New member and question on removing mineral cartridge

[whatsthispoolthing]

I just recently moved into a house with a pool, never owned a pool before and after getting some very poor info from local pool stores I managed to stumble onto this site. Finally a place which may give me some clear information.

I just ordered a Taylor K-2006 kit so I am sure I will have more questions once I have some accurate figures.

Amongst the equipment on the pool there is a mineral cartridge, which the previous owner replaced just before handing it over to us. From reading on this site I think it best to remove this. What is the best way? Is there a fitting I can use to cap the place left by the cartridge? The previous owner left the old cartidge behind so I may be able to modify that if necessary. Surprisingly the old one looks like it was there for a long time but there sounds to be pellets rattling around inside still.

Thank you!

 

[Bama Rambler]

Welcome to TFP.

What is the brand of the mineralizer?
On most units you just remove the cartridge and put the lid back on the unit.

 

[whatsthispoolthing]

The cartridge is a Zodiac Nature 2. Looking at the old cartridge it screws down into a holder and the cartridge itself is the top.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I would just cut it out of the line and replace it with piping.

 

[jblizzle]

Or you could just take the old cartridge and cut it open to empty out the remaining minerals and then put it back in empty.

 

[Rocco]

I also have a Nature 2 system on my pool. I just take the canister out and put the lid back on. I have not have any negative effects and I get to save about $100 a season by not buying a new cartridge.

I may replace my heater at some point. If I do I plan on cutting it out.

 

[jblizzle]

I think some versions do not have a cover, so the canister must be used to seal it back up. I just have no idea which models are which.

 

[whatsthispoolthing]

Just to wrap things up I thought I should list the solution I used.

This is for the Nature 2 express mineral cartridge which is the type which screws into a holder and the domed cartridge top forms the top of the unit.

1) Stop the pump.
2) Remove the cartridge (unscrews at the outer rim)
3) Remove the "cup" shaped surround (on mine the surround just sat in place).
4) Sitting in the hole in the main pipe is a flow diverter, remove this (mine just lifted out).
5) A 1 1/2 inch PVC male cap fitting will screw into the place where the cartridge should go. Use some teflon tape on the threads to ensure there are no leaks. I bought the cap fitting from my local Home Depot store for $1.28 + tax.
6) Restart the pump and check for leaks.

No more metals going into my pool! Interestingly I broke open the old cartridge. It looked like it had been in use for a long time, but 80% of the pellets were still there!

 

[Durk]

No more metals going into my pool! Interestingly I broke open the old cartridge. It looked like it had been in use for a long time, but 80% of the pellets were still there!

I had a Nature 2 cartridge explode in its first week of service. On mine, 80% of the pellets were just blue plastic filler. The remainder were the metal BB's you were supposed to pay $100 to replace.

When it exploded, while I was travelling for a week, the pellets all got shot out the returns, rolled down the slope and most got sucked into the floor drain and ended up in the pump basket. The resulting copper overdose stained my brand new plaster pool and required an acid start-up to (mostly) resolve. I cut the &*(%$ thing out.