New Blueworks Salt Cell Replacement Issues

Jump to latest Follow Reply
W

wrangler1217

0
Jul 2, 2012
49
Central MS
Hi all - After a good 5 years of life, my T9 cell finally bit the dust earlier this year. The cell was giving salt readings apparently well below what they actually were. The display would show something like 1500 ppm. So like I've done before each season, I added some salt to the pool. After about 200 pounds (5 bags) and after the salt dissolved, the reading went to 1800. So I added 5 more bags, and the reading went to 2000-2100. I sensed something wasn't right and I ordered test strips from amazon, and the test strips showed close to 5000ppm.

I finally replaced the salt cell, but went with a Blueworks aftermarket replacement instead of the OEM Hayward. It was about $100-120 price difference - and with a lot of positive reviews on amazon and only a handful of bad reviews (mostly about incompatibility), I decided it was worth the risk.

I think it worked for a few days to a week, and then I noticed there was no chlorine being produced anymore. When I checked the main unit, no lights were on, but the display was working, but the display was showing no voltage. I turned the pump timer off manually (which is wired with the SWG) and let the unit reset..and I turned it back on. The lights came on, but after a minute or so - went right off.

Every season since I first got the SWG, I've always had to replace the thermistor. EVERY SEASON. In fact, there's a handful of components I keep on bench stock at my house: A/C Contactor, A/C Capacitor, Capacitors for both primary and booster pumps, plastic screws and washers for the polaris, and of course - the thermistor for the SWG. And Saturday, I replaced the thermistor on the circuit board for at least the 5th time. Put it all back together and sure enough, the unit is showing voltage and everything seems to be working...with one exception - I'm not generating chlorine. Because my salt is relatively high, I figured 40%-50% should be adequate to get some chlorine back in the pool, so I ran it overnight. Yesterday afternoon, I tested the water again - and still...no chlorine is showing. I don't get it. Anybody got any recommendations?

And as a side question - is there a better fix for the thermistor issue?? Something more permanent perhaps? It seems like Hayward intentionally engineered the component that way in order to make lots of $$ on a low cost fix, yet highly marked up item (if you don't know basic electronics/soldering). I did notice that my SWG main unit was running VERY hot yesterday. Maybe it always does and I just never noticed it - but the metal face panel was too hot to hold my hand on for more than a couple of seconds.
 
SWGs are good at maintaining FC not raising it from 0, especially if something was allowed to start growing.

What does your water look like?
I would raise the FC up with bleach and perform the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to see if something is in the water.

What is your CYA?
Did you replace water to get the salt level back down? What salt level is the SWG reporting.

This statement is not correct:
"Because my salt is relatively high, I figured 40%-50% should be adequate to get some chlorine back in the pool, so I ran it overnight. "
The SWG either generates or it does not, the level of salt water does not impact the FC output.
 
Try collecting a sample of water *directly* from the return in the pool. It should show some FC or higher FC than the rest of the pool if its producing.

Sometimes people don't realize it is making chlorine but their pool has something chewing up all the chlorine so they mistakenly blame it on the cell. That's why we often suggest collecting the sample right from the return. Just make sure you hold a collection cup downward to keep it filled with air as it enters the water, then turn it to the return

Maddie :flower:
 
jblizzle -
1) Water is clear, but recently I started to have algae in certain spots on the wall and used granular pool shock since the SWG wasn't working and brushed it out. Hasn't come back in the last few days.
2) My CYA has always been low or non-existent. One of my first seasons a few years ago, I remember spending a small fortune on it, trying to bring it up to the right levels - and following all directions to a "T", only to have it disappear again in a week. So I haven't bothered with it since and everything had actually been working pretty well.
3) I researched the high salt because I was planning on draining some water out..and I read that most people said that 5000ppm is OK and it'll slowly go down with rain. Everything I read also said that if the unit is showing voltage and amperage on the display (which it is), then chlorine is being generated. The high salt light hasn't come on either - I'm not sure what the threshold is for it though...
4) I guess I misunderstood the % output and the salt level relationship. I think I see now.

Maddie - I always put the test strip right at the return jet in the shallow end when I do test...but I'll give that a shot when I get home in the next couple of hours. Definitely worth a shot!

