SWG Concern/Question

[Cayman]

I have a BioGuard Mineral Springs MS-10 SWG. Yesterday I went over to the filter area to just take a look at everything and noticed a couple of black drops on the slab below my SWG cell. After further inspection, I see that it is coming from the SWG cell itself. It almost looks and feels like dirty black motor oil.

To add a little extra to this... I recently had an algae outbreak and added chlorine to boost my FC up to shock it. I then set my SWG to 100% and switched the boost on. I did this for a few days. After testing, I notice the FC has climbed to 40ppm so I then decided to shut off the SWG all together until it comes down to around 10ppm then turn it back on setting the output to about 75% to gauge it, especially since the water is clear now.

Not sure if that has anything to do with the black stuff but thought I would add it just as extra insight.

Does anyone have any ideas what this is and what may be causing it?

 

[Guest]

Please post a full set of test results. I find it strange that you need to run a Mineral Springs unit at 75% in a 16K pool. Setting the unit to 100% and turning on the boost is counterproductive. Boost just runs the cell at 100% for 24 hours so changing the percentage when you use boost is unnecessary.

Have you taken the cell out and inspected the rubber 0-rings in the unions? Also, have you been putting either silicone or Teflon lube (made for pools and spas and NOT an all purpose one, which might contain petroleum distillates) on the o-ring?

Once we see the test results we will have a better idea of what is going on.

 

[spishex]

I'd imagine this is just condensation forming on the pipe and then dripping down to the slab with whatever gunk it picked up as it cruised down the side of your plumbing. Once it evaporated, only the gunk was left.

If it was coming from inside the pipe I'd expect to see scale forming, not oil.

 

[Cayman]

Here are my test results from Saturday. Like I said, due to the high FC, I turned the system off for now. The only reason I said 75% was due to not knowing exactlly where it needed to be so I was planning on starting a little high and then working my way down to get the FC to 5% an hold it there.

FC - 40
CC - 0
TC - 40
PH - 7.6
TA - 60
CH - 310
CYA - 60
Salt - 3400
Borates - 30
Temp - 64


On the Mineral Springs cell, there is a rectangluar black section just by or under the connection cord, not the temp cord. Almost like a black rubber seal to protect the eletrical parts. The black is coming from that black rectangluar seal or whatever it is. Also, the unit is not leaking water or anything, just a few drops of this oil looking stuff.

I have only inspected the cell once since moving into this house. We have only been there a few weeks. I have not added anyting to the o-rings but I will pick some up today from the pool store.

 

[spishex]

Any chance we could get a picture of said seepage?

 

[Cayman]

I can try to get a picture tonight. I am not sure what the daylight will be like though by the time I get home with the DST going into effect this past weekend.

 

[Cayman]

OK.. I made it home in time to take a couple of pictures. The one shows the marks dripping on the slab and the other is a poor arrow pointing to where it is coming from off of the cell.

Thanks.

 

[spishex]

I'll give you my top three, most likely first:

- Condensation theory. Increased run times = increase amperage. Maybe a little extra heat inside that piece.
- A Shriner parked his car there overnight and it is unrelated to the SWG.
- Something inside there melted because of increased use, dripped down and remained oily so it was not a piece of plastic, and there was no corresponding error or strange reading at the controls.

I don't think there's anything that belongs in there that wouldn't turn to hard plastic when it cooled down again. As long as you don't get anything funky on the display and it doesn't continue, I'd consider it benign.

Did the previous owner even use the thing?

 

[Cayman]

Yes.. they used it on a regular basis but had a pool service taking care of everything. They were paying a ton of money for a pool service that came out and checked the chlorine and ph. They never even cleaner the cartrdige filter. When I first opened it up to look at it, I was about to vomit because it was so nasty!!! I have never in my life seen one this bad and I have cleaned my parents on many of occasions.

OK... Well I will keep an eye on it. Does not look like it has leaked anything today but I also have the SWG turned off as I am letting my FC drop from the recent shock treatment. It is now down to 30 from being at 40.

 

[Cayman]

Well the black stuff is back today and I also noticed that there is water on the slab under it as well. I would say the wetness is about 2ft across. I also noticed that there was water coming out of the other side of the cell.

I will be stopping by the local pool store tomorrow to pick up a few things anyway so I am going to pick up some silicoln stuff based on waterbear's suggestion. I am sure the filter and pump skimmer need this stuff as well.

I am just hoping the high FC (being at 40 for a few days) and running the unit on 100% and having the boost switch on for several days did not hurt the cell. Those things aren't cheap.

I did notice that my pressure on my Clean n Clear Filter is only around 13 or so.

 

[Strannik]

it sounds like your housing has cracked

 

[Cayman]

it sounds like your housing has cracked

How would I know if that is the case?

 

[Strannik]

well if it's leaking and the leak is not from the seals on barrel unions or somewhere else from piping - then it's cracked
you could pressurize it to check

there was a woman on one of the pool forums with same problem couple of months ago - aquarite cell housing cracked

another thing might be - the seals where the contacts go inside the cell are leaking
they are exactly where your arrow points
if this is the case it would leak there, and the black stuff is probably the sealant used.
in this case you could try and reseal it, but i'm not sure if you can do it with aquarite

 

[Cayman]

Well I will pick up some silicon stuff tonight from the pool store and then remove the cell to inspect it. I will then lube the seals and replace everything and see where I end up from there.

Just in case I do have to replace the cell, does anyone know where the cheapest place to get one may be?

 

[Cayman]

Have you taken the cell out and inspected the rubber 0-rings in the unions? Also, have you been putting either silicone or Teflon lube (made for pools and spas and NOT an all purpose one, which might contain petroleum distillates) on the o-ring?

waterbear... would the Leslie's Pool and Spa Lube be ok?

 

[Guest]

Not familiar with that one but if it is a silicone or teflon lube for pool/spa use it should be OK.

 

[Strannik]

try to take off that white cover where the cable goes, and silicone under it where the contacts go inside the cell housing
most likely it's leaking there
also check if that are is hot when it's working, maybe there is a bad contact and it has melted the o-rings(if there are any)

 

[Cayman]

OK... So I picked up some silicone pool and spa lube yesterday from the local pool store. This morning I went over to my filter and tried a few things that I have been wanting to and then I removed my filter housing, pump filter and SWG cell to lube all of the o-rings up. They have not been lubed in a while, if at all, but looked to be in good condition.

I think strannik is correct. There appears to be a cover that goes over the electric components that is removable. That is where the water was coming from and also where the black stuff was coming from. Upon further inspection, the black stuff does appear to be some sort of silicone sealant for the electrical parts of the cell.

I will pick up some silicone sealant today so I have it on hand and then attempt to take that cover off to inspect. I am sure that is the problem. As I look into the cell and on the outside, there does not appear to be any cracks though, which is a good thing.

 

[spishex]

Interesting problem. There are a lot of Goldline cells around my area and I've never seen one do that. I'll keep an eye out. Let us know how the sealant job works.

 

[Cayman]

Well it has been several days and not a single drop of water or the black stuff so I guess putting some lube on the o-rings solved it. That and possibly turning the unit around so there is not any tension on the main cord.

Life is good for now!!!

Thanks everyone!!!