ClearBlue Ionizer

Pool ionizer system reduces maintenance and chemicals

My Ionizer is Not Producing Copper

If you have set the controller to 99 or Increase mode for a week or more and you’re not getting a reading, you can verify that the system is working by following these steps.

Verify the Controller is Working

The first thing to check is that the controller is working as expected. When the system is powered up and both cell bars are completely underwater, the Mineral Action light will come on BLUE (or flash blue if it’s set to Increase mode on some controllers). If you see a blue Mineral Action light, the system is ionizing.

Verify the Output of Minerals

If the Mineral Action light is coming on, but you’re not convinced that minerals are being released, you can test it in one of two ways:

Jar Test

  1. Fill a large glass or jar with water from the pool
  2. Remove the cell from the tee and place it in the jar. If you have water coming out continuously with the cell removed, you can temporarily block it with an old cell, or a 1.5″ threaded plug
  3. Set the controller to 99 (or Increase mode with a number higher than 00)
  4. Make sure that the Mineral Action light is coming on BLUE (or flashing blue when set to Increase)
  5. Leave this setup there for 30 minutes

When you return after 30 minutes, the jar of water should be blue or at least test high for copper.

Voltmeter Test

  1. Remove the cell from the plumbing (if you don’t have shutoff valves, you can plug the hole with an old cell or a 1.5” threaded plug)
  2. Set the voltmeter to mA DC and make sure the red probe is in the mA slot (If you don’t have mA, you can use A DC)
  3. Place one probe on one bar of the cell and the other on the other. You may need to dig the probe into the bar a little to get a connection
  4. Set the controller to 99 (on Maintain mode if you have it)
  5. The current should read ~95-100 mA or 0.1 A (more for the 40,000 gallon models)

If you are getting a current around this level, your system is working, so the next step is to look at the water chemistry.

Water Chemistry: Preventing Copper Reading

Chlorine Level – 2 – 3 ppm

When ramping up the minerals in the water, it is essential to have a chlorine level. This is so there is something else fighting bacteria and algae to ‘run interference’ until the minerals can take hold and build up a residual.

We recommend maintaining a 2 – 3 ppm chlorine level until the copper level reaches 0.2 ppm. Chlorine tablets, liquid chlorine, or a salt chlorinator can be used for this.

With chlorine tablets, 2 – 3 ppm can be achieved by adding 2-3 chlorine tablets to the skimmer (or a floater or chlorinator if you have one).

Once the copper level reaches 0.2 ppm, you can reduce chlorine to 0.5 – 1 ppm, achievable with around one 3″ chlorine tablet per week.

High Phosphates

If your water is high in phosphates, it encourages algae growth. This makes it harder for copper to build up a residual because it is used up as it is produced to fight algae.

We recommend keeping the phosphate level below 200 ppb (parts per billion). Some areas have high phosphates in the source water, either from runoff or because they are added to the water supply.

Filling the pool with a hose filter can reduce phosphates from the source water by 40-50%. A phosphate remover can remove the rest of the phosphates.

Ramping Up Copper Takes a While

Even when everything works correctly, a copper residual can take a week or more to reach 0.2 ppm. This is by design because the system outputs minerals slowly to prevent overdosing, which can lead to staining.

While ramping up the minerals requires patience, they are stable in the water, so once you have a reading, it’s easy to maintain it.

Once you have tested your system and taken care of the water chemistry, leave your controller on 99 (or Increase mode if you have it) for as long as it takes to get a reading. Just make sure to test for copper every 2-3 days to avoid overdoing it.