Intex ECO5110/6110 SWG - Mystery Symptom(s)

Sep 7, 2018
34
Jersey Shore
So, got an above-ground Intex 9' x 18' x 52" ultra-frame pool with a Sand filter SF90110T, and an ECO5110 SWG. Aside from the pump being powered by what seems an anemic hamster with a torn ACL, all seemed well at first... but the SWG kept throwing "High Salt" (error code 92) and refusing to make chlorine.

Initially, I ran the pump for 8 hrs a day, and the SWG in "boost mode", for the same period. I had a pool in FL for a decade, so I know my pool care chores by heart. But when stepping down to "normal mode", I kept getting the "High Salt" warning, the opposite of the far more common "low salt" warning indicating calcium build-up on the anode and cathode of the SWG.

Using a conductivity meter at the pool store, 3100 ppm salt was verified, well within the comfort range of the SWG.

Going back to boost mode made the error go away.
Unplugging the COPPER anode/cathode ( the two-plate unit to your left as you face the control panel, not the three-plate unit to the right that makes the chlorine) made the error go away for a few days. I am currently running that way now, as my levels are good, and I do not need "boost mode".

There is no build-up on any surfaces, but first a vinegar, and then a diluted muriatic acid bath were given to both sets of electrodes, just to be pedantic. No leaks anywhere, nothing to see, unit is brand new, and looks fine from all aspects.

Intex tech support offered a new "titanium electrode" (the chlorine-making electrode) but back-ordered the part, so I asked if they could send a replacement circuit board instead, as the electrode seemed fine, and clearly made lots of bubbles when it was working in boost mode, and for brief periods of sanity before throwing a "high salt" error code.

I am forced to baby-sit the Dang thing until the circuit board arrives, and if it throws an error, fiddle with it to get it to work for me.

I am mystified at why disconnecting the copper electrodes would "fix" the error. Majored in physics, so I presume to think I understand some basic chemistry, and while the copper electrodes seem a waste at best, and possibly counter-productive at worst, I can't see how they would have anything to do with the "high salt" error, which I am assured by Intex is measured on the titanium electrodes.

On the other hand, $400 or so for an end-of-season pool last fall, and another $87 for the SWG, so I can't complain about having spent my money foolishly... I expect that Intex will send me replacements for both the circuit board and the electrodes soon enough.

But it is a puzzler....
 
Lower your salt level to 1800-1900 when the pool is full. It will rise as the pool evaporates.

I constantly had the high salt warning with my 5110 unit. Sold it and moved to a 8110 this season. I haven't received the low salt warning at all this season. It's been running for 3 months with zero errors.

My pool is 5000 gallons and my unit is rated for 15,000 gallons. This allows me to run the unit only 6 hours a day to keep my chlorine at the correct level.


This is what I'd do:
Lower your salt level to 1800
Replace your unit with the 8110 (your 5110 unit probably needs to run 12-14 hours a day to keep up with your pool)

Reason for the high salt error:
The power supply in the unit pulls too much juice with a higher salinity. Yes everyone says keep the salt a 3000. It's a no go for the intex swcgs. Trust me. Keep it low and you will have zero issues.
 
Just FYI, reported my woes to Intex, and they sent a whole new control unit. It ran fine for several weeks, and then, on a whim, I swapped the old control unit back into service with the aim of diagnosing the specifics of the error/fault. No errors since then from the old unit, so the new unit sits in its box as a spare. Very confused, but I did NOT drain water or add salt, so I remain at 3100 ppm salt. Otherwise, no issues. Lucky me, no "SLAM" needed to date, and here is is Labor Day Weekend.
 
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