Saltwater cell the gas trap and solar

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Sticky

Sticky

0
Oct 17, 2009
90
WoyWoy Australia
Hi guys

So I have decided to go SWG and just found out I need a gas trap where the cell sits higher than the filter .

My first concern is that the flow of the intelliflo VF 30GPM will be to low to move the Hydrogen gas from the cell I have seen reports on whirlpool forums where a low flow pumps lowest setting was allowing gas to build up in the cell chamber

and second

is that how the air from the solar panels 3 x helicol sunX 40s running at 28GPM will effect the cell, I am worried that the air will get trapped in the cell chamber or will the priming of the panels flush the air from the panel through ?

anyone running a SWG with solar panels that the water the runs thru the cell can allay my concerns please ? .

thanks
Dave
 
The minimum flow rate required for the SWG will vary some by device, but they are usually around 25 or 30 GPM minimum. The SWG should also have a flow sensor and if the flow is too low it will tell you "No Flow" and will shut off SWG chlorine production. Air from the solar panels should get flushed through the unit just as with any other plumbing.
 
I have yet to see an install on here with the cell higher than the filter. Once your pump is primed and running, there shouldn't be any air in the system. The cell only comes on when there is water flow, so there won't be any build up of hydrogen because it will be pushed to the pool.
 
I agree with others in that I haven't seen any information that suggests the cell needs to be plumbed higher than the filter.

After I installed solar heating last year, I destroyed a cell by running too low flow through the salt cell for extended periods. Sure the 'low flow' light must have come on (while I was at work each day) but I don't believe that it actually switches off the salt cell production on a Watermaid chlorinator. If it did, then I wouldn't have burnt out my cell. Maybe other chlorinator brands switch off at low flow ?
 
Hi

Page 7 http://www.watermaid.com/media/pdf/product-support/WATERMAID-WM40-Owners-Handbook.pdf and page 5 http://www.astralpool.com.au/sites/default/files/products/manuals/Viron Chlorinator Instructions.pdf .

maybe it is a thing here in Australia all the pool shops I have gone to so far show set ups with the cell above the filter to stop H gas migrating towards the filter like on page 6 here http://www.astralpool.com.au/sites/default/files/products/manuals/INST315 EQ CHLORINATOR_0.pdf .

It will be a bit of a pain to plumb but can be done and as you can see from the pic on pages 6 it introduces a high n shaped point to push all the solar air past that's why i was puzzled .

the gas would actually if it did manage to go backward would end up in the solar return pipe and not the filter .
 

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The Watermaid manual shows the chlorinator plumbed below the filter on the horizontal installation. I think the diagrams showing the cell plumbing above the filter are just coincidental and I dont think it has to be plumbed "above" the filter. In fact I was at the Watermaid repairs centre at Terrey Hills (NSW, Australia) a few days ago and talked to them about re plumbing my chlorinator. They discussed the gas trap in detail but made no mention that it needs to be above the filter.
 
Yes I was at the pool shop today talking about it and it is not a govt legislated requirement just advised , I can plumb it with not much trouble I just wold be introducing more 90 deg elbow than I would like .

Also now I mention the the pool shop guy that I was going salt for the better feel on skin , my Mum who lives with me she cant use the pool because of poor skin from sun cancers was at the shop too , anyway he metioned mineral chlorination and how good it is for people with skin conditions .
going to start a new thread on this they said there is less chlorine in the water 1.5ppm not 3-4 ppm but when I ask how it keeps the bact and algae down he was not sure Hmmmm ? .
 
Unfortunately you cannot avoid plumbing a few extra 90deg bends for a chlorinator. You could always substitute some sharp 90deg bends for 90 deg sweeps elbows. http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pvc-pipes-equivalent-length-fittings-d_801.html

You will also get further friction losses with the water going through the salt cell. Maybe consider going for something like a Watermaid or SaltMate as I think their design involves less friction losses that something like a Zodiac or Astral chlorinator where the water flow goes up, a cross and then down. I could be wrong though, what are your thought on it ?

On a positive note I can confirm that a Saltwater pool is very nice on the skin. In summer I often have a late night swim and jump straight into bed, shower not required. The salt concentration level is around 1/6 to 1/8 that of seawater.
 
Sticky said:
Also now I mention the the pool shop guy that I was going salt for the better feel on skin , my Mum who lives with me she cant use the pool because of poor skin from sun cancers was at the shop too , anyway he metioned mineral chlorination and how good it is for people with skin conditions .
going to start a new thread on this they said there is less chlorine in the water 1.5ppm not 3-4 ppm but when I ask how it keeps the bact and algae down he was not sure Hmmmm ? .
Click to expand...
He's talking about using copper ions in the pool as an algaecide and then lowering the Free Chlorine (FC) level (technically the FC/CYA ratio). Copper ions can stain plaster surfaces (wouldn't be good for your pebblecrete) unless you were to carefully control the copper ion concentration and make sure the pH didn't rise too high. It can also turn blond hair greenish. This is why we don't recommend it. It's also unnecessary if one maintains the proper FC/CYA level.

The pool shop guy probably doesn't understand the chlorine/CYA relationship so thinks that 3-4 ppm FC is high. The FC number alone is completely irrelevant -- what matters is the FC/CYA ratio since that determines the active chlorine level that would affect swimsuits, skin, and hair. At the minimum FC that is 7.5% of the chlorine level, the active chlorine level is the same as in a pool with only 0.06 ppm FC with no CYA so it's very low.

If you really wanted to use a lower FC/CYA level and avoid the risk of metal staining, you could use Polyquat 60 algaecide weekly or use a phosphate remover. These are extra cost and as I mentioned they are not necessary, but if you wanted supplemental algae prevention to have an even lower FC/CYA ratio then that is what you could do.
 
Actually I am not sure not that the chlorine is lower than a normal salt pool , what AIS says is that it works with a lower TDS for a typical 3500ppm to 2500ppm , salt pools being aprox 5000 ppm . the anode is titanium maybe the cathode it copper not sure .

So basically replacing sodium salts with magnesium/potassium and /or calcium chlorides .

I thought the nice silky feel of the water was caused by the higher amount if sodium ions in the water after being split from the chlorine atoms making the water softer .

Not sure how much their bags of salt are but I bet its dearer than normal salt .

Starting to think it is just a way of locking you to their product like Apple .

Also it uses two cell have to ask about this why it needs two ? hmmmm .
 
Sticky said:
I thought the nice silky feel of the water was caused by the higher amount if sodium ions in the water after being split from the chlorine atoms making the water softer .

Not sure how much their bags of salt are but I bet its dearer than normal salt .

Starting to think it is just a way of locking you to their product like Apple .

Also it uses two cell have to ask about this why it needs two ? hmmmm .
Click to expand...
No, sodium and chlorine atoms aren't "split" by an SWG, but rather when you dissolve sodium chloride salt into the water the atoms are separated by the water molecules themselves. It has nothing to do with an SWG. The feel of a saltwater pool is the same regardless of whether an SWG is used or not. An SWG only uses the chloride (and water or hydrogen ions) and doesn't use the sodium in the water (except as providing general conductivity between the plates, but the sodium is not transformed in any way).
 
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