The
Pentair IntelliChlor Salt Water Chlorine Generator At Ridd's, we have been installing Salt Chlorinators for as long as they've been around. And while they are without doubt one of the most convenient items to have installed in your pool, they do require some maintenance and knowledge to get the most out of it. Salt water Chlorinators have an electrode witha coating of materials suitable to the specific chemical situation that the electrode undergoes. This coating is a wearing part and will degrade over time. Incorrect use of the electrode will accelerate this degredation and result in early replacement that becomes costly. Through the years we have identified the situations that will degrade the electrode faster, they are:
- Low salt
- High Salt
- Power input faults (Too High)
- Cell running dry
- Incorrect cleaning
- Low tempeature
- Overheating
- Bad Troubleshooting
All these potential problems are solved in the Intellichlor.
Low Salt
The intellichlor measures the salt content in the water and through LED's Tells you what the level is, shold the salt level drop below 2.5ppt the unit turns off
High Salt
Less dangerous than low salt, the unit will warn te user if the level is too high.
Power Input Faults
A common failure cause of chlorinators is users will run the chlorinator at 100% of capability for a long period, this can be likened to over-revving a car, decrease in life is inevitable. The Intellichlor works a little diferently, output is optimized and user input will change the time that the unit runs, not the power.
Cell Running Dry (No Flow)
Chlornator electrodes can be compared to a car battery, if the cells are drym the plates will bend and fail. The Intellichlor has a flow switch that detects flow, if the pump stops or if water flow is restricted for whatever reason, the unit will turn off immediately.
Incorrect cleaning
In self-cleaning chlorinators the reversing polarity on the electrodes irradicates calcium build up on the electrodes. The time between these polarit changes is either controlled by a time switch or on some units, by internal circuitry. The former presents with the possible user error and results in clogged cells and the latter gives no flexibility and could also cause cell clogging. In the Intellichlor the reversing is controlled internally and the cycles can be changed to match the environment. In short, the Intellichlor is truly self-cleaning
Low Temperateture
Few pool owners are aware that low electrolite temperature will destry an electrode. This phenomenon is the silent killer for chlorinators in areas where the water temperature falls below 11°C. It is therfore advisable to turn your chlorinator off during the winter months and to manually add chlorine for this period, the saving on electrde replacement will outweigh the small amount spent on chlorine. The Intellichlor measures water temperature and will shut down automatically when the water falls below 11°C.
Overheating
Most chlorinator's power supplies are installed in or near the pump and filter of the pool, these areas are characterized by warm and humid conditions, this shortens the life-span of the electronics. Added to this is the infestation of various insects and lizzards that are attracted by the heat generated by the electronics of the chlorinator. I would venture to say that 85% of repairs on chlorinators are caused by these conditions. The Intellichlor's electronics are all potted in a resin that makes it impervious to insects and liquid damage and as the electronics are housed in the electrode, the unit is water-cooled and operates in any environment flawlessly.
Troubleshooting
The electronics in the Intellichlor record all vital data like, hours run, settings, water temperature, power input as well as a self-diagnostic test. This enables us to pin-point any possible errors and prevent reccurrence. It also removes warrantee disputes and vastly speeds up back up service or unit replacement.
In short, the Intellichlor is quite possible the best Salt Chlorinator avaiable today. For more info go to www.riddsaqua.co.za or go directly to the products Page
