Rebuilding SWG cells

[eric99gt]

well...
it's not worth it

majority of the cost is in the plates as the coating has precious metals in it (ruthenium oxide or iridium oxide)

non-self cleaning cells can be reconditioned, as half of the plates are just bare titanium, so you can just replace the anode.
however with self cleaning ones you have to replace all the plates which only leaves the cap and connectors that can be salvaged.

also not all cells last 3 years and not all of them are expensive

So I haven't been able to find any discussion, beyond the few comments here, in regards to rebuilding these cells. While perusing ebay for a replacement t-15 cell I stumbled across salt solutions inc. They claim to be able to rebuild the unit for $275, around half of what a new one would cost. They also include a one year warranty. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with going this route before I decide to pull the trigger. See here for further info https://www.saltsolutionsinc.com/repair ... -15-detail

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Cell life?

That is interesting, although I wish they provided more information on how they are repairing the cells.

{Also the grammar in the first sentence annoys me }

 

[eric99gt]

Re: Cell life?

I'm trying to fix a pool here....not write a book. :-D I did email the company to inquire what their rebuild process actually looks like.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Cell life?

Sorry ... I meant on their webpage at the link you posted

Nothing says "professional company" like typos/bad grammar in your marketing material.

 

[eric99gt]

Re: Cell life?

They also have an ebay store with many satisfied customers. From the feedback looks like they've been selling them since mid 2011. http://www.ebay.com/itm/261072730054?ss ... _317wt_646

 

[eric99gt]

Re: Cell life?

Response from the seller "The only thing we re-use is the P.V.C. outer housing and the plug in cord. All internal parts are brand new from the mfg. and fully warranted for one year ( an extended warranty is available). We buy better plates which are rated for 10,000 hours of usage while most out there are only rated for 8,000 hours…….the plug to the controller stays with the cell." I think I may give this a shot.

 

[cws91]

Re: Cell life?

Eric:

Have you gotten a cell from Salt Solutions? How's it working out?

 

[eric99gt]

Re: Cell life?

received and installed and all seems to be working fine. Getting proper voltage readings again. You can observe on the housing where it's been cut open to remove the guts. The real test will probably be time.

 

[frankgh]

I just ordered mine from them today. My 6 year old cell says there is 2200 ppm salt in the pool and my taylor drop test kit says 3500 ppm. No more generation...

 

[Seanhan]

I would be happy getting 6 years out of my cell ...

 

[frankgh]

I could have replaced it last year but just ran the salt high. The SWG would say 2900 but the pool was really at 4000. We have had a ton of rain and I figure I should just fix it right.

 

[dschlic1]

My cell has about six years on it, and is still going strong. However I have a small pool, and so run the filter for seven hours each day with the SWG set at 25 to 30%.

 

[Strannik]

i've seen customers getting up to 15 years out of the cells. the most common is about 5 though

 

[mcdickey]

I know this is an older thread, but I just wanted to add that I purchased a rebuilt cell from Salt Solutions Inc. in March of 2012 and it is still running strong.

 

[mick1putt]

I started a thread today about my failing cell and asked about the rebuilt cells as an alternative to new. 2 years in Tuscon is a pretty good testimonial. Any one else willing to endorse these rebuilt cells from Salt Solutions?

 

[eric99gt]

Almost up to two years now with continual year round usage. Still working great.

 

[Pool Tool]

Thank you for following up. I'm glad it is running strong.

 

[eric99gt]

Figured I would report a failure. Lasted a bit over 2 yrs. A bit disappointing as I have a small pool and typically only run it at about 10%. I would say the service life was significantly reduced over what is expected.

 

[mas985]

What failed?

Also, new cells are not that much more: Hayward Aquarite 40K Turbo Replacement Salt Cell T CELL15 Goldline 3 yr Warranty | eBay

 

[eric99gt]

Salt level was not reading correctly. It was reading way lower than the actual salt level so I kept needing to add more salt to get it to limp along. But I did find it odd that the amps and volts stayed the same after replacement as I thought the salt level was calculated off of these readings. For my unit it was still reading nearly the same before and after replacement (25V 8.25Amps or so).