Cannot get my SWG to work properly (and selling my house!)

[79TAKid]

Hello All,

I bought my house as a foreclosure at the end of 2012 and still using the same equipment that was here. I do not know the age, I think the pool and everything was built in 2006, Not sure if the SWG is that old or not. I've used it since opening the pool in 2013 without many issues. One time it did start shooting out what looked like soapy bubbles, but after a cleaning a year or 2 ago it was fine.

Even if my Water has been a little out of wack, it seems to have still worked if the salt level is okay. Water is currently sparkly clean.

So here's what its doing, if I try to run it, it will turn on for about 5-10 seconds and then start flashing the check salt/error light like something is wrong and turn the cell off. If I hit the TEST button, it will run through its little test and say level is OK (code 90) and turn off the error light. Same error happens if I try to actually run it though. I have resorted to pouring in liquid chlorine manually.

On 6/13 my salt level was 1800-1900, I added about 200lbs of salt after checking pool math and it shouldve been around 3300 (optimal is 3250-3450 I believe).
6/14 it tested at around 3500lbs so I thought I was good but thats when I noticed it would not run right. I thought i'd give it some time for salt level to go down incase it was too high.
7/23 I tested the salt and it said 3900! I have not added anymore
8/3 I tested it last night and the test strip said 4300! I've never had issues with these test strips. They are the AquaChek 561140A from amazon.
Somewhere in there the past month I tried cleaning any debris out of the cell, cleaning in acid again, and cleaned the electrical connections where each thing plugs in with no luck.

My current levels as of last night:
FC 4
CC 0
TA 105 (I believe this has normally been 60 in the past, maybe the liquid chlorine raised it?)
CH 60
PH 7.8
Salt 4300
CYA 60

The only other thing I did before getting the pool going was change out the laterals/fingers at the bottom of the Sand filter (still leaks sand ) and maintenance such as new gaskets pressure gauge, etc.

Is my cell dead? Not much info in the manual. During its test, it flashes 3 numbers, the first is 50 or 51 (I believe this is Amps), then 23 (Voltage?), then 90 (which is OK)



Here is the manual:
Polaris Autoclear Owners Manual.pdf - Google Drive

Full size: https://i.imgur.com/xsTZmeE.jpg

 

[mknauss]

Most salt cells show low salt when they are dying. Always best to independently check the salt content of the pool water prior to adding, unless you know you drained a large amount of water and refilled with fresh water.

I do not have that brand of SWCG -- so another forum member will chime in with their thoughts.

Take care

 

[79TAKid]

Most salt cells show low salt when they are dying. Always best to independently check the salt content of the pool water prior to adding, unless you know you drained a large amount of water and refilled with fresh water.

I do not have that brand of SWCG -- so another forum member will chime in with their thoughts.

Take care

Thanks for the info. I probably typed the original post too fast, it was about 1800ppm before I added any salt. I'll probably take a sample the pool store and see if they can test the salt to get a 2nd opinion in case my test strips are bad, I'm not sure how the salt level keeps going up unless this liquid chlorine is messing with it somehow.

 

[Divin Dave]

The salt level isn't rising like you've reported. Something isnt right with the method or product you're measuring it with.
Not trying to sell you anything, but I can attest by experience that if your gonna have a SW pool, the Taylor salt test kit is worth the investment. But if you're selling the house, that's a mute point. Anyways,.....

It might be the cell going bad, without a reliable slat test, its hard to say. The inaccurate testing might be masking the root cause of the problem. It might be the flow sensor thats bad. That round thing in front of the cell with the wire on it is the flow switch.
If that is bad, then the SW system thinks the water is not flowing sufficiently, and will not allow the cell to make chlorine.

If I knew how to test that flow switch I would tell you how to do it, but I don't. Mayne someone else will come along who knows how to do that.

I'm not sure how the salt level keeps going up unless this liquid chlorine is messing with it somehow.

 

[Johnboy2017]

What is a slat test?

 

[Philo]

That's where spell check thinks SALT is SLAT.