the cell was fault, it never did and on top of that they added so much salt to the pool we had to do partial water replacements to get it back down to 3400ppm.

[@sickm2]

Thank you so much for your quick response. And thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, it’s extremely helpful.

[@chakasboy]

Thank you so much for these great details!

[@lannyrubindds7071]

what happens when both the green and red are flashing for the salt level?? I noticed the pool guy has left the sanitizer at max all 5 lights are solid on? thank you Lanny

[@BobsPoolService]

When the lights are all flashing like that it's doing a self check, sort of a boot up phase. Once it's on though for 10 minutes or more that should settle in and stop, if not something could be wrong.

[@Richoecreate]

Great video review ! What if the lights under salt level keeps going from green “good” to “red” low … back and forth

[@BobsPoolService]

That's just part of the start-up routine, it should settle in and stop doing that back an forth thing after a few minutes. I should have included that in the video.

[@Richoecreate]

Thx for the reply !! Yes I learned this the hard way as no one not even the manual had it .. and all this time I was thinking it might need more salt so I kept adding until someone said noooo you need to wait at least 3-4 min … I waited 1 min every time … at the end I had an extra bag of salt added , it’s not the end of the world but I definitely would have save more time :)

[@BobsPoolService]

@@Richoecreate I always recommend testing the salt with strips or even a myron meter (expensive but accurate). The lights on the unit may give a rough idea even when working correctly but accuracy can drift. As a side note the salt level being a little bit high won't hurt anything, older salt systems required nearly double the salinity of new ones. I'd even surmise a slightly higher salt level makes the unit a bit more efficient, I know when salt is at the lower end of the operational range the units produce less chlorine at the same setting. We get serveral calls a year regarding the flashing lights, I make a point to demonstrate teh units we install with each customer but people forget, new homeowners move in, etc.

[@Richoecreate]

@@BobsPoolService thank you so much for taking the time to reply Bob I truly appreciate it ! This helps me !

[@Francis14v]

What about if it keeps flashing for hours, not just 3-4 min? Thx!!

[@steves659]

How about showing an install ... piping and electrical .. thank you

[@BobsPoolService]

Hey Steve, I considering doing a video like that but every installation depending upon the existing system varies greatly. Sometimes we have to re- plumb a large portion of the piping if things are tight. In addition, we've even had to appoint the services of a licensed electrician as well. There are some units that simply plug into a gfci outlet on the market albeit not as robust that lend themselves better to a self install. Moreover, the danger of someone not familiar with electrical wiring and principles could get hurt or endanger someone if the unit wasn't wired up properly and correctly bonded. Lastly, Pentair and other manufacturers are giving shorter warranties for any equipment not installed by a professional, usually 90 days versus a full year or two if you have a receipt to prove it was installed by a pool professional. For these reason I've decided against making a video and potentially harming someone or setting myself up for getting in trouble if someone misinterprets my instructions. The units do come with detailed instructions if you purchase one and are familiar with wiring. I've seen more wrong things than you can imagine on pools when customer along with a well meaning neighbor have a go at installing their own pumps, filters, etc.

[@andyreinoso6139]

Just had a big storm so had to drain the pool a bit to get the level down. Now the low light is red, but the cell light still goes green meaning it's producing chlorine right, thought if the salt was low and red it wouldn't produce chlorine? I added 2 bags of salt waiting for it to get back to green.

[@BobsPoolService]

I didn't think they'd produce chlorine if red, i'll have to see if the green cell light comes on next time I run into that situation. Maybe in some cases it can if it's not TOO low in salt and just under where it turns red.

[@dominicmoreno7912]

Excellent training video. But what does it mean when all lights are off, does that mean my intellichlor is done? Needs to be replaced?

[@BobsPoolService]

Make sure there's power going to the transformer, also the bayonet connector where the cord goes into that can be a failure point. Lastly there's a fuse inside the power center, I'd check that too. It's possible your cell is dead but it's more likely it's not receiving power.

[@Floortile83]

How does this receive power? Battery powered? Sorry if that's a silly question, I don't see any plugs in it to power the LEDs. And I know it must use more than batteries to do the salt to chlorine conversion. So I guess there is a wire somewhere.

[@BobsPoolService]

Yes, there is a wire to power the unit. The system has two components, the cell (shown in this video) and the power center which is a stop down transformer that converts the 240 or 120 VAC down to 24 volts for safety reasons. The power center is wired into the load side of the timer or switch that operates the swimming pool circulation pump so the system only comes on if the pump is on.

