New Salt Cell, but still not getting any Chlorine

[bigbankhank]

I have a Zodiac Nature2 Fusion Soft 1400 Salt Chlorinator + Nature2 System. My pool never seems to have any chlorine unless I add shock. I bought this home in May 2021, and since I have owned the home, I know that the salt cell has not been replaced and have no idea when the last time it was prior to me owning the home.

So after reading TFP forums, I learned that the salt cell is normally good for 3-5 years. So I assumed the problem had to be that the cell was bad. So I purchased a brand new salt cell and installed it last week and am still getting NO chlorine production, even with AquaPure set at 60-70% and even doing a 24 hour 100% boost.

What could be the problem?

(PS: Sorry if I don't know the lingo and terminology. While I have definitely learned over the 3 years of pool ownership, I still am certainly a novice at this)

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
Please post a full set of test results from your own test kit. It is likely you have algae that is consuming your FC or you have no CYA in the water and the chlorine is being consumed by the UV from the sun each day.
I suggest you read through Pool Care Basics - Trouble Free Pool and even look at a few of our videos TFP-TV - Trouble Free Pool

 

[Jimrahbe]

Hank,

Salt cells are not 'magic' they are based on science..

Before they can work the pool must be algae free, and the pool water must be balanced.

Just because you can't see algae, does not mean it is not in the pool.

Algae can consume more chlorine than your cell can produce in a day.

The start to all of this is to be able to test your own pool water..

What is your current reading for the following:

FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[bigbankhank]

@mknauss @Jimrahbe thank you both for your reply.

I spent several hours on the forums last night, on Pool School, and even purchased the paid version of the app PoolMath.

I never had any chlorine so I didn't even need to check that to know that I needed some. So last night I added 3 1lb bags of Clorox Shock XtraBlue 6 in 1 Formula.

24 hours later, this evening, I used my Taylor K-2005 test kit. I didn't really know these kits had "best by" dates on them.... This is my 4th summer with this pool and I have checked the water chemistry probably less than 5 times (I know that sounds crazy but its the truth). Anyways, looking back at my Amazon history, I purchased this kit in May 2021. It has been kept in a closed cabinet in the garage.

Im sure it is apparent, I am very much a novice / beginner. Nonetheless, I got the requested readings for what Jim listed, except for CC (I never heard of a "dipper" until reading the color coded card this evening, and my kit doesn't have dippers in it (unless it did at some point and they fell out). So assuming I did these tests the right way (I think I did) and assuming the reagents are still good, here are my results.

FC - 1 (bc I put in 3 bags of shock last night)
CC - ??
pH - 7.6
TA - 70
CH - 200
CYA - 42
Salt - 3000 (according to the AquaPure box, assuming that display is accurate... I dont have test strips).

Once again... I have a brand new Salt Cell (installed 7/11/24).

Please help! Thank you in advance. (I am committed to learning once and for all)

** Probably doesn't matter but I attached a couple of photos of my pool just to give a visual reference. Pics are older and not an illustration of the current water.

 

[PoolStored]

So last night I added 3 1lb bags of Clorox Shock XtraBlue 6 in 1 Formula.

Do not put any clorox products in your pool, except CYA. Anything with blue in the name typically has copper.

I used my Taylor K-2005 test kit.

I'd order a new test it. Here are the recommended ones...Link-->Test Kits Compared

I recommend this one, the speedstir is a game changer. Take my speed stir, I fill in the pool. Link-->TF-Pro Salt

Add 5ppm of liquid chlorine per day until the new kit arrives. Use pool math to figure out how much that is...Link-->>PoolMath
.Add NOTHING else.

For future reference, your cell creates about 1.25lb Chlorine per day, you can use that in pool math.

Also, when FC is low, the SWCG is not good at raising FC. Use liquid chlorine to raise FC and SWCG to maintain FC.

If you want some reading, read these:
Pool Care Basics
FC/CYA Levels
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

 

[bigbankhank]

Do not put any clorox products in your pool, except CYA. Anything with blue in the name typically has copper.


I'd order a new test it. Here are the recommended ones...Link-->Test Kits Compared

I recommend this one, the speedstir is a game changer. Take my speed stir, I fill in the pool. Link-->TF-Pro Salt

Add 5ppm of liquid chlorine per day until the new kit arrives. Use pool math to figure out how much that is...Link-->>PoolMath
.Add NOTHING else.

For future reference, your cell creates about 1.25lb Chlorine per day, you can use that in pool math.

Also, when FC is low, the SWCG is not good at raising FC. Use liquid chlorine to raise FC and SWCG to maintain FC.

If you want some reading, read these:
Pool Care Basics
FC/CYA Levels
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

I just purchased the test kit you recommended... TF-Pro Salt.

Where do I get liquid chlorine?

*would it be harmful to run out my box of chlorox shock, and then fully convert when its gone? I just opened a 24 pack box and have about 20 left. I already am moving on from basically a unused Taylor K- 2oo5 test kit.

 

[PoolStored]

Clorox shock may or may not contains copper. No bueno for el poolo. Many products with the name Blue or Blu, contain copper. Twer' it I, I would not use it...YMMV


Use Walmart Pool Essentials Liquid Chlorine...best product and price, likely...Aisle Y11, Walmart, 2000 Old Fort Pkwy, Murfreesboro, TN 37129


Or this at Elder's Ace Hardware, Murfreesboro, but more expensive:

 

[Newdude]

20 lbs of trichlor will jack your CYA by 63. Super no Bueno. And the copper.

