Pool Pilot Dig220 Salt Level reading way off

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C

coronapoolguy

0
May 13, 2009
7
Hi,

I've lived in this house for almost 2 years and have had this issue since moving in to the house.
The Dig220 says my salt level is anywhere between 6300-6600 ppm. Testing the water for salt usually shows around 3300ppm. Everytime I shock the pool and get all the levels where they should be according to the pool store read outs I start to get green algae build up after about 1.5 weeks. And this is with no errors on the Dig220

Here is my set up:
14000 gallon salt water pool
Intellitouch pool spa control system by pentair system i5
Pool Pilot digital 220 by autopilot.com
SC-36 running at power level 2
60 sqft DE filter
Whispher flo high performance pump by pentair 2hp 1.3sf

I would normally run my cell 8 hrs a day. Since moving in to the house I have replaced the cell cord and the salt cell from an sc-48 to an sc-36.

I am spending too much money on chemicals having to kill the algae. Luckily the last several months have been too cold to want to get in the pool but summer is right around the corner.

Has anyone had this error? Do I need a new board or system all together. This is pretty frustrating.

Thanks in advance,

Carlos
 
Carlos,
A few thoughts before you replace any equipment. Seems you are relying on the pool store for your water testing. There are two problems with that. The first is that pool store test results are often incorrect. The second is that you are not testing your water every couple of days. If you do not test your water every couple of days you will not know how and when to adjust settings on the SWG or any other chemical level for that matter. A common myth about SWGs is that you can buy one and never have to do anything else with your pool. This is not true. I have one and I have to adjust the settings over the season to keep the chlorine levels where they should be according to my CYA level.
My recommendation to you is to change the habit of going to the pool store. Buy yourself a good test kit like the TF-100 or Taylor K-2005 and test your own water. You also will need to test your own salt level, and taylor has a kit for that as well.
Once you are testing your own water and can pass an overnight chlorine test (see pool school), you can then start trouble shooting your SWG issues. If you do have SWG issues you can use regular bleach while you get the SWG fixed.
Frequent algae outbreaks in pools means no testing is being done or not being done properly. Test your water frequently, adjust what is needed, and you will not have algae.
 
Most likely you have some of your levels wrong in some way because of bad pool store advice or testing, and have never completely killed the algae.

Please post a full set of water test results from the pool store and then find some way to get your water tested elsewhere, preferably with your own test kit, though a second unrelated pool store will do for now.

Once you get your levels properly under control and all of the algae killed off things will get much simpler and less expensive.
 
And just in case you don't know, here's the tests we need to see.

pH
FC
CC
TA
CH
CYA

With FC, CC & CYA being the most important to answer this question.

As already said, good & regular testing is the most important thing you can do to have a trouble free pool.
 
benavidescj said:
Buy yourself a good test kit like the TF-100 or Taylor K-2005 and test your own water. You also will need to test your own salt level, and taylor has a kit for that as well.
Click to expand...

I think benavidescj made a slight typo :oops: It should read the TF100 or the Taylor K2006. The K2005 is also a good kit, but is limited in FC/CC measurement versatility as compared to the K2006 or the TF100.
 
I will pick up one of those kits and report back with results. Are the test kits that the stores use not accurate? I'm sensing great distrust towards the stores here. I never buy chemicals from them anyway. I'm always able to find what I need cheaper at home depot.

To address some of the feedback during the summer months when the pool was being used frequently the water was tested every few days before and after use especially when we had several people over.

I have used non scented bleech from the grocery store, I usually find the best deal at costco, to shock the pool and get rid of the algae growth. For some reason its just not maintaining the chlorine level which leads me to believe that there maybe something wrong with the SWG since it has never even been close to accurately measuring the salt level. It always reads somewhere between 6300-6600 ppm even when my salt level was zero.
 
The salt level being stuck at 6300 - 6600 ppm, would either be the wire harness or the control circuit board. If you remove the wire harness connecting between the two circuit boards, and inspect for any loose wires, then reconnect, it MAY then allow you to calibrate the salt level. If not, then you will need to replace the top circuit board.
 
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