Is a new filter in my future?

[sande005]

Looking at converting to salt. Likely a CircuPool RJ-45.

I have read many threads about the pros/cons of anodes, and tend to agree that they may not do much. So, given that salt water can be more corrosive, will that giant stainless steel "cathode" in the picture be doomed? Yeah, very old..but still in great shape...

 

[ajw22]

Psst, I have breaking news for you. You probably already have a “salt pool”.

Have you tested the salinity of your pool water!

All forms of chlorine and acid you are using add salt to your pool.

Your stainless steel filter will be fine.

 

[sande005]

I know I have some salt, how much is the question - test kit on order. Might be lower than some - due to being in the northland, it gets about a 1/4-1/3 water change a year.
That filter is 27 years old...so I'm kinda expecting a replacement sooner rather than later. But hopefully not a lot sooner.....

 

[Newdude]

So, given that salt water can be more corrosive, will that giant stainless steel "cathode" in the picture be doomed?

If you put it in salt water, maybe. But your pool water will only be 10% of the salinity of sea water. As said above, liquid chlorine pools easily approach 'salt pool' levels. Yet, nobody runs around installing anodes on their LC pool when it does, because it doesn't matter.

I personally get a kick out of it supposedly helping the whole pool. That's like if we both go boating and we drop anchor to tailgate. Yours doesn't need a sacrificial anode because mine has it ? Your electrons and whatnot will swim over to my anode to protect your metals ? Your pool light supposedly won't rust because there's an anode at the equipment pad or vice versa ? It's silly if you think it through.

Then there's recommendations for when it does matter, like being sized 1% to 2 % of the metal It's protecting. For a steel walled pool, that's a cinderblock of an anode and that risky dink thing they sell isn't going to cut it.

Luckily we have pools and not oceans.

All that said, if you're losing sleep over it, an anode is cheaper than going to the DR for Ambien. If that's the worst you get fleeced on your pool, you did GREAT.

 

[duraleigh]

I would consider a good exterior clean up on that filter and then put some car wax on it. It's quite attractive to me, at least