Low Salt Reading Need Advice

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J

JoeyT15

New member
Nov 21, 2015
4
Tampa
I have searched through the forum and have done what others have had success with, but I am still having problems with my salt readings.
I have a Aquarite Salt system with a t15 cell about 4 years old.
This is what is going on and what I have done so far:
  • Last week I had a message of no flow on the PCB. I took out the flow sensor and sure enough the bottom half was missing.
  • I ordered a new sensor and installed it last week flow problem solved:)
  • The next day there was no power on the board??? DEAD with PYB or PCB message Displayed on screen I think.
  • I replaced the black resistor as others have done, now I have power but the salt reading is incorrect, so it stops generating after 2 minutes.
  • Monday I had a low salt reading of 2000 so I added 20 lbs of salt. Check cell and salt lights flashing:confused:
  • Then the reading went to 4000, I had this reading checked at our local pool masters it was at 4000
  • I drained 2 feet and refilled the pool and ran it 24 hours, PCB indicates LOW SALT 2000:confused:
  • After Pool drain and fill Pool Masters checked my salt level to be at 3300 right where it should be.
  • Cleaned cell and reset board. I think correctly?
  • My board Salt reading remains at 2000 and after 2 minutes check salt and check cell lights flash:?
Has anyone ever had a similar experience?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Joey
 
One thing you should never do is use the SWG salinity readout to determine salt level; you should always use an independent test like the Taylor K-1766. The SWG's don't measure actual chloride level, only water conductivity which is not a reliable measure.

That said, it sounds to me like your cell is on its death bed. Typically with SWGs, as the plate coating and connectors begin to fail, the "salinity" readings start going bonkers. Usually the cells start reporting low salt which seems to be the case prior to you adding the 20# of pool salt.

Pool stores can usually test a cell to see if it is working. You might try that. But it certainly sounds to me like you're going to be in the market for a new T-15 soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk,16k gal SWG pool (All Pentair), QuadDE100 Filter, Taylor K-2006
 
Quite a few of us SWG owners have gone through this same experience. Low salt reading, add salt. Reading still low, add more salt. Find out that salt in pool is three times what it should be after adding all that salt. Reminds me of the classic carpenters lament, "I've cut the darn thing three times and it's still too short."

My money is on a bad cell. Mine is approaching the four year mark which is when my last cell went on me. Hope to get more mileage on my current T15 by dialing back the salt setting, regular maintenance (incl. going a little easier on the MA to water ratio when cleaning) and being more vigilant about my water settings (CSI included).
 
OK does anyone have a good source for a T 15 Cell? Has anyone ever rebuilt one? Any leads to a reputable company would be nice, I hate to pay $500 to the pool store if there is a source for these.
Thanks,
Joey
 
You can't rebuild them, you simply replace them. Scour the Internet and see what kind of pricing you can get. See if a local pool shop will match or beat the prices you find online. It's just basic comparison shopping.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk,16k gal SWG pool (All Pentair), QuadDE100 Filter, Taylor K-2006
 
Anybody of heard of this salt soutions place in Tampa florida? They claim they rebuild them with better parts. Is this possible or are they getting chinese knockoff parts and putting them in the hayward cell body? Anyone have experience with them?
Thanks, Joey
 
JoeyT15 said:
Anybody of heard of this salt soutions place in Tampa florida? They claim they rebuild them with better parts. Is this possible or are they getting chinese knockoff parts and putting them in the hayward cell body? Anyone have experience with them?
Thanks, Joey
Click to expand...

I'm not sure this is a viable approach. The Hayward cells (like the Pentair cells) are a single PVC body with plates and connectors embedded into them. The only way to get at the plates and their connectors for replacement is to cut open the PVC body and undo a bunch of epoxy joints. Assuming one could do that in a controlled and careful manner, putting it back together would require a carefully done PVC glue joint all around the cell. I doubt the cost of the labor involved along with materials would be significantly less than the cost of a new cell with a full warranty from the manufacturer.

This post from last month had some nice pictures in it of what the cell looks like and how to destructively open it up. Unfortunately, it looks like a lot of the pictures were taken down (maybe a request from Hayward directly as it showed internal construction??). However, it pretty clearly shows that you can not easily rebuild these cells without destroying them.
 
A quick search shows that the Hayward T-Cell-15's have gone up by almost $100 to almost $500 since the last time I looked a couple of months ago. The Hayward's should come with a 3 year warranty.

There are two cheaper options available, a generic branded cell or a rebuilt cell. You'll have to investigate the warranties for those types of cells. Search Amazon for T-Cell-15 and you will see the options available.
 

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OK so there is one on ebay from seller pooguy for $359. Anyone have any experience buying from them?
Seems like a better deal for a new t 15 cell vs a rebuilt for $275. Any thoughts?
Also does adding liquid clhorine to the pool harm the salt cell?
Saturn94 said:
I got mine from Amazon this past spring. I just checked and it looks like the price went up a bit.

Amazon.com : Hayward Goldline T-CELL-15 Turbo Cell, 40, 000 Gallon Pool : Swimming Pool Chlorine : Patio, Lawn Garden
Click to expand...
 
JoeyT15 said:
Also does adding liquid clhorine to the pool harm the salt cell?
Click to expand...

Nope! Not at all. I do it all the time and my cell is perfectly fine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk,16k gal SWG pool (All Pentair), QuadDE100 Filter, Taylor K-2006
 
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