[@nathanielstevenson7490]

Thank for the video. My ispection cell light blinking green, i have cleaned the cell and put it back in service but the light still flash

[@nathanielstevenson7490]

Inspection cell light continues to blink green after i clean the generator cell

[@BobsPoolService]

You may need a new cell especially if it's over 4 years old.. If it's a fast blinking there is a problem, i would contact a local pool company and have them look at it.

[@cynthiagiacone7364]

I had a salt cell that wouldn’t register the salt in the pool even after I cleaned the cell with Muriatic Acid, so I bought new one and installed it and the salt is registering but the flow is Red. ( it wasn’t showing red on the old one ) I cleaned out baskets on pool pump and skimmer. Then I backwashed and rinsed and it still shows red on the flow. Is there anything else I can do before I call the manufacturer. In the meantime should I turn off salt cell. I am a 67 year old woman taking care of my pool so the Grandkids can enjoy it. Any and all help is appreciated. Thank you.

[@BobsPoolService]

Make sure the cell is installed in the proper direction, if it's incorrect the flow switch won't work and it'll show red.

[@eve_evescollection]

Our inground pool is only 1 year old. The less/more buttons on our salt cell have recently become impossible to press - they are not responding to pressing. Any ideas on why this would happen? Thanks so much for your videos!

[@BobsPoolService]

No, but I have noticed they need to be pushed quite hard. We're not the manufacturer but that is something I'll pass on since you're not the first person to say that.

[@andyreinoso6139]

My cell was just cleaned, after they cleaned it it was fine but then the flow light went dead meaning it didn't turn on at all. They replaced the flow sensor and then tell me the cell is completely dead and need a new one. Which I don't understand, it has about 2200 hours of usage(North East here) so only use it for 4 months a year this would be my 3rd season. My flow light is off and the good and low salt level lights just keep flashing and neither stay stable. I have heard that I may need to add salt but idk is it completely fried? Waiting a call back from pool company.

[@BobsPoolService]

Sounds like a lot of different things going on. I have seen a small percentage of flow sensors go bad prematurely. I can't speculate but hopefully the new sensor was installed correctly, it's a bit of a finicky process and pentair changed the design so not all sensors are universal now, I'm guessing because they wanted to put a stop to 3rd party knockoffs (which actually worked fine). I would test your salinity with a meter, don't trust what the cell says and go from there. Your flow light shouldn't be off, it should be green or red, if it's red I'd surmise the flow sensor still isn't working. As for the hours of usage 2200 would be very low, they're rated for 10,000.

[@andyreinoso6139]

Thank you for this video! helped me out so much, I just got this installed and also just opened the pool. My salt PPM was 0 so salt level low I added enough to get it to go green. But I noticed that it was doing "the dance" 100% for 24hrs and stuff was coming out of the returns, this like a cloudy mist leaving a white almost soapy thing on top of the pool, the minute I went back to 20% it stopped. Any idea why that happened?

[@BobsPoolService]

Usually something that forms on the top of the pool like that is a reaction between chemicals most often caused by algaecides. There's really nothing in the saltwater chlorine generator that would produce that. The only thing you do see sometimes are small bubbles coming out when it's on because it's producing chlorine gas.

[@andyreinoso6139]

@@BobsPoolService thank you for the response....can a pool heater react with algaecide? Soon as I turned on the heater got those white suds on top of the pool.

[@BobsPoolService]

@@andyreinoso6139 Not sure if a heater can react with it but I've seen running the system turn a pool into a gray bath of bubbles. The only algaecides I really think are worth using are polyquats.

[@BayouPlanner]

Great explanation!!

[@heathhamby]

I bave a low salt indication red light. It is becoming winter and nobody is swimming. All I really want to do is run the pump at night not to freeze. The water is clear. Should I just wait until Spring, swimming season to add salt. Like I said I just want to run the pump. Thanks for any info. First time pool owner.

[@BobsPoolService]

Have you considering closing the pool by putting on a cover and having the pipes/filter/heater winterized? Up here in NJ people generally close pools when they're finished for the seasons. If you live in a climate where you want to keep it open year round even if you're not using it you still need to maintain the water chemistry and sanitizer. If the water is too cold though your generator won't work so you'd need to add chlorine directly into the pool (granular or liquid). If the generator isn't indicating "cold water" though I'd add the salt now and use it. If you're closing the pool (covering it) then I would't add the salt until you open it but you should balance the chemicals, things like low pH can ruin liners and plaster.

[@thomasfolwell3271]

Good simple explanation

[@evansutton2483]

All my lights are green, but my less button for sanitizer output isn’t doing anything. Do you think my cell is bad? So it’s stuck on 100% output right now.

