Low Salt Error Message

[thomearl]

I’m getting a low salt message on my system and i know its not accurate as i added 120 lbs of salt this weekend to bring it up to 3200 ppm. Is there any way to clear or reset this error message? Its also telling me that the chlorinator is not functioning due to low salt. Could my system still be generating chlorine even with this message, because my chlorine levels were fine when i tested over the weekend.

 

[mknauss]

Can you post the Diagnostics from the controller?

Water temperature can be an issue if it has fallen low enough. Do you have a salt test from a K1766 or other independent test?

Your FC consumption is pretty low now. Mine has fallen to well below 1 ppm per day.

Take care.

 

[thomearl]

Can you post the Diagnostics from the controller?

Water temperature can be an issue if it has fallen low enough. Do you have a salt test from a K1766 or other independent test?

Your FC consumption is pretty low now. Mine has fallen to well below 1 ppm per day.

Take care.

From diagnostic screen
-28.19V
+1.93A
60 degrees F
0800 ppm

Yes i have the Taylor drop test kit for salt
My water temp is 67 degrees
Error message says check system very low salt

Is my salt cell failing or is it my controller?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Did you turn the SWG off for a day while the salt dissolved?

Maddie

 

[thomearl]

No, i did not. Was I supposed to? I was getting the low salt warning before i even added salt though.

 

[ping]

It looks like the cell is dead or full of scale. Remove it and inspect it to make sure it is free of scale. You can have it tested at Leslie's or another local pool store that has a tester if it is clear of scale.

 

[thomearl]

Okay I’ll check out the cell and take it to get tested. I dont think it should have much scale, i cleaned it right before the summer with muriatic.

 

[mknauss]

cleaned it right before the summer with muriatic

In the future - never use acid on your SWCG unless you have to. If no or minimal scale is present on the cell when you check it, do NOT acid wash it anyway.

Each time you acid wash the cell you decrease its life.

I have never had any scale buildup in my cell. Keep your CSI below 0 but above -0.6. Also a lower TA keeps scale from forming in the cell.

Take care.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

No, i did not. Was I supposed to? I was getting the low salt warning before i even added salt though.​

Well, the two chem heads on TFP in the past didn't quite agree if you needed to shut off the SWG when adding salt. One (Chemgeek) said no, but the other (JasonLion) said yes because that concentrated salt bolus going thru the cell packs a big electrochemical charge and can harm the device.

Alternatively you can shut off any main drain you have so that the salt sitting on the bottom doesn't get sucked into the lines before it dissolves.

I always lean towards that which will extend the cell life at all costs.

Maddie

 

[ping]

I believe the directions in the manuals from the manufactures are similar to Jandy's which was in large bold type face:

2. IMPORTANT - Turn the chlorine production off by pressing the arrow button A and setting CHLORINE PRODUCTION Rate to 00%.

We have seen several threads where the owners added salt without turning off the SWG and they reported a dead cell. JasionLion was right to say make the SWG if off while adding salt to the water.

 

[JamesW]

You never want a high concentration of salt to go through a cell while it's on. You can add salt to the water with the cell on if you're very careful not to let it get in the main drains or skimmers. It's safest to turn the production to zero when adding salt, especially if you're adding more than one bag.

I recommend turning the cell off when adding salt.

 

[thomearl]

So did i kill it? Do my diagnostic numbers tell you anything?

 

[JamesW]

It could be a bad cell, a scaled cell or a bad solder connection on the circuit board.

Check for scale and clean only if there is scale.

If the cell is 5 years old or older, it's probably near failure.

Remove the main circuit board and look for burn marks on the back.