Red Service Light on Intex SWG

[crokett]

My intex SWG has the red service light on and is not generating chlorine. Searches on the internet don't seem hopeful. Right now it appears to be the circuit board.

Test results:
pH 6.4
Salt 2900
CYA 60
Water temp 72
TA 90

I will call Intex tomorrow, but the unit is almost 2 years old so I am not hopeful of getting a new circuit board. I see where I may be able to bypass that and hook the cells directly to incoming power. Is this possible? Since I have a pool pump timer, not being able to use the timer on the SWG doesn't matter to me.

 

[civicturbo]

Crokett, I have done alot of modding on mine in the past. Intex states that when the service light comes on "the unit is at the end of its usefull life and will require replacment" or something close. Its very easy to mod to run the cell constantly, anything more and a guy has to know a little electronics. The mod you'll find going around thats easy has you do the following
1. open the main cover
2. find the 4 screw terminal block on the PC board with approx 14 ga. wires
3. take a picture, then loosen all four screws
4. trace the cell cable into the housing and move those two wires to double up with the incoming power wires
5. test; start pump and plug SWG back into power, the power sw on the back is no longer functional as its for the PC board, the xformer, rectifyer, regulator, smoothing caps are all on constant power, thats right, as long as its plugged in its hot!
6. you should observe bubbles in the cell if it producing chlorine.
7. Understand the following limitations; their is no flow switch to shut down the SWG if the water flow stops, this could be bad if alot of gas builds up in the cell. There is no hi/lo salt cut off, there is no automatic cell cleaning via automatic polarity reversal as was in the original circuit.

 

[JasonLion]

It is very likely your cell plates are worn out and need to be replaced.

What civicturbo is proposing is quite hazardous, and won't help if the cell is worn out.

By the by, your PH is way too low. You should never allow PH to go below 7.2.

 

[crokett]

PH is a typo. Should be 7.4 not 6.4 So. Thanks for the info on the modding. I understand the risks involved. I will call Intex and see what they say. If it isn't under warranty I will look at replacing it. Is there a way to check/tell if the cell is worn out?

 

[civicturbo]

It is very likely your cell plates are worn out and need to be replaced.

What civicturbo is proposing is quite hazardous, and won't help if the cell is worn out.

By the by, your PH is way too low. You should never allow PH to go below 7.2.

Jason is right, I should have thrown that part in there too, the mod is only a bandaid and your cell may be putting out zero at this point.
I have gone thru 4 cells on my system now and they all put out nearly zip at the end and yet no service light.

 

[crokett]

I talked to Intex today and "Its dead, Jim". According to Intex it isn't designed to be serviced. The exception is if a part fails under warranty, which mine as old as it is does not. I already had one queued up on Amazon, so the new generator gets here Wednesday.