[@BobsPoolService]

If pushing the less button doesn't reduce the setting then the switch has probably gone bad, really try pushing it firmly, even move your finger around as you do. If this doesn't work then you'll need to replace the cell, the only part on the cell that can be changed out is the flow sensor, everything else is sealed and potted in a compound.

[@sembersharpe5849]

Wonderful Video! Thank you! My system is showing Cold water system off, but the temperature is 68 degrees. Has anyone seen this happen?

[@BobsPoolService]

That light shouldn't come on unless the water is 52 degrees plus or minus 3 degrees of accuracy. There's a thermistor inside the flow switch that measures the temperature and I'm guessing it's gone bad. If the cell is older than 5 years you may want to just replace the entire cell.

[@MommaDukes2023]

Which direction should cell go on if the tubing was put in vertical? Always have put flow word going towards pool even though it's pointing to ground and words are upside down. Changes last year so flow sign went towards sky and called pentair and said I needed a new cell? It's 4 yrs old, I'm putting on today so it's backwards like the yrs proir to last year to see if that was it, Your thoughts??

[@BobsPoolService]

Vertical or horizontal the flow arrow has to point towards the pipe going TO the pool. Sometimes this can mean the unit appears upside down but that is how it has to be. We often do a bit more plumbing so the cell can sit horizontally or at least with the text not inverted but some installs are tight and it has to be that way.

[@bryanpaul2465]

Thank you for the knowledge !!!

[@katycarterthomas]

Thank you. Very helpful.

[@chandlerpaden8106]

Is there a way to calibrate the salt level? It says low but took my water in to get tested and they said it's good

[@BobsPoolService]

There is but only for older units, versions 1.9 and earlier, however be absolutely certain you've thoroughly cleaned the cell before re-calibration. I have yet to see one go out very far, also realize the cell is a rough estimate of your salt level, a tester will always be more accurate. Anyways, here are the steps: Step 1 If the Intellichlor has been in operation for a few weeks, remove and acid clean the salt cell before field re-calibrating. This will give the most accurate starting point. Step 2 Manually test the salt level with salt test strips or an electronic salt tester. If the salt level is in the proper range of 3000-4200, proceed to step 3. If not, adjust the salt level to the proper parameters before re-calibrating. Step 3 With the pump running, verify the "Flow" light on the cell is green. This indicates good water flow through the cell. Step 4 Press and hold the "More" button for 3 seconds to enter system status mode. All the lights will scroll across the panel, and then go dark. Only the "Power", "Cell", "Life", and "Low" lights will be lit. Step 5 After a few moments, the "Good", "Add", and "Low" salt lights will begin to scroll, indicating the salt level is being read. It may take up to one minute to read the salt. Step 6 The salt scrolling will stop and one of the salt lights will be displayed. The "Sanitizer Output 20%" light will turn on to indicate changes are now allowed. Press the "More" button to cycle through each salt level, and then press the "Less" button to choose and save the display as the new salt level. The "PWR", "Cell", "Life", and "Flow" lights will flash 4 times, then the mode exits to normal. Step 7 The unit is now re-calibrated to the salt level of the pool. The display will now be normal, showing the output percentage, flow status, etc. The field calibrate mode will exit in 5 seconds if no buttons are pressed. Hope this helps, sorry I didn't see your question until, sometimes youtube doesn't do alerts properly.

[@cwsosby]

Great information here!!!

[@FredLarivee]

Added salt yesterday, turned cell down to,zero , now when I get it back and running I can’t set it at 60%..I can go 20, 40 , skips 60, the 80, etc…why could this be? Thanks in advance

[@BobsPoolService]

Maybe the 60% LED is burned out? Seems odd it'd skip that, is it illuminated when you put it to 80% or is the 60% LED still off? As an interim solution you could set it to 40% (or 80%) and vary the pump run time to get the same amount of sanitizer production.

[@debbiewechter9718]

Just opened my pool today. Guy said add a bag of salt tomorrow. This system was new July 2021. I can’t remember if I turn the Salt Generator off when I add salt. I know I did when I had the TCell type. But just can’t remember on this Pentair Intellichlor??? I know I leave the pump on.

[@BobsPoolService]

We add salt directly into the pool, usually the shallow end. Generally we don't turn off the salt system but if you have a main drain that could grab a bunch of salt you may want to. The filter in theory should prevent any large amount of salt from getting into the generator though.

[@debbiewechter9718]

No I do not have a main drain. Thank you

[@christinekonyak-parker5314]

THANK YOU!, any idea why my IC40 sanitizer output will only flash green at all levels. I am not able to lock it at one level either at a solid light or flashing light level.

[@BobsPoolService]

Try hitting the more button when it's at 100%, this should put it into the proper range. There's 2 ranges and scales, if it's flashing you're in the under 10% range.

