Chlorine can't seem to get from salt cell to pool

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L

LoriPaas

Silver Supporter
Aug 29, 2018
11
Louisville/KY
Pool Size
35000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Saline Generating Systems Breeze 760
I have done multiple things to try to generate/maintain chlorine in pool: cleaned salt cell, lowered phosphates to acceptable level, shocked pool to acceptable chlorine level, replaced salt cell with more powerful salt cell, done the bucket test on the salt cell and still seems the salt cell is generating chlorine but it is not registering any chlorine in the pool. I've had the pool store experts come out & look at how everything is set up (and, we've had an effective salt cell in the past), we are running pump & salt cell at 100% 24/7 and still no chlorine. Help! Pool has been shocked multiple times this summer as we try & resolve this issue but to no avail. Pool was shocked (extensively) 4 weeks ago & chlorine has steadily dropped each week to .7 yesterday (so I added more shock last night).

I was told by the salt generator company that I didn't have the correct control center. I have since received & installed it & everything seems to be working well. Thanks for your advice & assistance.
 
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Hi there Lori, welcome!

My first question is : What are you doing that you're calling "Shock"?? Is that adding a particular potion once? What is it you added?

The other thing that jumped out at me is that you don't have a reliable trusted test kit to test your water. You may have a outbreak brewing or never cleared and it is chewing thru any chlorine you put in there. With that size pool (big!) I'd just go to TFTestkits.net and order the TF-100 XL test kit. It should last you the rest of this year and most of next too.

You need to know more about your filter- it may be filthy and need a good cleaning. Did you look behind your lights and any place that can hide algae??

Which size and brand of SWG are you running?? How does your water look??

What have you added to the pool chemical wise?? HOw do you "shock" your pool?

Until you get a good test kit and can tell us:
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA...

...Add a gallon of plain, unscented, non-thickened non Clorox brand bleach every day and brush while you wait for your test kit. This will jump start getting things fixed.

Maddie :flower:
 
Hello and welcome! :wave: Something we have to emphasize right away as a new member is that we bases all forum advice off of the results of one of two water test kits - either the TF-100 or Taylor K-2006 (link below). We say this because those "pool store experts" often provide inaccurate free tests. Why does this matter to your salt cell you may ask? Because before we can assume the cell is bad, we need to know some other things like:
- What is your current salt level (via reliable test kit)
- What are all of your water test results (FC, CC, CYA, PH, TA, CH)?

For pools that have a suspected algae or heavy organic load, we never do a shock like you've probably heard before. We use the SLAM Process technique and monitor it via one of those recommended test kits. If you have algae, the chlorine can be consumed right away. In addition, if your CYA is too low, the sun will take your FC just as fast.

So it would be good to know your water test results first so we can try and pinpoint the reason why you are having difficulty retaining chlorine. Let us know if you have any questions and we'll try to help some more.
 
Lori,

I doubt there is anything wrong with your SWCG... I suspect you have just got algae consuming all the chlorine the cell can make as fast as it can make it. I also suspect that your CYA is well above 100 making your chlorine pretty ineffective.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Hi Lori, if it's OK, I'm going to share my experience and ask a question at the same time. When my SWG is generating chlorine, I see little tiny bubbles coming out of the returns and floating to the surface. And just the other day, I was underwater looking at the returns and not only did I see the little bubbles, but I also noticed a cloud coming out of the return, just as if I was pouring chlorine manually into water. If you don't see either, it may or may not be an indicator that your SWG is not generating. But if you do see either, the bubbles or the cloud, it probably means your SWG is OK.

The other experts who have already commented will help you solve the issue, as soon as you can give them good test results. In the meantime, when your SWG indicates it's generating, go have a look at your returns and see if you see little bubbles, or a cloud of chlorine emanating from the returns.

So, my question, has anyone else noticed this cloud I'm describing?
 
Dirk,

I have small bubbles that come out of the return closest to the equipment pad when the cell is producing chlorine... and beside the small bubbles there are also really small bubble or what might look like a "cloud".

All three of my pools do basically the same thing. So, it is either normal or all three of mine have the same problem... :p

Jim R.

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They also seem to come out in spurts, like they were fired out of a gun, one round or cloud at a time, in rapid succession..
 
We know the bigger bubbles are the hydrogen. But the cloud seemed to be milky, not smaller bubbles. It didn't rise to the surface, but rather it dispersed. I suppose it could have been my IntellipH, and an acid cloud, but it was a lot, like the size of a couch pillow, not a tiny stream like I thought my IpH injected. The smaller bubbles you were describing, do they rise, like the hydrogen, or just drift away from the return?

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Mine was just a steady stream of cloudy material. Like I said, just as if you were pouring LQ into water.
 

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I see the "cloud" within the cell when its working, but not in the pool.

Lori, if you can hold a cup up to your pool return and grab some of that water directly (with minimal to no mixing in of the rest of the pool water in there) and test it, it should show higher FC than the rest of the pool. If it does, your cell is working.

Maddie :flower:
 
YippeeSkippy said:
I see the "cloud" within the cell when its working, but not in the pool.

Lori, if you can hold a cup up to your pool return and grab some of that water directly (with minimal to no mixing in of the rest of the pool water in there) and test it, it should show higher FC than the rest of the pool. If it does, your cell is working.
Click to expand...

That's the way to do it. One of those free Leslie's sample bottles would be perfect for that. Shove the spout right up to the return and tip to bleed the air out while it fills with mostly "return water."
 
Dirk said:
Hi Lori, if it's OK, I'm going to share my experience and ask a question at the same time. When my SWG is generating chlorine, I see little tiny bubbles coming out of the returns and floating to the surface. And just the other day, I was underwater looking at the returns and not only did I see the little bubbles, but I also noticed a cloud coming out of the return, just as if I was pouring chlorine manually into water. If you don't see either, it may or may not be an indicator that your SWG is not generating. But if you do see either, the bubbles or the cloud, it probably means your SWG is OK.

The other experts who have already commented will help you solve the issue, as soon as you can give them good test results. In the meantime, when your SWG indicates it's generating, go have a look at your returns and see if you see little bubbles, or a cloud of chlorine emanating from the returns.

So, my question, has anyone else noticed this cloud I'm describing?
Click to expand...

I didn't until last night. Wife and I were in the spa so pool was in spa mode and water was just circulating through the spa suction to filter to SWG to the two spa returns. I was looking at my feet in the water by one of the returns and the water looked cloudy. I was thinking that maybe I have a problem brewing. As I sat there thinking about water quality the water became crystal clear. That got me thinking that my eye sight was going.

I sat there watching as the water cycled from clear to cloudy to clear. My wife at one point commented that the water looked cloudy and I told her to wait and watch. The cloud was by the return and the upper water by the steps always stayed clear.

Dirk, that got me thinking about this post and that I was observing the SWG in action. My IC40 is set to 50% at the moment and I don't have automation that adjusts it down in SPA mode. I probably would not had thought about what I was observing if not for your post.

When I put the pool back in POOL mode so 80% of the water from the SWG went to the three pool return jets and only 20% went to the two spa return jets I could no longer see the cloud cycle.

So it seems if you concentrate the SWG output out of one or two returns and have the right lighting you can see the CL cloud generated.
 
So it seems if you concentrate the SWG output out of one or two returns and have the right lighting you can see the CL cloud generated.
Click to expand...

It seems like you should see something. The SWG is making pure chlorine, in its gaseous form, right? So between the SWG and the pool, it mixes with water just as it comes from the store? So it should be just like pouring LC into water? Cloud like? All questions...

Lor i- since this is a little iffy, Maddie's got the best advice, to actually test the water at the return for chlorine. Allen brings up something to watch for, though. Not all the returns output the same, so the one nearest your SWG might give a higher reading than elsewhere. It would depend on how long your pipes are and what your SWG output setting is.

Have you made any progress on the mystery?
 
The pool store tells me to "shock" the pool by adding chlorine (which I shouldn't need to do since it is a salt pool, but have had to several times this summer). I have been out of town & have been working with the salt generator company & learned I did not receive the upgraded (for larger pool) control center when I received the larger cell. I have all of that in place now & everything seems to be working well finally. Thanks for your advice. I would like to purchase my own test kit though & was looking into the one you suggested. Do I need to purchase the XL or can I just get the TF-100? I'm not certain I need the XL. Your thoughts? Thank you!

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I was told by the salt generator company that I didn't have the correct control center. I have since received & installed it & everything seems to be working well. Thanks for your advice & assistance.

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Thank you. The problem has been resolved with an upgraded cell control center (which I wasn't aware I needed). But, I am going to take your advice, and order the water test kits. Thank you.
 
Lori,

I suggest that you get the TF-100, it is what I use. TFTestkits.net

I also suggest you get the speed-stir, as it almost makes the testing fun... Otherwise, you have to swirl the test tube, while adding drops, and counting all the same time. Something that I am apparently unable to do... :cool:

Glad you got your system up and running. You should never have to add shock (of any kind) to your pool, if your salt cell is working properly. I have three saltwater pools and have never added any form of shock in the past 6 years.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
LoriPaas said:
The pool store tells me to "shock" the pool by adding chlorine (which I shouldn't need to do since it is a salt pool, but have had to several times this summer)........
Click to expand...
You have a chlorine pool that uses a SWG to create chlorine. While you should never have to regularly ‘shock’ any pool, it’s perfectly fine to add a bit of liquid chlorine (aka bleach) to establish your FC level, then dial in the SWG maintain FC.
 
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