How To Tell If Salt Cell Needs Replacing
How To Tell If Salt Cell Needs Replacing – Freshwater pools continue to gain popularity in no small part due to minimal maintenance requirements. However, minimal maintenance does not mean free. One of the most important components in maintaining a marine water system is the management of the salt chlorine generator (SCG).
Ideally, salt cells should last about five years, but problems are not easily detected. How to test the cell, replace it if damaged, or save it in another form.
How To Tell If Salt Cell Needs Replacing
Ocean Pool operates on a salt chlorinator. It is a system that converts small amounts of salt into chlorine that keeps the pool clean. Chlorine is produced naturally and is not added by the pool owner.
How To Tell If A Salt Cell Needs Replacing
The control panel is the brain of the operation. It produces electricity that cells use. Additionally, there is an LCD screen or other system for displaying messages and other information. The control system is connected to the home electrical system.
The salt unit is an electrolytic converter installed in the return line after the filter, heater and pump. As the water passes through the cell, a small electrical current converts the dissolved salt into chlorine. Chlorinated water is returned to the pool, killing bacteria and preventing their growth.
This cylinder, usually one and a half meters long, is placed in a water pipe. It is usually located several meters away from the control unit connecting it to the cable.
Knowing when to replace the salt element is not always easy. Many system problems can cause similar symptoms. New freshwater pool owners often blame faulty components when the real problem lies elsewhere.
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Timing plays an important role. On average, a salt cell lasts about 10,000 hours, which is typically five years for most pool owners. If your cam is close to the 10,000 hour mark or if you see any of the signs above, it may need to be replaced. If the problem is lack of chlorine, this is not enough to indicate a problem with salt cells.
Is it time to clean the goat? Most systems send out a cell check inspection every 500 hours, which is the cleaning schedule.
Does the salt cell system work? You can turn on the unit, but it does not emit chlorine. Check the Auto or the one that fits your brand.
Are all connections tight? Double check the connection between the cell and the control system. Some cells have internal connections that need to be considered as well.
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What is the salt level? Many SCGs shut down automatically if the salt level is too high or too low. Recommended range is 2500 – 3500, stop height may vary. If you don’t know how to check for high or low salt, here’s how to check the salt level in your pool.
What is the temperature? If the water temperature is below 50 degrees, chlorine is not needed and some systems shut off automatically.
Your salt system will try to notify you when something goes wrong. Each brand uses a slightly different message, so check your owner’s manual for all the details. Some models display the word, while others can change the color of the word (for example, from green to red to indicate a problem).
Cell signaling signals when a cell shrinks or stops working. This does not mean that the component is defective and needs to be replaced. Instead, a thorough cleaning may be necessary.
How Long Does A Salt Cell Last?
Important: Many models specify a 500-hour cell tracking inspection as a cleaning reminder. After checking and cleaning the cell, you may want to repeat this reminder.
A flow warning indicates that water is not flowing properly through the system. This salt is not a cell problem. A flow warning usually means that the pump is not working or the flow switch is broken.
Keeping the salt cell clean extends its life. The main problem is the accumulation of calcium, which is also called scales. This interferes with the cells’ ability to produce chlorine efficiently.
You want to clean the room every 500 hours, which is usually every three months. As mentioned above, many systems will send you cleaning reminders. To minimize build-up, maintain the following levels:
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If your pool is properly chemically balanced, it should be cleaned three to four times a year.
If you know the salt cell is the problem and cleaning doesn’t fix it, it may need to be replaced.
Cleaning the camera is easy, but replacing it is even easier. As with cleaning, initiate a shutdown on the control unit.
If necessary, you can apply pressure to loosen the old salt chamber. But the information will be more complete manually. Using tools to handle plastic parts can cause damage.
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Make sure the O-rings are in place. They ensure the correct connection of the cell to the line. As simple as it sounds, forgetting or replacing o-rings is a common cause of connection problems.
After installing the new cell, it should be connected to the control unit. Make sure it fits well. See the manual for more details on setup. Don’t forget to confirm the cleaning reminders.
Download our free printable pool maintenance checklist for general maintenance for all pools.
If you keep your chamber clean and maintain it properly, it should work for at least five years without any problems. Always heed warning messages and make sure your pool is chemically balanced. Fortunately, maintaining a salt room is easy, so your pool is always ready to enjoy!
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Michael has over 30 years of experience in the pool industry. He has designed pools and landscaping for hundreds of homes and businesses across the country. He also holds several patents for pool products that he has developed over the years. Get $10 off orders over $99 and learn about sales, special offers and helpful DIY tricks from pool experts.
How long should salt cells last? The answer really depends on the conditions of use and maintenance of the pool. The safe answer is that they usually last five to seven years.
Replacing a salt chamber can cost anywhere from $200 to $900, depending on your chlorinator model. We will provide more details in this blog post.
Your chlorinator is a small chlorine plant. The salt water passing through the salt particles causes electrolysis, creating chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) that is returned to the pool.
How To Clean A Salt Cell: 15 Steps (with Pictures)
The easiest way to check that the chlorinator is working is to make sure the cell is clean by checking the needle or operating light on the chlorinator box. During the operation you should see impurities (hypochlorite gas) inside the chamber, like cloudy water – this is caused by chlorine! If you don’t have an open enclosure to see how chlorine is produced, most salt cells can be removed from the enclosure and placed in a salt container. Mix with small bubbles or cloudy water.
At the most basic level there should be a bubble or hiss from the salt cell. It must be dirty. If he is tired, he may be nearing the end of his life, or something is wrong.
The salt room comes from the control panel. If there is no light on the control panel, this is a good sign of power. Most salt chlorinators have wires inside the housing that will trip in the event of a power outage or lightning.
Salt cells need water flow to function properly. Flow rate may be reduced due to a clogged pump or skimmer basket, dirty filter or closed directional valve.
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It takes a lot of salt to convert the salt cells into chlorine in the water. Each salt cell is tuned to operate within a specific range of salinity, usually around 4000 ppm. Most salt chlorinators use a salt sensor and display the measured salt level, or have a light or error code that indicates when the salt level falls below a threshold.
Your pH, alkalinity and calcium hardness should be within the recommended chlorine range for best effectiveness or killing power. A low pH speeds up the rate of chlorine, making it burn faster, while a high pH can slow down the action, making the chlorine slow and ineffective. You can test the water level using a 5-in-1 test kit or a 7-in-1 test strip.
The salt cell needs to be cleaned regularly to remove calcium that slows down the flow of water and to block the gaps between the metal plates to prevent electrolysis. Most salt cell chlorinators today clean themselves by reversing the polarity of the metal plate.
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