SWG Questions

[maxima]

I've had a SWG for a few years. The first couple of years I blindly followed the Pool Company's directions. Paid way too much for salt....then weekly "renewal". First, where can you buy salt for the pool? Do you need any kind of weekly additive? What chemicals should be closely monitored throughout the season? Since I'm entering my 3rd year...should the Salt Cell be looked at? how would I access it? What solution and process would i use to clean it? HOw do you know when the Cell has reached the end of it's useful life?

Thanks very much

Tom

 

[maxima]

BTW ...this is a Mineral Springs System.

thanks

 

[JasonLion]

Try reading some of the Stickies, see the link in the sub-heading of each page. The article on BBB for beginners is a good place to start, it is near the end of the Stickies list, and will answer your salt question.

 

[JoshU]

I've had a SWG for a few years. The first couple of years I blindly followed the Pool Company's directions. Paid way too much for salt....then weekly "renewal". First, where can you buy salt for the pool? Do you need any kind of weekly additive? What chemicals should be closely monitored throughout the season? Since I'm entering my 3rd year...should the Salt Cell be looked at? how would I access it? What solution and process would i use to clean it? HOw do you know when the Cell has reached the end of it's useful life?

Thanks very much

Tom

Most cells should be checked and/or cleaned every 3-6 months.

 

[Guest]

The Mineral Springs is a rebranded Goldline Aquarite. The salt you need is plain solar salt such as sold for water softeners without any additive for removing iron or cleaning the softener resin or you can pay a bit more and get the smaller crystal pool salt. You need to maintain your salt at about 3200 ppm , your CYA (stabilizer) at 60-80 ppm, and if you want to get exactly the same effect as Beginninjgs and Renewal by Bioguard then add borates to your pool to 50 ppm. (These expensive salt mix products are just salt, borax, and CYA!) There is a sticky on that also. Check your pH and don't let it get above 7.8 and you should be good to go. Remember pH rise is a problem with SWGs.
Salt cells are cleaned with a dilute acid solution to remove calcium deposits. Refer to your owner's manual for detail. The cell is easily removed by unfastening the unions on it. Once again, if you read the manual that came with your SWG it should answer all your questions or you can go to the Goldline website http://www.goldlinecontrols.com and download the instruction manual for the older AquaRite SWGs if you do not have the digital control and the current manual if you do have digital controls. Most salt cells will last about 5-7 years if properly cared for but there are many factors that affect this such as the size of your pool and how careful you are with your water balance.
You will know when the cell has reached the end of it's useful life because it will stop generating chlorine and cleaning does not get it working again.
Hope this is helpful.