[@christinekonyak-parker5314]

Thank you.. it seems the app overrides the cell itself. If i increase on the app, it changes the level on the cell.

[@BobsPoolService]

@@christinekonyak-parker5314 Oh yeah, that'll do it. This video was for stand-alone operation only, once you have automation there's no reason to operate from the cell itself.

[@nycupperes]

Your explanation of “cell” being ON GREEN or OFF GREEN really helped. I recently set it to 20% lowest setting and was freaking out because the green went to off. Now I realize it means to only turn in 20% of the time. I have a 33k gallon pool and have the IC40. I also have the salt generator hooked up to the same electrical timer / circuit as the filter - is this recommended? Or should it be on its own timer? Also, does a higher PPM of Salt generate more chlorine? Thank you.

[@BobsPoolService]

So your two questions in here, first your unit is hooked up correctly if it's coming on with the pool pump timer. There is a flow switch inside the unit to prevent it from coming on when there's no water flow but I wouldn't depend on that so you're good with your installation. Second, will the higher PPM generate more chlorine? In short, yes, also warmer water will also make the system more efficient but typically warmer water requires more sanitizer so generally it works out to be equal. I wouldn't put in more salt however to regulate chlorine generation, just keep the level at the recommended 3400 ppm and you should be good. Not many people (or sometimes pool stores) have an accurate calibrated meter so oftentimes we're working within an acceptable range not an absolute value. Hope this helps!

[@rachelosteen8454]

How do you determine what % the sanitizer output should?

[@BobsPoolService]

You have to test the pool water and adjust accordingly. Also establish a consistent pump run time. If you increase your pump from 10 to 20 hours you're going to be producing 2x the sanitizer. I usually start ours at 40 - 60 percent then check the water in 2 days, if the chlorine is too high, I reduce the setting, too low and I increase it. There is no intelligence on the cells or monitoring of your water so you need to test it.

[@DebAumiller-qd6cs]

Our pool builder told us to keep the sanitizer output at 100%. Not sure why? Is this damaging to the system?

[@BobsPoolService]

If the unit is undersized or you're not running the system for enough hours it's possible to have a situation where your unit has to be run at 100%. Other cause could be incorrect chemistry, ie too much or not enough stabilizer or high pH. What you should really do is TEST your water to see if you have proper chlorine levels with the unit running this way, if your water balance is good and your chlorine is between 1-3ppm then I suppose running it at 100% is ok, however that doesn't give you anywhere to "go" if you need more during hot months. Also note this video is for a standalone installation of the unit, NOT with automation so if you have one of those systems that could be why.

[@projectfreedom9510]

I was able to do this using the Easy Touch panel, I couldn't get it to accept the changes manually. It kept defaulting to the current setup. I don't know if that helps anyone. It took me a bit to figure out. I don't know if it's because it's wired to only be configurable through the panel or if there are other install options without that panel. Idk. Thank you for the video, it was super helpful too.

[@BobsPoolService]

Yes, if you have easytouch or any automated controls they override the unit itself. This video was just an explanation of the stand-alone units which are far more common at least in our area.

[@calidad5524]

Ok I’m trying to do it manually and it is doing the same thing it won’t accept it. I’m going to keep trying thank you!

[@nancyzampino6466]

Great Video!!

[@jamesishere6630]

my cell is stuck in 100%(solid) all the lights are good and green, i try to change it via panel/remote and it wont change, it stays at a Solid green 100%

[@BobsPoolService]

This video was for stand-alone operation, if you have automation (remote and separate panel) the lights on the actual unit may not be representative of what the unit is actually doing. I would check the literature for the specific automation you're using and make sure it doesn't keep the lights always on, it's a possibility the cell is fine but the automation overrides it.

[@jackhu5746]

Do we need to turn off the sale generator before we add some salt to the pool?

[@BobsPoolService]

No, you can just add salt directly to the pool. I suggest putting it into the shallow end and then pushing it around with a brush or let the kids go in and stir it up.

[@jackhu5746]

OK, thank you. If I put salt in a bucket with pool water then spill it to pool will better than adding it to the pool directly?@@BobsPoolService

[@BobsPoolService]

You could do that, but it's really not necessary and you're just creating extra work. I usually place the bags by the pool and then cut them with a razor knife so the salt spills out into the shallow end and then push it around with a brush.

[@jackhu5746]

@@BobsPoolService 👌, thanks your suggestion:)

[@billybrooks1]

So my cell light comes on when the unit first starts but then it's pretty much off the rest of the time even though I have it set to 80%.

