The ClearBlue ionizer is basically a 'set-and-forget' system, but like any technical pool equipment, such as your pump, filter, and any other perioherals, you do need to check that no warning lights are on and check the state of the metal bars of the cell - that's why the Tee is transparent. 

The life of a cell depends very much on the settings in the control unit and the pumping times. Unless water is subject to frequent, heavy attacks of algae which may require a higher setting, the recommended level of copper in the pool will be maintained by a normal setting. A cell should last at least six months, but they generally last for 12 months or longer.

Other than the expected self-sacrificial wearing away of the metal bars, there is nothing that can go wrong with with a cell. For this reason, they are not covered by a guarantee. If there are any issues with exceptional wear on the cell, please troubleshoot  according to the tips below.

To extend the life of the cell, here are some tips to get max life from it:

1) Please make sure both bars are always completely under water (even when the pump is off – the tee must be fully filled with water) if your ionizer runs 100% of the time outside the pumping schedule. If the cell is dry, it may affect the wear of the cell.)

2) When tightening the cell in the tee, orient the bars such that the water flows between them or as close as possible without leaking. You may need to add Teflon tape to the threads to give it more ‘play’.

3) Keep it on the Ion/Action setting based on the manual (please refer to pages 7 and 8 of the manual on how to calculate the settings for your controller).

4) Run the pump for 8 hours a day (or up to 24 hours on a low speed)

5) Keep the copper level at 0.2ppm.

6) Keep the chlorine level between 0.5ppm to 1ppm if copper is within 0.2 – 0.4 ppm range.

7) Use a chlorine or non-chlorine shock once per week.

8) Keep phosphates low (below 100ppb).