How often do you clean a salt cell?

[Nikilyn]

I was reading a post where someone was cleaning theirs and was wondering how often we should plan on doing that and how do you know when you need to?

 

[ajw22]

Your IntelliChlor has a Check Cell light when it wants you to look at the cell plates.

Only acid wash a cell when you see visible scale and the scale cannot be removed with water or a popsicle stick. Every acid wash reduces the life of the cell.

If your CSI is well maintained your cell may never require cleaning. The cell polarity reversal is supposed to have the cell self clean.

 

[cowboycasey]

I did not clean my cell in 8 years..

 

[Saturn94]

Other than a good rinse with the garden hose at closing, never.

 

[Oly]

--edit-- To answer your question, when I first installed my SWG it was 30 days until my "check cell" light and required descaling. The second time was only after 3 weeks. I was able to observe a steady decrease in the units calculated salt ppm and drop in run time voltage each time. After each cleaning the numbers immediately increased to normal levels. After the second cleaning in two months I reduced my pH and dropped my TA to 50ppm reducing my CSI to -0.6 and have watched my cell numbers stay in the normal range now for nearly 3 weeks. My fill water TA is 150+. My pool water CH is 220ppm.

Cleaning the cell plates involves removing calcium scale. Calcium scale happens when the CSI (calcium saturation index) rises and Ca precipitates out of solution and onto the pool surface or onto your cell plates.
If the CSI of your pool water is neutral or slightly positive, <0.6 calcium scale on your pool surface will likely not be an issue. What happens inside your cell plates during chlorine generation will raise the CSI in your cell well above the level in your water and may eventually require frequent cell cleaning. You may also observe calcium flakes in your pool water or on the bottom as they sluff off the plates during polarity changes.
A new SWG owner needs to monitor TA, CH, pH and water temp to predict and manage a cells performance and scale accumulation. Knowing your fill water chemistry becomes more important during summer as topping off regularly may alter your CSI. Your pool type and in line equipment is also a factor in managing the CSI of your water and your cell.

 

[Nikilyn]

Thanks everyone! Now the big question, how do I manage CSI? That isn’t something I’ve been doing. I don’t remember seeing that in PoolMath.

 

[mknauss]

I don’t remember seeing that in PoolMath.

Touch the Gear Icon, upper right, scroll down and enable Track CSI.

 

[Nikilyn]

Touch the Gear Icon, upper right, scroll down and enable Track CSI.

Thanks. I played with it earlier tonight and found it. CSI is good .

 

[revitup]

when I first installed my SWG it was 30 days until my "check cell" light and required descaling. The second time was only after 3 weeks. I was able to observe a steady decrease in the units calculated salt ppm and drop in run time voltage each time. After each cleaning the numbers immediately increased to normal levels.

So are you saying your SWG senses when it’s output is reduced, by scaling or whatever, and throws a notification that cleaning is needed?

 

[Oly]

So are you saying your SWG senses when it’s output is reduced, by scaling or whatever, and throws a notification that cleaning is needed?

Yes. After measuring my NaCl ppm with the K-1766 (4000ppm) and installing my RJ-60+ the units calculated salt ppm matched my test. I also noted the real time voltage during generation was above 6.4v. With my CSI near 0 it was only a matter of days until I observed slight scaling on the plates and after a couple weeks I observed a significant and steady decline in the units calculated salt ppm and drop in voltage, less than 6v. As the the ppm salt reported dropped to 2800 and the voltage display was <5.8v (30 days) the low salt light began to flicker and soon the unit shut down with the cell maintenance light on. After manually cleaning the plates of solid Ca scale (no acid solution) the unit registered the 4000ppm salt and the voltage was at 6.4.