[@BobsPoolService]

I believe it's a 5 minute cycle so it may take awhile for it to illuminate again. Also make sure you have your unit on 80% the flashing mode which is below 20%. If you watch though for a decent amount of time, say 5 to 10 minutes and the cell light never illuminates again that's not normal. If you set the unit to 100% the cell light should stay on and never turn off so you can try that just as a test.

[@billybrooks1]

@@BobsPoolService I'll check it out. Thanks

[@DaveSwart]

1:08 - are you referring to the “Low” light at this point? Otherwise, you skipped that one. And mines lit lol. I’m assuming I’m out. How often should these run low? This was installed brand new last fall, “Low” is lit at opening this year. Does that sound reasonable?

[@BobsPoolService]

How much salt you lose over the winter all depends on the type of cover you have and amount of rainfall. If you have a solid cover that doesn't let any rain through and you keep it pumped off so rainwater never accumulates on the top (and displaces pool water) you will lose no salt over the winter unless your pool has a leak. On the other hand if you have a mesh cover or even a solid cover and allow water to accumulate on top displacing the pool water over the winter you will lose salinity. Also make sure you run your system for a full 48 hours before testing the salinity, what tends to happen is rainwater is less dense than salt water and will just sit on the stop stratified, if you take a sample you'll find it reads extremely low. Once the system runs and homogenizes the water you'll get an accurate reading. For pools here in New Jersey with mesh covers I'm finding almost all of them are opening with about 2200ppm of salt necessitating adding another 1200ppm, for most pools that's about 8 bags of salt. As for the lights they are a warning that it's too low for the system to operate but it behooves you to take a test and actually measure the salinity before calculating and adding salt to the pool. Hope this helps.

[@Imanaliy]

Hi! Your video is amazing. But I need help. We opened our pool and all our chemicals are in line but out chlorine is super low. And we haven’t added stabilizer, algeacide or clearifer yet. Only added Alka plus and ph plus, shock and salt bags. (We had our water tested at the shop) My system shows “low salt” we added 3 bags of salt, and just turned the system on, should we keep the sanitization button at 100% ? The weather is warm but not that warm. Will it still generate salt into chlorine? Does weather affect it ? How long should I keep it on for ?

[@BobsPoolService]

Upon opening a pool that's sat all winter without chlorine I always recommend shocking the pool with a granular chlorine like Calcium Hypochlorite or liquid chlorine (bleach). I would not recommend keeping the sanitation button at 100%, think of a salt generator for slow release and maintainer not a way to shock the pool. If the system says low salt it won't generate chlorine, my suggestion is to run the system for 36 hours before adding salt though because the water in your pool need to mix and homogenize to get an accurate reading. Checking the salt level with a myron meter or strips is more accurate than using the lights on the Pentair system to determine how much salt you need to add. If your intellichlor is set at 100% something is amiss, either your chemistry is off, you're not running the system long enough, the cell is undersized for the pool or the cell needs cleaning or perhaps replacement. Hope this helps.

[@deeznoots4097]

Thank you for the video, I have this same system. I taste salt in the pool and the light is flashing that the salt is too high. 1. Is this safe to swim in? 2. How can I get the salt level down without draining? Thanks in advance!

[@BobsPoolService]

High salt won't hurt you but in time it can damage your pool and support equipment. Realize ocean water is about 10 times as salty as a salt water swimming pool. The only way to get the salinity down is by removing some water and replacing or waiting for some rain, evaporation won't help. Personally I would take a sample and test the salt to see HOW high it is, if it's only a few hundred PPM over 3600 I'd likely leave it and wait until rain and backwashing dilutes the pool but if it's very high I wouldn't keep it like that too long, especially if you have a heater. Hope this helps.

[@deeznoots4097]

@@BobsPoolService thank you so much for the quick and detailed response. Your professionalism shows, wish you were my pool guy!

[@deeznoots4097]

@@BobsPoolService not sure if it'll help but I recently put any 4" water in from the hose to try and dilute, fingers crossed

[@BobsPoolService]

@@deeznoots4097 It will dilute it but I'd really check the salinity with a salt/tds meter or you can buy strips as an economical solution. You can calculate how much you need to dilute the salinity pretty easily, we use an app called Pool Pal on our smart phones but there's many similar apps and websites if you aren't good with doing your own math. 3600 is the ideal for this system but I've seen the salt at 4000 without any serious issues. I'd never trust the lights on the cell though, they're really not very accurate compared to a dedicated tester. We use the Myron Salt/TDS meter, it's done us well for 10 years and seems to stay calibrated. www.amazon.com/Myron-512T5D-Conductivity-Meter-0-5000/dp/B015XVJ4TI/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RJ3GC7GZECR0&keywords=myron+salt+tds+meter&qid=1656019954&sprefix=myron+salt+tds+mter%2Caps%2C54&sr=8-1

[@deeznoots4097]

@@BobsPoolService excellent, thanks so much for your time, you're great and so is this channel!

