Cleaning SWG cells

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Pogueld

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Apr 3, 2015
805
Quinlan, tx
I've just finished up a SLAM, have my chemistry levels almost perfect and now my SWG says its low on salt. We had added 6+ bags before we realized it was an algae problem. I took the water to the pool store just for a salt test because I don't have one of those. They got a reading of 4200. We should
Have 3400. He suggested cleaning the cell. How do I do that? Does his advice sound right? Would a dirty cell cause my SWG to say it's low on salt when it isn't? Advice and/or tips appreciated from the people I trust ;-)
 
It's almost three years old and I'm pretty sure my husband has never cleaned or inspected it. I recently took over as pool girl after an algae outbreak that had him ready to fill the pool with dirt (an exaggeration). I'm trying to learn as much as I can and I love the TFP method so far.


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It could cause the cell to do funny things like that. But at 3 years old you are on the edge of the window of cell potentially needing replaced.

I have a droid went manufacturer of cell but I clean mine several times a summer (once a month??) because mine starts to say low flow.

I fill mine with water and add just enough MA to get it to bubble. Let it sit for about 5 minutes and then rinse.


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I dont trust the pool stores salt tests. 4200 just does NOT make sense at all. Pool store tests are notoriously wrong. I suggest taking water to at least 3 stores and have them test for salt. You will prolly get 3 different results.



With all the rain and water you had to pump out, and the overlfow and backwashing from the SLAM, it IS entirely possible your salt is low again.
I would almost bet that if your SWG says low on salt, then it is.

I have a Taylor K1766 SW test kit and IMO are worth every penny. Especially with a Pentair system as there is no salt built in sensor that says what the salt level is.

Also, If indeed the salt is 4200, (which I serously doubt), then thats not a real problem for Pentair..it will still make chlorine. No need to lower the salt level, which would require draining a lot of water.
 
Yes, a dirty cell can cause low salt warning. So can cold water, below 60ish. Remove the swcg and look inside it for white build up between the blades. If yes, cap it an d clean it with diluted muriatic acid or white vinegar. I had to clean my Intex swg all the time, my pentair IC40 was clean as a whistle last fall after three summers. I have it set for max reversing/cleaning cycle. Don't remember how I did that it was a long time ago.
 
Dave, I had planned to take it to another store and before I could take my container back, he dumped my water out - grrrrr

Will bring more when I come to town tomorrow. The FC is still good so it's making chlorine.

I told the hubby I was thinking of buying the Taylor salt test kit.

Divin Dave said:
I dont trust the pool stores salt tests. 4200 just does NOT make sense at all. Pool store tests are notoriously wrong. I suggest taking water to at least 3 stores and have them test for salt. You will prolly get 3 different results.



With all the rain and water you had to pump out, and the overlfow and backwashing from the SLAM, it IS entirely possible your salt is low again.
I would almost bet that if your SWG says low on salt, then it is.

I have a Taylor K1766 SW test kit and IMO are worth every penny. Especially with a Pentair system as there is no salt built in sensor that says what the salt level is.

Also, If indeed the salt is 4200, (which I serously doubt), then thats not a real problem for Pentair..it will still make chlorine. No need to lower the salt level, which would require draining a lot of water.
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I too have the Taylor salt test kit. It is easy to use and I assume fairly accurate. I recalibrate my compupool to its results and never have any issues. In the end most will say as long as the cell will manufacture chlorine then it is all good. I like to keep mine at 3200 seems to keep my production consistent with less cell cleaning.


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We will open it up to see if it needs cleaning. We used our last bit of MA today, but we do have vinegar. More MA is on order from the brother in law. He can get things for 1/2 the price as us because he is a supplier [emoji5]️

pooldv said:
Yes, a dirty cell can cause low salt warning. So can cold water, below 60ish. Remove the swcg and look inside it for white build up between the blades. If yes, cap it an d clean it with diluted muriatic acid or white vinegar. I had to clean my Intex swg all the time, my pentair IC40 was clean as a whistle last fall after three summers. I have it set for max reversing/cleaning cycle. Don't remember how I did that it was a long time ago.
Click to expand...




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Hey guys,

My husband thought he had cleaned the cell once, but apparently he hasn't because he couldn't remember how to get to it. Is there a link or video you all would recommend to show us how to do it? Do we really need the pentair kit?


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I think all the pentair kit is a screw on cap. All you need to do is unscrew the unions on each end and remove it. Take a look inside for build up. Close off one end, fill with vinegar and let it sit a while.
 
Thanks my friends! I do remember now that I accidentally found a salt count one other time ;-). Before my SLAM, it was reading low salt and we had added 7 bags, but the easy touch read 2400 or something like that so I wasn't sure if the Easy Touch was accurate either [emoji15]. I also did some reading in the pentair manual and it says the clean feature is automatically set up and I didn't realize there was also a light on the SWG that would say it needs to be cleaned.

It's dark now and we are on our way home. I will check the easy touch, but the rest will
Have to wait.

Thanks again! You guys rock!

A funny - my husband was telling me that all the numbers were probably off because of the storm. I told him I didn't think so because my ph had been 7.5 on Wednesday and I was trying to get it to 7.6 which it was today and my TA was 100 and still is which is why I was lowering ph again with MA (not a gallon this time Dave [emoji12]). I also explained that the FC was holding and actually needed to be brought down a tad. He was a bit speechless when I could spout out the chemical make up of our pool water [emoji5]️


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Yes! Very appropriate! The easy touch says the salt is 2700 which would be low as the cell says. But also says comm error which may be because the pool is off right now?

So the question is - to add salt or not?? Get more pool store opinions? We have 4 in town. I wish I had remembered and checked the easy touch when the lights were all green.

Before the SLAM, we had added at least 10 bags of salt before it would read as good enough and the easy touch still read in the 2,000 range. Our builder seems to think the cell is going bad so I think we are going to go ahead and have them come out and check. It can't hurt and if it is going bad, he says it's under warranty.

Your thoughts?


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Add salt. Use pool math to tell you how much.

I trust your Easy TOuch wayyyy more than any pool store that does not use a tritation (drop) test
If any pool store uses a drop test, then I would believe that.

EDIT: Get your pool guy to look at it.

Pogueld said:
Yes! Very appropriate! The easy touch says the salt is 2700 which would be low as the cell says. But also says comm error which may be because the pool is off right now?

So the question is - to add salt or not?? Get more pool store opinions? We have 4 in town. I wish I had remembered and checked the easy touch when the lights were all green.

Your thoughts?


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There is actually a small family owned pool store in town that uses the tritation test. I'm not sure if they are open on sundays. They are the pool store who told me I should never put bags of shock in our salt water pool so they have different philosophies than the chain stores it seems.

I should have gone there first, but I had a "route" I had planned before teen pool boy dumped my water out.

I watched the video and think I can clean the cell myself. I assume you turn the pool off before you disconnect it? He didn't say that, but it seems common sense.

If we had algae, could the pool have been that low on salt to where 10 bags didn't register over 3,000 ppm?

Divin Dave said:
Add salt. Use pool math to tell you how much.

I trust your Easy TOuch wayyyy more than any pool store that does not use a tritation (drop) test
If any pool store uses a drop test, then I would believe that.

EDIT: Get your pool guy to look at it.
Click to expand...




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