Help me get this SWG back to running form!

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swimcoachtdawg

swimcoachtdawg

0
Jun 8, 2015
35
Salem Indiana
As my signature says, the pool was built in 2007 with a SWG and for quite some time it was a dream to keep the pool in perfect order. However, about three years ago (the system was about 5 years old), everything started going wrong. First, the cell died, and I about died when I found out what it would cost to replace it. The pool company that built the pool said it was defective and some sort of recall, and replaced it at no charge. However, this was the first of many future shocks. Six months later, my pool heater core developed a leak, and after 1000 of repair/service costs, Hayward finally replaced it at no charge. The cost of all the chemicals to run the Mineral Springs system has always been an issue for me, so I'm glad to find out that what I suspected all along is true - -- that I can use what you all call "solar salt" instead of buying overpriced bags from the manufacturer. Next thing to go bad was the circuit board in the Mineral Springs. I bought one and replaced it myself and everything was back online for about a year. Now suddenly the system is telling me that the minerals dropped overnight from 2800 to 1400. I didn't know whether to believe it or not considering the problems I've had. I switched to chlorine tablets, since the store said I could use them until I find a solution, but of course now I see why my pH has been dropping like a rock and I'm constantly adding pH increaser and from what I've read now I know why.

So, I guess my first step should be to get a good test kit and test the salt, to see if it really is as low as it says or if the cell has gone bad (again)?
 
Thanks for all the help. I got my TF-100 and the salt test over the weekend. I am in the process of getting everything else balanced before I tackle getting the SWG up and going. However, I do have one question that I am hoping someone can give me an answer to. As far as I can remember I believe that my Mineral Springs system has always used a T-15 cell. About a year ago the circuit board fried and I replaced it, following the directions. I was pretty sure I checked all the settings after installation and it was set for the T-15. However, today when I checked it again, it says it's set for a T-3. Now, of course, I can't find my book to see how to set it back to T-15. Can anyone tell me or direct me to a site that gives that information? Thanks!
 
When you are checking for the cell size and it says T-3, with the switch in the auto position, move the switch to super chlorinate and back to auto until the T-15 cell is shown and then exit by pressing the diagnostic button again.
 
ping said:
When you are checking for the cell size and it says T-3, with the switch in the auto position, move the switch to super chlorinate and back to auto until the T-15 cell is shown and then exit by pressing the diagnostic button again.
Click to expand...

You are the best ping! I spent over an hour today looking for this answer and never did find it. You're a lifesaver! So now the minerals setting shows 1800, instead of the 1000 it was showing. Everything else looks right, so assuming I got the pool balanced (I added based on the pool math and I'm going to do another test and make sure), the next step will be to add salt and see if the mineral springs records it properly. If not, I probably have another bad cell and I'll have to replace it next.
 
Now I'm a little confused by this SWG. After changing the cell, it started registering 1800, then about two hours later it increased to 2200. I turned it off again in each instance, since it was too low to generate chlorine anyway. This morning I turned it on just to check and the minerals showed 2400, but both the "check cell" and "low minerals" lights still came on. I can reset the "check cell" but it comes back on about an hour later. So I turned it off, tried again this afternoon, now it shows 2600, which matches the salt test from the test kit, but the two lights still come on and I can't seem to get the "low minerals" light to go off. Any ideas from the others who have SWGs?
 

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Salt readings and salt tests are about +/- 400 ppm. But, in the end if the SWG isn't happy then it will not make chlorine. So, you have to add enough salt to make it happy. The salt test is a sanity check because as SWGs get old and start to fail they report less and less accurate salt levels. So, you don't want your SWG to be reporting say 3000 ppm salt and you are adding salt up to 5000ppm per the test strip.

Also, it takes about 24 hours with the pump running and a little brushing of the salt for it to dissolve.
 
Make sure the cell is clean of scale.

When you go through the diagnostics it will show what level the instant salinity is. The salt level that is displayed without the diagnostics is the average salinity level over a period of time and that will slowly change. At 2600 the salinity is on the low side and I would add enough salt to raise it another 400 points.
 
Ok, well I think the ship may have finally righted itself. I guess it just took a while for it to get things back to where they should be after changing the cell setting from T-3 to T-15. I'm still trying to figure out how I changed it (by accident, but not sure when), but nevertheless, it is now functioning, no lights and the salt reading (both the setting and the generation one) are at 2800. I know that's still a bit low, but our local Ace didn't have any solar salt and had to order it. Should be in tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm praising the salt gods that I don't have to put another 300-500 in this unit again :)
 
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