[@karencahill1773]

Our cell chlorine generator lights are either off or at 100% and we’re being told we have no chlorine lately. What does that mean about our cell?

[@BobsPoolService]

Do you mean the output LED's? When you press the more or less buttons does it increase from zero to 100%? I'm a bit confused. Also if your system is hooked to an automation panel the controls on the cell are over-ridden, this video is for stand alone operation not when used with an intellitouch panel.

[@wasifshakeel5907]

Great video! Recently I have had an issue where pushing the “less” button doesn’t work. It’s stuck at 60 percent and won’t go down lower. Any recommendations? I tried cutting power to the unit and restarting but no change.

[@BobsPoolService]

That sounds like the button itself is the issue. Unfortunately there's no way to replace it, the entire unit inside there is potted with a compound (I cut one apart once to look inside). I've seen a few units where I really had to press the button firmly to get it to change. If the unit is under warranty I'd reach out to your installer, if not or if it's over 5 years old you may just want to consider changing the cell. Last option would be to put the generator on a timer to reduce the output but that might be fairly difficult depending on how it's wired.

[@agm6095]

Thank you.

[@adriana.2915]

Thanks for the video. I just had my water tested and my chlorine is at zero. I took the cell off and cleaned it although there really wasn’t any buildup on the unit at all. All the lights are green and it says it’s good. I held the “More” button down for three seconds to read the life of the unit. It went to 80%. My pool is starting to get cloudy. Does it sound like the unit is going out? Would it be normal for the unit to be above 8000 hours and still read that the cell is okay? I moved into this house last July so I’m not exactly sure how old the cell is but it probably is around 5 years old.

[@BobsPoolService]

Generally the units last about 5 to 7 years in our experience if you are able to put in the spacers for sale to bypass the unit and get power to it you can test it by placing it in a 5 gallon bucket of water and holding down the flow switch with a wooden dowel if you see bubbles in the bucket and of course the water is chlorinated you know your cell is still working

[@kelleysfamily]

I have a Pentair Pool Chlorinator (Model: Intellichlor IC40). The flow and salt level lights are green yet the unit is not producing chlorine. I need to add liquid chlorine every 7 days to prevent green algae growth. I understand that there may be a couple of parts within the unit that could have failed and need to be replaced? The unit is only 3 years old.

[@BobsPoolService]

Hey Kelley, there aren't many parts inside the cell itself that are replaceable, the flow switch certainly is but beyond that the entire cell is generally swapped. You should really remove your cell and inspect it to make sure you don't have scale or buildup on the plates, also if you have a pool that's 30,000 gallons or more and the IC-40 you need to make sure the system is run long enough to allow it to have time to produce enough sanitizer for your pool. Be sure your pH isn't too high and check your chemistry as well, not enough cyanuric acid (stabilizer) can cause a higher demand for chlorine in the presence of UV light. I'm certainly not a representative for Pentair but having installed Pentair, Hayward, Jandy and other brands of generators they have been by far the least problematic and with proper annual cleanings generally last our customers 7 seasons. The most common repair we do on these units are the fuse in the power center blows (usually after a thunderstorm we get the call) or in some rare instances the metal arm that holds the flow switch breaks off requiring that part to be replaced. If you found you're running your system on a higher output setting when the unit was new you may want to consider the IC-60 instead of another IC-40 for your next replacement. All the units do essentially the same thing but the larger units have more plates inside and are capable of producing more chlorine in the same time period with the added benefit that the larger unit will generally last long as well. The only time putting a larger unit on a pool can be a problem is if you're not able to regulate the chlorine output low enough for a given pool but with that said we have put IC-60's on 20,000 gallon pools without issues. Hope this helps, definitely inspect your cell and clean as necessary.

[@macrumpton]

I have a Pentair Intellichlor and the flow indicator only shows flow when the pump is on full blast so it is only generating chlorine when I am running the pump flat out. I took out the sensor and it looks fine with no buildup or obstructions, and the pump function seems fine so I am baffled. Any suggestions?

[@BobsPoolService]

Well, the switch is based on flow not pressure, I would make sure your filter isn't clogged or there isn't a restriction somewhere in the returns to the pool. If the filter isn't letting water pass freely even "flat out" there may not be enough flow to allow the sensor to make the connection.

[@brynnabailey1084]

Excellent, thank you!

[@rickrogers6932]

Great info, thanks!

