Converting Saltwater Pool To Chlorine?

[jasontjames]

I will try to keep this as succint as possible while still covering everything that has happened.

At the beginning of spring I drug out the solar cover and put it on the pool. I went out periodically and tested my water and added acid as needed. Several weeks ago I noticed that my salt level had dropped. We had some rain, so it didn't really shock me as the drop wasn't that dramatic. I added salt and called it good. A few weeks later I noticed that my system was telling me that I had low salt again. Again it had rained, but not enough that it should have caused the salt level to drop that much. I ignorantly scratched my head and added some salt. This Thursday we had a pretty big rain. I went out and checked the system and it said that the generator was off and the salt level was very low. What in the world? In a moment of pure genius I added 40 pounds of salt to the pool. That did absolutely nothing to change what the system was telling me. So this morning I pulled the SWG off and did a cleaning with water and MA. It did it's bubbly bubble thing and I rinsed it out thouroughly. I put it back in and watched the instant salt reading. The SWG kicked on after the delay and gave me an instant reading of 2100 ppm and then the generator shut off due to low salt. I shut the system down, unplugged the SWG and waited for a few minutes. I plugged it back in and waited for the delay to end. Once the delay ended it gave me a reading of 2500 ppm and was operating at 25.32V and 6.11A. In a moment of clarity, I decided to drive to Leslies and buy a salt test kit. I know, I know. I should have had one all along. After returning home and testing the water, I discovered that I had approximately 5500 ppm. Oh boy! My own Dead Sea!!!

So my conclusion is that my cell is going out after 5 years. Probably a pretty good run.

I have a Goldline Aqua Logic system with an Aqua Rite T-Cell-15 SWG. After doing some searches online, I learned that most of the time when the cell goes out on these systems, the board will not be far behind. So now I am not facing a $500 fix. I am likely facing a $1200+ fix.

We have in the past couple of months bought a piece of land just north of where we are now and plan on building a new house on it. We will likely not be in this house for more than another 18 months. I talked to a pool guy that I use from time to time and he suggested that, given our situation, I convert the pool to chlorine with an inline chlorinator. He said he will do it for about $180.

What is the opinion of the board on doing this? Have any of you done it? Would you do it again if given the choice?

Thank you in advance for your input.

JJ

[waterbear]

I would advise against the inline chlorinator. You will be battling high CYA and having to do regular partial drains and refills to maintain the CYA from going too high. It would be easier in the long run to manually chlorinate with liquid chlorine or bleach (or automate with a tank and a peristaltic pump) There is no conversion to do since a salt pool IS a chlorine pool, it's just that the chlorine is created in the salt cell and not added via additional chlorine chemicals. However, If you are concerend about resaile value the salt pool is a selling feature. Not sure where you read that the circuit boards fail shortly after the cell fails. Also, the Aqualogic is a full automation system that controls valves and relays, not just a SWCG, and has proven itself to be one of the more dependable systems on the market, so it is worth the resale value to get a new cell, IMHO. 5 years is a good lifespan for a salt cell. Period.

[Beachbreeze]

You can try recalibrating the system.

1. With the pump running, take the power switch down to the “Off” position, and then back up to “Auto”. You should hear a click within 10 or 15 seconds. When you do, press the diagnostic button five times in a row. The system will go through a recalibration process.
2. Wait until the numbers stop changing. If the system settles on or near a number that is close to what you believe to be the salt level in the pool, slide the power switch up to “Super Chlorinate”, then back down to “Auto”. This will lock that number in as the new average salt reading.
3. If the system settles on a number that is unrealistic, there is something wrong with either your system or your cell. The most likely issue is that your salt cell needs to be replaced. It could also be that the board in your power center needs to be replaced. At this point you will want to call Hayward at (866) 429-7665. Their tech support team will usually be able to help you determine which part needs replacement. They will need the serial number from the inside of your control panel door (located under a bar code). And the install date of your system if you know it.

I know when I replaced a cell I had to recalibrate mine and it seemed to work fine after that. I've also had some luck putting the system into "super chlorinate" and letting it run for 24 hours. It seemed to recalibrate itself.