Substance in SWCG

Metalmushpuff · Jul 22, 2023

I have a Hayward T-15 that's about 8 months old. Check cell light came on for the 1st time, so we pulled it out to check it. On the side where the water enters the cell there was what looked to be a piece of paper sitting on top of the grid. It was hard and stuck to the grid. It only appears on the one side. I thought it might be scale, but acid doesn't dissolve it. It looks like it was some sort of paper that got caught. The hose isn't spraying it off. I spent as long as I could in the excessive heat trying to carefully remove it bit by bit with tweezers. I'm looking for any suggestions on something else I can use to try to get this removed.

Also, possibly related, the cell is reading a salt count of 2600-2800 ppm, but my Taylor kit is measuring 3400. I know discrepancies are common but I am concerned it's an issue with the cell. I've had to bump the output up much higher all of sudden and since it is my first season I have no baseline to determine if this normal. CYA has dropped again due to rainfall, so I am working to bring it back up.

The picture is of the substance I pulled off the cell that has been sitting in straight muriatic acid (31.45%) for about 3 hours now with not much change.

ajw22 · Jul 22, 2023

Check the condition of your filter cartridges.

Do you have a heater between the filter and the SWG?

Bperry · Jul 22, 2023

Metalmushpuff said:
I have a Hayward T-15 that's about 8 months old. Check cell light came on for the 1st time, so we pulled it out to check it. On the side where the water enters the cell there was what looked to be a piece of paper sitting on top of the grid. It was hard and stuck to the grid. It only appears on the one side. I thought it might be scale, but acid doesn't dissolve it. It looks like it was some sort of paper that got caught. The hose isn't spraying it off. I spent as long as I could in the excessive heat trying to carefully remove it bit by bit with tweezers. I'm looking for any suggestions on something else I can use to try to get this removed.

Also, possibly related, the cell is reading a salt count of 2600-2800 ppm, but my Taylor kit is measuring 3400. I know discrepancies are common but I am concerned it's an issue with the cell. I've had to bump the output up much higher all of sudden and since it is my first season I have no baseline to determine if this normal. CYA has dropped again due to rainfall, so I am working to bring it back up.

The picture is of the substance I pulled off the cell that has been sitting in straight muriatic acid (31.45%) for about 3 hours now with not much change.View attachment 516182

Looks kinda like Teflon tape for pipe fittings. Is it cleared out of the cell now enough to try it and see if the output is back to normal?

Metalmushpuff · Jul 22, 2023

ajw22 said:
Check the condition of your filter cartridges.

Do you have a heater between the filter and the SWG?

We have solar panels, but no other heater. I just cleaned the filter on Monday and it was fine, no noticeable damage.

Metalmushpuff · Jul 22, 2023

Bperry said:
Looks kinda like Teflon tape for pipe fittings. Is it cleared out of the cell now enough to try it and see if the output is back to normal?

When we first opened it up, it was like a flat sheet over the whole grid. I've managed to clean it off enough that I thought it would improve flow. I wish I had taken a picture of the before and after but I didn't have my phone on me. The salt reading is still low after being cleaned, which is troubling. I thought it would improve some but when I turned it back on, it was 2800 and then it dropped to 2700, then 2600, then back up to 2700. I did notice that the bubbles from the returns seemed harder to see them they were before I cleaned it.