After doing some tedious research on SWG's, I did the math, and my Salt Cell was at the end of its life. The salt reading on the panel was 60% of the actual salt level (reading on the panel was 1800, actual salt level was 3000). I think my very very high salt in the pool over the past year or so (before I discovered TFP) added to the cells shorter life-span. The cell was here when we bought the home, we have been here going on 3 years now, so it was time anyway.
Although probably against advice of this page, I chose to go with the
Blue Works T-Cell-15 over the
Hayward T-Cell-15. The Hayward right now is $900 on amazon, while the Blue Works is at $600. The cell I had before was not name brand, it it worked just fine for years. The Blue Works has a 2 year warranty and had favorable reviews on Amazon, so for the $300 in savings, I think its worth it.
I bought the one with the clear looking-glass. It's pretty cool!! Once the SWG kicks on, you can actually see it create the chlorine, and a foggy substance is briefly seen shooting through the Salt Cell through the looking glass out to the pool.
As far as my leak, I ordered both a standard 4" Frankenplug, along with a 1.5" "Skimmer Saver". I also ordered a 2" Extension, as all of my lines are 2", not 1.5.
I don't think the Skimmer Saver is going to work in my scenario, at least not as it comes. How the Skimmer Saver works it, Once the "Skimmer Saver" is tightened down, the small rubber washer on the end expands, forming a seal in the pipe, about 10" into the pool wall. The caveat is, on the other end of the seal, its simply a rubber washer designed to tighten down flush on the outside. I feel like, especially since I have to use a 2" Extension, the whole plug is simply going to slide towards the pool wall, therefore not forming a seal on the outside.
Instead, what I would like to do is figure out a way to use the pool cleaner port attachment (pictured), and thread the frankenplug into that, using some sort of a reducer. The reducer cannot screw to the
outside of the pool cleaner port (pictured) however, because this must thread into the wall. It must thread into the
inside of the pool cleaner port, and form a water tight seal. Then, the 2" extension can first be put into place deep inside the pipe. Next, the entire frankenplug (not tightened yet), coupled with the pool cleaner port, can all be screwed straight into the wall until tight and sealed at the pool wall.. Next, with the threaded parts of the frankenplug still sticking out, the threaded frankenplug can be twisted counter-clockwise, forming the seal against the 2" extention in the pipe. Then, we have a seal. I'll just have to figure out how to cut off the frankenplug somewhat inside the pool cleaner port, so I can stick my pool vacuum into the port. I may have to trim off some of the neck of my pool cleaner (the elbow that sicks off the hose that runs to Zodiac MX8).
But for now, I just plugged it.
I have slowly filled the side of the port, where the leak was, with "Stop Leak" using a syringe, and slowly letting the stop leak get sucked into the pool wall. I did this several times, until it seemed to have stopped the leak. I let it cure, then did it again, although it didn't seem to take any more. Next, I finished off with pressing and pressing pool putty around the vacuum port. So fingers crossed, WE'LL SEE IF IT WORKS!!!
I can mess around with plumbing fittings later to bring back function of my pool vacuum port, for now I'm just running it through the skimmer.
Current Chemistry:
FC- 5
CC- 0
pH- 7.3 (going to aerate with waterfall today to bring it up to about 7.6)
CH- 250
TA- 70
CYA- 40 (have 50 oz Stabilizer in a sock in the skimmer)
Salt- 3000
