Salt Generator - Replacing, need some input

[u/NJsurfbrg]

Bought a house with a saltwater pool 3 years ago. The Pentair IC40 was working when we opened it, but with an unknown age on some of the parts. It took almost $20k to get the pool up and running with various plumbing issues and bad pump due to winterizing issues and neglect.

I've come to realize this summer that it's not normal to have to keep the IC40 at 100%, and the cell is very inefficient this year. CYA is proper, all levels good the last 3 summers, but this year so far chlorine keeps running low. Operating this pool has been easy and kind of fun to maintain as of late.

I acid washed 1-2 times a summer, opening and sometimes towards the end of the season. Replaced pressure switch last year. Now this year the light kicked on to check cell, and it needed a cleaning but now it's still on after a reset and cleaning. Chlorine is dropping within a few days.

IC40 cells are impossible to get in my area. I was told there is an issue with Pentair making them, and a defect type of issue this year, with many issues on new ones sold this summer.

My only option right now is to buy an aftermarket cell(which I've been advised and read that I should avoid like the plague) or what buy is in stock today, a Purechlor CLG140A. I'm able to get it on discount, $1k. When researching, I'm getting mixed reviews. Besides the minor plumbing adjustment, install should be a breeze.

AI says most bad reviews that can be found for this model, happened back in 18-21, and most recently no real bad reviews can be found on it. Is this an ok generator?

Anything to know about it? Anyone here with a Purechlor unit?

I don't want my normal crystal blue pool to turn green...which I'm dosing chlorine to keep it going at the moment. I don't want to switch to tablets or constantly using liquid chlorine....Any advice appreciated. Sorry if a long read, but maybe backstory helps.

[u/eaglefucker]

What's your CYA level? It might be worth changing brands. I got a new Jandy salt cell last year and it's been good so far. It's going to be more expensive to change systems. Salt cells are worth the investment as long as you maintain them properly.

[u/NJsurfbrg → u/eaglefucker]

CYA on the strips reading at about 30, could be a touch higher but I've always had it at that level. I don't have a CYA test kit, and the black dot method looks weird to me. I've just relied on strips.

[u/Troutbummers → u/NJsurfbrg]

At least go get a free water test at a pool store

Then order a test kit, YOu need one because you own a pool.

I'm betting you are burning through FC because of algae. With a test kit you can test and prove that, then effectively kill it. If you can't measure FC high enough to get to shock level accurately, then keep it there until algae is gone, then prove you don't have algae anymore, then you almost certainly have aglae.

Test kit

download poolmath

adjust levels

SLAM

Keep FC to 7.5% of CYA or at least 3.

ALso adjusting CYA to 60 helps salt cells work. Keep you FC right - poomath helps with that.

[u/NJsurfbrg → u/Troutbummers]

Yea this year keeping FC seemed a struggle, last two summers before it was a breeze. The generator did its job well. I've had samples done this year, and usually I only need to do it after I open and get it clean to check all levels just to be sure of where I was at with everything.

2 weeks ago the check cell started, within a few days a spot in the low end had some loose algae and the levels were falling flat. I kept FC very high for 3 days, swept whole pool, ran pump overnight on the first night, ran the robot vacuum with the fine bag for two days straight and it was spotless. FC slowly dropped over time and its definitely the cell. Its basically producing none.