[@laurimcintosh1739]

I've watched the video twice. i cant seem to budge mine at all from 8%. I want to knock it down to the 4 % but i cant get it there. our chlorine level is high. so i went up to the pool guy and he said to just press quickly and it should move up down whatever i need. (not to hold on button) i did that and it won't move down at all. i did something to make it flash down to two and thought i fixed it but it raced right back to 8%. This unit is only a few months old. Help

[@BobsPoolService]

Did you try hitting the up button then going back down? If the unit only goes up but not down you may have a bad button on the unit and I would contact the installer or Pentair directly for warranty service. Sometimes I know you have to push the buttons pretty firmly and in the center, I've experienced that more than once.

[@laurimcintosh1739]

@@BobsPoolService Thank you so much for your response. I am disappointed that none of your suggestions budged it off of 8%-even disconnected the whole thing and plugged it back in. I'll contact the person who sold it and maybe pentair directly.

[@BobsPoolService]

@@laurimcintosh1739 If pushing the buttons does nothing I'd surmise you have a defective unit. The few warranty claims we've had Pentair was fairly responsible about addressing them. Best of luck.

[@user-ke6ce3vq3j]

I just cleaned my cell and I am still getting an alert that I need to clean my cell, any ideas or suggestions?

[@BobsPoolService]

I would visually look inside and see if there's any buildup still remaining on the plates, sometimes a stronger dose of acid/water might be needed usually for a shorter time. Also check how many hours the cell has on it, they're rated for 10,000 hours, you can check this by holding down the "more" button for 3 seconds, it'll show the percentage of life used up, if all the LED"s become illuminated indicating 10,000 hours your cell may be at it's end of life and need replacing. Even iif it's at 80% this is possible.

[@ericlightkep]

Hey sir, I'm trying to boost the system but whenever I press the "More" button, the lights just starting cycling for a about 10 seconds then back to 40%. Then if I press the "more" button again, nothing happens. Is there a way to reset it. My buttons don't do anything yours do. Thanks

[@BobsPoolService]

Sounds like the unit may not be working correctly, I would contact the manufacturer or company that installed the unit. One thing to not however, it takes some force pressing the buttons to activate them, make sure you press them hard enough. Past doing that I'd say the unit isn't working properly.

[@kennethkim8165]

My sanitizer output won’t go lower than 40%. (Solid green). The Min button won’t allow me to go any lower… any idea why this is or how to get this lowered? Trying to bring it down to 2%

[@BobsPoolService]

Unless you have it hooked to an automated controller pressing the down button is the only thing you should need to do. Sometimes the button can be sticky and require a pretty hard press. Does the up button work? Are you only able to get as low as 40% or does it simply not go down from whatever setting you're at? If it's the latter I'd say the button on the unit is bad but if you have an automated system this video isn't for that operation and it could be overriding the physical unit. Hope this helps.

[@kennethkim8165]

@@BobsPoolService Thank you for your response. The unit is not hooked up to an automated controller. The up and down button work however it won't allow me to go anywhere under 40%. (Solid green) The button is working but for some reason it just won't let me go any lower...

[@BobsPoolService]

@@kennethkim8165 I would contact Penair or the local company that installed your system, sounds like the unit is malfunctioning.

[@dbetta53]

Is there a difference in keeping it on 100% & boost function other than it reverting to original settings within 24hrs. I have a hotel pool that just don’t seem to keep up with the necessary Chlorine. Is high cyanuric acid preventing it that much? Thanks for the informative video

[@BobsPoolService]

100% boost doesn't increase the power any more than turning it up to 100% by just hitting the up buttons, it simply prevents someone from accidentally leaving it up that high. If you're having problems maintaining enough chlorine I would check first that the unit is sized correctly, I like to size them 1/3 larger or more. For example a 25,000 gallon pool I'd use an IC40 on which is rated for 40,000 gallons. For a 40K pool I'd use an IC60. As for the cyanuric acid, yes, if it's high it can create a situation where the chlorine has to very high to maintain the pool and keep it free of algae. It's one of those things where the right amount is important, too much causes issues. The only way to really get that out is drain some water and replace it. Also check your pH, if the pH is too high that makes chlorine less effective but of course don't let it get too low or you'll have eyes burning and corrosive issues. Lastly check the life of the cell, you can do this by pressing and holding the more button for 3 seconds. The lights should scroll through and leave a few of the percentage lights lit up. The amount of lights corresponds to the amount of life used. If the first three lights are lit (20, 40, and 60%) then you’ve used 6,000 hours of the expected 10,000.

[@joeferrier7174]

Hey nice video. I want to turn my salt cell off for 24 hours as I ad salt. I can’t get mine lower than 20% ?