Thank you both!
 
The amount of chlorine generated depends on the amperage.

Higher salinity or higher water temperatures will result in more amperage. The amperage will probably trip at 8.0 amps.

So, you will get a little bit more chlorine generated at 7.9 amps vs 6.

The pounds of chlorine generated are roughly equal to double the amperage.

So, 7 amps will result in 1.4 lbs chlorine gas per day.
 
1) You have algae in the water ... that is consuming your FC
2) You have no CYA ... the sun is consuming your FC.

There is no way the SWG will overcome both of those.

I would recommend adding 30ppm of CYA and following the SLAM Process. Once complete, then revisit whether the SWG can maintain your chlorine levels.

An aside: I think I have a very similar SWG cell as you. Worked fine for 9 months and then the temperature and salt reading went "off". It seemed to still be generating FC, so I delayed a warranty claim. Although now I am dealing with some control box issues so it is not clear if the control box was causing the bad readings or if it was the cell. Or if somehow the cell itself caused the controller issues somehow.
 
Well I got home today and BOOM - finally got some color on the strips. Both total chlorine and free chlorine look to be about 1-2 give or take. I guess it just needed a couple days of run time? Very relieved. (And yes, I know - I’ve got nary a microgram of CYA lol). I’ll add some and see if it improves chlorine any in the next couple days. And if anyone has a more permanent fix to replacing the thermistor every season, please let me know :). 109227
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
wrangler1217 said:
jblizzle -
1) Water is clear, but recently I started to have algae in certain spots on the wall and used granular pool shock since the SWG wasn't working and brushed it out. Hasn't come back in the last few days.
2) My CYA has always been low or non-existent. One of my first seasons a few years ago, I remember spending a small fortune on it, trying to bring it up to the right levels - and following all directions to a "T", only to have it disappear again in a week. So I haven't bothered with it since and everything had actually been working pretty well.
3) I researched the high salt because I was planning on draining some water out..and I read that most people said that 5000ppm is OK and it'll slowly go down with rain. Everything I read also said that if the unit is showing voltage and amperage on the display (which it is), then chlorine is being generated. The high salt light hasn't come on either - I'm not sure what the threshold is for it though...
4) I guess I misunderstood the % output and the salt level relationship. I think I see now.

Maddie - I always put the test strip right at the return jet in the shallow end when I do test...but I'll give that a shot when I get home in the next couple of hours. Definitely worth a shot!

Thank you both!
Click to expand...

You need CYA or else it will seem like the cell isn't working because the sun will basically destroy the chlorine. I went through the same when I first inherited my pool. This isn't an optional chemical, especially for an SWG. It's also very important that you keep the CYA in the correct range. Too much is bad. Too little (or none) bad. And it's not THAT expensive. Get the powder, it's cheaper, but if you need the CYA to get in the pool NOW (instead of a few days), buy the liquid.

All the steps you read on this forum about balancing your chemicals are not optional, except the ones that specifically state they are optional (like adding Borates to your pool for example). I suggest you review this page with this understanding. ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry - Trouble Free Pool

Test strips are good for a quick reading but a true test kit is your friend. The strips "suck" in comparison and aren't reliable for super (or even relatively I've found) accurate readings. It's just a ball park reading. Spend the little bit of extra time to know what's going on with your pool chemicals. It's important.

You're getting algae growing because your pool isn't chlorinated, because no CYA. As someone else said, put some liquid chlorine in there ASAP so you don't give the algae an opportunity to bloom. It would be a good idea to do a SLAM and get rid of it for sure. It takes time, but patience is a virtue. I spent 10 days to start the season giving the pool high attention daily. I haven't seen algae in the pool for two months now since it opened and check on it 2-3 times a week at this point.

My SWG TurboCell just went out, so I've been using liquid chlorine. I also was interested in a knock off brand replacement due to cost, but, even though there are some good reviews on Amazon, there are also some bad ones. Given your experience, it's sealed my decision not to go with the knock off. On top of this, there are many reviews saying that trying to get these companies to honor their warranty have been futile.

I'm actually wondering if I want to replace it or switch to another method like a floater with tabs or just dropping in liquid chlorine.

Good luck, we are all here to help.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply