Do I need a new salt cell?

[GHAND]

Thanks in advance for the help!

We recently bought a house with a 10K Gallon pool and the pool is about 1.5 - 2 years old. The SWG is a Hayward Blue Essence and the sale cell is also Blue Essence for up to 20K Gallons (Serial# 2e19154-xxxxxxx).

When I take in my water to be tested the salt is measured ~3800 is the pool store tester. The pen tester shows it ~3900.

When I look at the Blue Essence controller, the light for low salt is on and it is not generating. I have checked and cleaned the salt cell and it has been in very clean for the past few months.

Below are a the readings from the controller:

2500
90
28.3
3.36
65P
-2400
AL-0
r 1.59
t-5

Do I need a new cell ?

Something just is not right

 

[an1vrsy]

Welcome to TFP! Sorry I can't comment on the salt cell diagnostic numbers. How are you chlorinating the pool, if the cell is not generating? What are your pool chemistry test results?

 

[Pool_Medic]

Yes it’s dying or dead, replace.

 

[mknauss]

IF the actual salinity is 3800 ppm, then you take the reported salinity, 2400, divided by the 3800, if less than 0.75, cell needs replaced. As Pool Medic states.

 

[GHAND]

The current cell is a t5 for up to 20K gallons. Can I replace with a t3 15K cell - the W3T-CELL-3 from Hayward

 

[Pool_Medic]

Going to a smaller producing cell will only cost you more money in the long term.

 

[GHAND]

Thankyou Pool_Medic. Why will it cost more in the long run? Does the smaller cell have to work longer/harder to produce the chlorine?

Also, since I am trying to understand the system better; Currently my unit is not "generating", the Low Salt light is on and the Check Cell is lit. Since I am sure the salt level is over 3500, and I did check the cell, this is indicative of a failing cess --- right?

Again thanks

 

[Pool_Medic]

First off, have you pressed and held the black button yet? The check cell light comes on every 5,000 hours, it’s the oil light in your car, it needs to be reset.

Secondly, these cells have a shelf life of just how much chlorine they will produce. Undersize your cell and it has to work harder and longer to keep chlorine in your pool, this results in an undersized cell having a shorter life than a properly sized one.