Best practices to get longest life from SWG cell

[JohnGn]

I've had my Circupool Core55 SWG up and running for almost a month, running my pump around 5hrs per day and varying my output between 25%-50%-75% to get my FC in my target range. So far, so good.

My question here is: Is there an optimal practice to get the longest possible life from the cell? I've seen it written here and other places (Manufacturer's documents) that running the SWG at 100% is ideal for cell life, but that would blast my pool with too much chlorine, so clearly I can't do that. Is it OK to run the SWG at lower outputs without any deleterious effects on cell life? Is it BETTER to run it at lower percentages? I could easily increase my pump run time and lower my output percentage to meet my daily FC demand. I haven't had to clean it yet, but will be keeping an eye on that as time goes on.

Thanks for any and all tips.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Running a cell at 100% output is NEVER ideal for cell life. In fact, that’s the quickest way to kill it. It can be run 24/7 at LOW output and that’s fine.

The biggest killer of an SWG cell is poor water chemistry and calcium scaling. Making sure you track your CSI and keeping it between -0.3 and 0 is ideal for a cell.

Also, IGNORE acid cleaning a cell. A cell does NOT need regular cleaning, only when there is an issue. If you keep your CSI in check and maintain good water chemistry, then your cell will almost never need to be cleaned. If for some reason there is scale, the first attempt is to try to mechanically remove any scale using a blast of water from a garden hose or mechanically removing it with a wooden stick. If any kind of acid cleaning is needed, one should use cleaning vinegar (6%) that is diluted 1:1 with fresh water. Even then you only apply the acid for as long as it is needed to clean the plate and then rinse immediately.

 

[JohnGn]

Thanks, Matt! I appreciate the info. I will definitely ignore the Mfg.'s manual regarding acid cleaning the cell.

I ran my SWG at 100% for one day right after I installed it and my FC went through the roof. Clearly, that bad boy is pumping out the CL, and I've dialed it back since day 1. I'm still dialing everything in, testing every day.

I have been keeping track of my water chemistry, for sure. I believe it is very well-balanced. My CSI is currently -0.08, and has never been lower than -0.29, and that was only because it was cold.

 

[Darin]

All cells have a set amount of life. Running at 100% for X hours is the same as running 50% for 2X hours as running at 10% for 10X hours.
The most inefficient use is not using it and having to source liquid bleach, (except at start up which is when you don't want to use SWG and use liquid bleach).

I like to run my pool at 90 CYA and 10 ppm Cl at beginning of June and by the early September i am down to 50-60 CYA and 6 PPM Cl.

Remember that 100% means that it is generating current for 60 minutes per hour and 10% is 6 minutes. per hour. So you need to run it for works for you. In the end that is what is most efficient. By the way running at night will generally get you the cheapest electricity.

 

[JohnGn]

Thanks, Darin. So what you're saying is that if I can get by running it at the lowest output (as needed), my cell life will be as long as it can be. Sounds good. And I can set up my pump timer to run more at night to keep costs down and generate fresh CL for the next day.

My unit only has 4 options for output: 25-50-75-100%. So far, running it between 25% and 50% has been ideal. I keep my CYA at 70, and my FC at 8 or so, which will vary depending on sunshine and bathing load.

Yes, I definitely use LC for startup.

 

[bobloblaw42]

And I can set up my pump timer to run more at night to keep costs down and generate fresh CL for the next day.

You may want to test late afternoon / early evening if you are generating all your chlorine at night to make sure you don't dip below the low end of target range.

 

[JohnGn]

You may want to test late afternoon / early evening if you are generating all your chlorine at night to make sure you don't dip below the low end of target range.

Oh, I will definitely not be generating ALL my chlorine at night! I was just going to simply shift some runtime to night hours, but not all of them. And I typically test late afternoon/early evening anyway. That way, if FC is on the low end of my target range, I just go out and turn the pump back on. If it's REALLY low for some reason, that's when I increase the percentage output AND turn the pump on. I'm still dialing things in with my system, for sure, and the real summer heat and sunshine aren't even here yet, so I know I'll be doing it through the season. Thanks for the advice!