Salt Cell Running at Low Water Temps

[JoyfulNoise]

When the cell is not energized, no power applied, it’s fine. Nothing is happening. When the cell is energized and the water is cold, it creates chlorine gas less efficiently at the expense of other chemical reactions occurring (mainly oxygen gas formation but also some chlorate). You would not notice any difference in the power applied to the cell.

I know everyone wants to optimize the use of their cell but this is really splitting hairs. Let the SWG run until the cold water shuts it down. In my neck of the woods I don’t even adjust the output, I just let the system shut itself down. If I’m on the edges of the cold season and there’s a random warm day that makes the cell turn on, great. I don’t go running out to turn it off or on. I just let the automation handle it. The amount of cell lifetime you’ll save trying to exactly dial in an optimal start time is inconsequential and, in my opinion, a waste of time. Water balance is the biggest determinant of cell lifetime. Keep your water balanced properly and you cell will go the distance.

 

[Dirk]

My cell worked just fine down to a hard limit of 50 degree water then stopped. Are y'all saying it is detrimental to cell life just to have power on to it even when not producing? I thought shutvdown was shut down.

I think this is how it works, if I'm following along here well enough: when the water was just above 50, and the cell was still producing, it was producing less chlorine than normal, due to the cold water, but burning up your SWG's lifespan hours just as if it was producing the normal amount of chlorine.

But when it hit 50, and went into "cold water" mode, it stopped producing any chlorine, and stopped burning up lifespan hours. It's not the power to the SWG that is burning lifespan hours, it's the power to the cell's plates that is.

It's similar as, say, a setting of 50% output. If you're running 24/7, then you're burning only 12 hours of lifespan per day, not 24, even though there is power to the SWG for 24 hours per day.

 

[mgtfp]

SWGs in Australia run all year. In my case the water gets down to about 8°C (46°F), never had an issue.

Never ever having to buy chlorine:
Priceless

Do I care if that affected my cell lifetime?
Nope

 

[bbpierce]

Our PB did not give good instructions so I have a stupid question. Will the clorinator start up in its own when warm enough? It's a hayward gold line aquaplus.

 

[cznkane]

Appreciate the lively discussion, thanks all. I'm going to take the @Newdude approach and just not worry about it. Sounds like it's just extra hours but not necessarily hurting anything if it is powered up below, say, 60*. @JoyfulNoise I'm very similar with my maintenance habits and kids wanting to swim in (IMHO) a way too cold pool, lol.

 

[newdude]

Will the clorinator start up in its own when warm enough?

Yup. It will probably go back and forth for a couple weeks when the temps are on the fence. Mother Nature rarely makes up her mind at season change time. Have some winter !!! Wait. No. Spring. Now fall. Err maybe summer.

You might as well be asking her what she wants to eat.