[@BobsPoolService]

Hey Joe, sorry for the delay, we've been crazy busy with work. To answer your question if you keep hitting the less button the led's should blink putting you into the 2-10% range unless you have a much older cell, those only went down to 20%. You can tell by looking at the cell, if it has 2 cales, 2-10% and 20-100% once you're at 20% just keep pushing the "less" button and it should go to the low range. Another way to totally turn off the cell is simply unplug the connector from the power center, there's a ring that rotates counterclockwise then the connector will just pull out.

[@Ebaybow]

I went Intellichlor i60 big on my salt system. The pool service companies are not very helpful when you go with salt.

[@BobsPoolService]

Odd, I don't see why they'd not like salt. We maintain a few pools with them and it makes our job easier, however we don't really depend on selling chemicals to make our money. We sell IC60's on nearly every pool, always better to oversize if the customer is ok with paying a little bit more.

[@ingemeadows8144]

thank you very much ;-)

[@lauratesta316]

how do I RESET the CELL since it is BLINKING Green ? I just got my pool last year and there is NO WAY I should have a bad SALT CELL - but I need to know how to RESET that CELL so it STOPS blinking?

[@BobsPoolService]

Which light is blinking green? If it's the top one that just means your salt level is high, doesn't mean the cell is bad.

[@lauratesta316]

@@BobsPoolService It is the STATUS of the CELL that is blinking which says INSPECT - even though my salt level is GOOD (green) and my test strips all say the levels are good.. But it always says CHLORINE is LOW - but I was told that I should IGNORE that on the test strip and only go by my PENTAIR machine when it says LOW SALT then I add SALT. I also have the Sanitizer on 40 percent.. This sucks because I tried to reset the system by unplugging and it stayed solid GREEN for like a few minutes then went right back to blinking GREEN again for the STATUS of the CELL.

[@BobsPoolService]

@@lauratesta316 If the inspect cell light is blinking green then there's a problem. Have you opened up the unions and inspected the cell? Sometimes debris gets lodged between the plates and causes this or you could have buildup on the plates themselves. The cell should be acid cleaned every 6 months to remove any scale that may have formed on the electrode. if none of this helps I'd contact Pentair if the cell is under a year old it should be under warranty.

[@shannondavis8626]

So if salt low light is on add salt?

[@BobsPoolService]

Generally yes but I would test the water with salt strips or better yet a meter. Most pool stores have the gear to test your water there if you take in a sample. By doing this you know how much to add and if the sensor is reading incorrectly you won't oversalt your pool.

[@BrianRexDrumz]

What if the Salt level light is not on at all? flow is green. Cell is green. But the Salt level light is just off. Thanks!

[@BobsPoolService]

It sounds like the LED is burned out or there's a problem with the unit. I would contact pentair or your pool company for a repair or replacement. If the cell is over 5 years it may be time to just replace it.

[@jackiewallace7224]

What do you fo if the cold light comes on, how do you clean the saltwater pool when it turns green and it's not working because it's to cold?

[@BobsPoolService]

Oh, that's easy. Use liquid or granular chlorine in the interim until the pool heats up. Your saltwater generator merely produces chlorine from the salt that's in the water as it passes through. Honestly if the water is that cold the pool shouldn't require that much chlorine because algae and bacteria thrive in warmer water not colder. In addition if you have a green pool you should be using powdered or liquid shock to clear it up, not running your generator at 100% wearing it out.

[@jackiewallace7224]

@@BobsPoolService Awesome! Your video was very informative. Good job explaining it In simple terms. Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it!

[@tobepropst6539]

Can you help? My intellichlor says salt low (app says 1000), but Leslie's and a salinity tester I bought both say 5000+. How should I approach this? Algae has started so would it help to go through shock steps first and reassess or is my Intellichlor defintely toast? Thanks!

[@BobsPoolService]

I would definitely trust the salinity tester readings over what the cell is reporting, I've seen this many times and it's caused people to put way too much salt in their pools, in fact I always suggest taking a reading of the water and never using the unit to check it. With that said, there's a couple of things I'd suggest doing, first see how many hours are on your unit, you can press and hold the "more" buttom for 5 seconds and it'll illuminiate the percentage of usage with the LED"s. Units last 10,000 hours, if all the LED are list or even 80% of them you're near the end of the cell's life. If the unit however is newer, I'd suggest removing the cell and doing a proper acid cleaning. If you google IC 40 acid cleaning you'll likely find the information, you can use muriatic acid or if you have the time even vinegar may work overnight. When you have it apart inspect the innards, see if you have scaling or something caught in between the plates. Hope this helps - Bob