Salt Cell & Pool Pump Question

[Nikki2077]

Hi All,

Well, finally got all my levels to balance. Went to turn on the SWG and the cell indicator light was steady. Had it removed and cleaned only to find out it no longer works. So, I need to order a new one but my question is do I put the old one back on temporarily until I get the new one in the mail because I want to use the pump to keep the water moving. Also, can anyone tell me what is the usual lifespan of a salt cell?

 

[Pool Tool]

Yes, put the old one back in to keep water circulating and use bleach to add FC until the new cell arrives. Lifespans, in years are all over the map. Most units are rated by hours, around 10,000 hours of use. Depending on how the cell is sized, i.e. how many hours per day and days per year it runs dictates the life span. 3-5 years is the typical life of a cell, with some going to 7 years or longer based on factors above.

Your pool is large and if you have a 40K cell, you would have to run it a lot to maintain your FC. General rule of thumb is to buy a cell twice the size of the pool (some folks recommend 3x) to decrease pump run time and extend cell life.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Salt cells do have a lifespan like 10,000 or so hours (that number rings a bell in my mind but not positive that's accurate). So I'd say 3-5 years is a good run.

Hence I personally don't use it to excess such as when I'm expecting kids for a pool party and want to up my FC number, so I use bleach for immediate increase in FC instead of hitting that "Boost" button.

I know that you shouldn't clean the cell unless it *needs* it by showing scale or you'll lessen its lifespan also.

Yes, I'd put the old one back on while waiting for the new one to arrive. Remember to buy one that is at least 2x the size of your pool so you'll run it less and it will last longer.

Cheers for a good summer!

Maddie

 

[Nikki2077]

Thanks so much for the help. I had hubby put it back on and now the pump is running. I ran out of the powder to perform the FC and CC tests and that is coming with the salt cell so I'm going to have to use a test strip until it arrives. I did add liquid stabilizer yesterday and the FC level was 4.5 at that time. The cell is scheduled to arrive Friday. Should I still consider adding bleach?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I would need a full set of lab results before making that call. Just keep an eye on it, and use bleach when ever your number gets below your desired FC level based on your CYA.

Maddie