 

[bigbankhank]

Clorox shock may or may not contains copper. No bueno for el poolo. Many products with the name Blue or Blu, contain copper. Twer' it I, I would not use it...YMMV
View attachment 599028

Use Walmart Pool Essentials Liquid Chlorine...best product and price, likely...Aisle Y11, Walmart, 2000 Old Fort Pkwy, Murfreesboro, TN 37129

View attachment 599029
Or this at Elder's Ace Hardware, Murfreesboro, but more expensive:
View attachment 599027

Thanks! I order 4 gallons of the Walmart stuff, so I will have some on hand. It is being delivered here shortly, so I will have it today.

Its raining here today.... Does that matter? Or should I still go ahead and apply the 5ppm today?

Also, my pool, from my understanding has fiberglass walls and concrete floor / steps. So in the PoolMath app, is my "Type of Pool" Fiberglass or Plaster?

 

[PoolStored]

Rain has little impact on a pool.

Add the 5ppm.

Use plaster for the pool, if the floor is plaster/concrete.

 

[bigbankhank]

Rain has little impact on a pool.

Add the 5ppm.

Use plaster for the pool, if the floor is plaster/concrete.

I am very sorry for having to ask this.... But I cannot figure out how much 5ppm is? I have tried to use the app (not really sure what I am doing there, and also tried to get the answer via Google and Gemini (AI) by typing the following question: "If I need to add 5ppm of liquid chlorine to a 21,000 gallon pool, how many ounces would that be?"

Long story short, it is telling me i need to add 87,720 ounces of 10% liquid chlorine.... Please advise.

 

[PoolStored]

Use the "effects of adding" function in the menu of pool math.

Select liquid chlorine and enter the % concentration. Adjust the ounces until it tells you you are adding 5ppm.

 

[Newdude]

Make sure you gallons is correct too. It's way off in the settings.

 

[bigbankhank]

Use the "effects of adding" function in the menu of pool math.

Select liquid chlorine and enter the % concentration. Adjust the ounces until it tells you you are adding 5ppm.

Thank you! Very helpful. Looks like for a 21,000 gallon pool, 135 oz is 5ppm. The 1 gallon bottle of liquid chlorine is 128 ounces, so I just poured in the entire bottle, which equals 4.8 ppm. So hopefully that is sufficient.

I will continue to add 1 full gallon each day until my TF-Pro Salt kit arrives.

I will continue to report back. Thank you!

 

[bigbankhank]

Good Evening. I received my TF-Pro Salt Kit and have started logging results in the app.

I am not sure if you guys have a way of seeing my logged test results, or if my profile here on the TFP website / forum is linked to my paid version of the PoolMath app.

Anyways, yesterday I measure my CL was 1, so I poured in a gallon of Liquid Chlorine, and retested this morning.... below are my results:

FC - 5
pH - 8 (color was beyond the 7.8, but not a great match for the 8.2)
TA - 70
CH - 200
CYA - 42
Salt - 3100 (according to the AquaPure box, assuming that display is accurate... I dont have test strips)

Any advise what I need to do now?

I have purchased the kit, I have started checking CL and pH for the first time and am doing it nearly daily, I switched to liquid chlorine and am keeping that on hand, I am logging all my results and all my adds every time..... So I have committed to learning and doing things the TFP way.

And ultimately, going back to the beginning of this thread, I am trying to figure out if my brand new SWG even produces chlorine. I look forward to hearing back from you all. Thanks!

 

[PoolStored]

Test your salt level with the salt test kit in the TFPro salt. Report that.

Lower your pH too 7.8 with muriatic acid. Do it in .2 increments, then test 30 minutes later.

Do the salt test, then we talk SWG.

 

[bigbankhank]

Test your salt level with the salt test kit in the TFPro salt. Report that.

Lower your pH too 7.8 with muriatic acid. Do it in .2 increments, then test 30 minutes later.

Do the salt test, then we talk SWG.

First, some test results from this evening:

FC - 0.5 (down 4.5 from 2 days ago)
pH - 8
Salt - 2800 (tested with Kit instead of AquaPure digital reading)

I used Muriatic Acid as instructed. The app said I needed 7.9oz to lower pH to 7.8 (but looking at the app now, I can't figure where I came across that). Nonetheless at 7:36 pm CST I added 8oz of Muriatic Acid. 30 minutes later, I retested pH, and the color on test tube I felt it was closest to was 7.8 pH. (The Muriatic Acid I used was Klean Strip Green, so I am not sure what the what % it is or what Baume it is... I selected 31.45% (20 Be) in the app).

Then at 8:30 I added 80 oz of Liquid Chlorine (hopefully that was okay... don't know if adding liquid chlorine an hour after muriatic acid is okay or not).

As far as the salt test, assuming the AquaPure is still reading 3.1, I guess it is about 300ppm off from my inaugural salt test I did from the kit tonight which was 2800.

I look forward to your response.

 

[PoolStored]

Salt level need to be 3000-3500ppm for the cell to generate. You need to add salt. Turn the generator off when you add salt for at least 112 hours with pump running. Maintain FC for your CYA with liquid chlorine while the salt is mixing...Link-->FC/CYA Levels
. Put the salt in and brush until it is dissolved. Use Diamon Crystals Solar Naturals or diamond crystal pool salt...Link-->FC/CYA Levels

Clean strip is somewhere around 15-20%...MFger doesn't disclose...you will have to play with it. Chlorine at least 10 minutes after or before acid. You did good.

Get and keep your FC up for your CYA. What is your CY> Follow this

 

[bigbankhank]

You are super helpful. I REALLY appreciate your patience with me. I am committed to learning this, and some things are starting to click for the first time.

I guess I need to see how to turn the generator off... haven't tried that before. Also, 112 hours? As in 4.5 days?

 

[wireform]

Lower it to 0%