Salt Chlorinator and Salt Cell Maintenance

Salt cells are an essential part of a pool’s filtration system, responsible for producing the chlorine needed to keep the water clean and safe for swimming. Regular maintenance of these cells is essential to ensure their optimal performance and longevity.

What Causes Calcium Buildup on a Salt Cell?

Ironically, the salts that you add to the pool are the same salts that will deposit themselves onto your salt cell. The number one cause of this is high pH levels. Adding salt to the pool will raise the pH level in the pool, and the sodium hypochlorite that a saltwater chlorinator produces will also raise pH. Maintaining your pH level on the low side, around 7.2-7.4, will reduce scale buildup on your salt cell.

High total alkalinity levels in your pool can also be a factor. High levels of carbonates can make it difficult to reduce your pH level and also contribute to the scaly stuff that is attracted to the electrically charged metallic plates. Maintain your TA level on the low side as well, around 80-90 ppm.

High calcium hardness levels in a pool will accelerate scale buildup on your salt cell; you probably could have assumed that much. Maintain your calcium hardness levels on the low side, around 180-200 ppm.

Run time of your salt chlorinator can also increase scale buildup on your salt cell. The longer the salt system is operating, the more time it has to attract calcium salts. Keeping your salt level up, at the proper level, and using stabilizer or conditioner to shield the chlorine it produces from the sun will reduce necessary run time of your salt system.

Cleaning Your Salt Cell

The number one maintenance item for a salt water chlorinator is to clean the salt cell regularly, every two to six months, but only as needed. Mineral deposits bridge the space between the metal plates, and not just in hard water areas.

Calcium is naturally attracted to the electrically charged plates, and when they build up too much, it blocks the ability for electrolysis to occur. Over time, too much buildup on the salt cell can permanently damage the coatings on the plates, leading to cell failure.

Many new pool salt systems are self-cleaning. They do this by reversing the polarity or charge of the metal plates, repelling the attracted mineral deposits, which is swept away by the rushing water, before it can attach to an oppositely charged plate.

We cleaned Brian’s salt cell by filling a small bucket with 1 gallon of water mixed with 1 cup of muriatic acid. We submerged the cell in the bucket and left it for 10 minutes, then returned and flipped it over for a few more minutes.

We then flushed the cell with the garden hose and could see clearly through the cell that the deposits had been successfully removed. Afterward, we dumped the acid solution into the pool. We then shocked the pool with granular chlorine to raise the chlorine quickly; it was, after all, 108 degrees outside.

Some brands of salt systems will have end caps that you can purchase, so you can then fill up the salt cell with an acid mix. You can also use a winter plug to block one end of the cell and then pour the acid mix into the cell, or just use a bucket.

You will see bubbling and fizzing as the acid works to dissolve the scale. When the fizzing stops, the cleaning is complete. Immediately afterward, rinse the salt cell thoroughly to remove the traces of acid. I like to take it over to the pool, dunk the entire cell in the pool and swish around for about 30 seconds.

Some things NOT to do when cleaning your salt cell:

  1. Don’t soak the cell in acid for too long, over 20 minutes.
  2. Don’t increase the acid strength, use a 15:1 solution.
  3. Don’t use metal tools to scrape off salt cell deposits.
  4. Don’t clean the salt cell if it’s not visibly coated.

After the salt cell cleaning, we reconnected the unions and turned the filter pump back on, and noticed the glow of the “No Flow” indicator on the control panel. I checked the cable from the sensor to the control panel, which looked good, and it was also connected into the panel snugly. Time to inspect and clean the flow sensor.

Cleaning the Flow Sensor

Although rare, in hard water areas, the flow sensor can also develop deposits on the terminals. A flow sensor is used with salt systems to make sure that water flow is sufficient for operation. They also usually sense water temperature and the salt level in the pool, like the three sensor shown here.

After removing the sensor from the tee fitting, I scrubbed it with the textured side of a dish sponge to clean all three sensor probes, or spots on the underside. We reinserted the sensor into the pipe and turned everything back on. We still got the “No Flow” error!

We knew there was flow, since the pump was on, and there was 15 psi on the filter pressure gauge. “Time to clean the filter cartridges?” I asked. He said he usually waits until 20 psi to clean, but “sure, we can try that”. So, we pulled out the filter cartridges, took them over to the shade, and had a seat to hose them off. They were very dirty.

We reinserted the filters and started the system back up. The pressure gauge still read 15 psi until I flicked it with my finger, and then it dropped to 10 pounds. We found the air bleeder assembly was clogged with debris, giving false readings.

Winter Salt Cell Maintenance

You may not know this, but most salt cells won’t work well in water temperatures less than 60 degrees. For this reason, they may have trouble creating enough chlorine in the winter, for Sunbelt pools. They can also be overworked in such temperatures, leading to a shorter lifespan.

If your Sunbelt pool temperature drops into the 50s, it would be best to shut off the salt system and use another chlorination method, like chlorine tablets, until the water heats up again.

For pools in the Snowbelt, it may be advised to remove the salt cell after blowing the lines, and store it indoors. The sensor can also be removed or it can be wrapped in plastic for the winter.

Other Salt Cell Maintenance Tips

  • Don’t overwork your salt cell. Keep your chlorine level as low as you need to maintain clean and clear pool water.
  • Use conditioner or stabilizer to help protect your chlorine level from the sun, and again, to prevent overworking the cell.
  • Keep your pH balanced. If below 7.2, it can etch the salt cell, and if above 7.6, it will reduce the chlorine’s effectiveness.
  • Keep the salt level proper in the pool. You’ll need to add more salt once or twice per year.

In summary, to ensure peak performance of your salt cell:

  • Maintain proper salt levels. Add to replace salt lost by splash out, backwashing or leaks.
  • Maintain low levels of pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness.
  • Maintain proper levels of cyanuric acid, stabilizer to reduce demand on your salt cell.
  • Inspect and clean your salt cell regularly to remove any scale buildup.
  • Keep your chlorine level as low as possible. Test the water to maintain 1.0-2.0 ppm.
  • Use the super-chlorinate function only as needed to remove combined chlorine levels.

Pool salt systems are real-time savers, but they do need occasional maintenance to keep them working properly and to prolong the life of your salt cell.

Eventually, you’ll need a new salt cell. You’ll know it’s time when the chlorine output drops to low levels, despite a clean cell and sensor, proper water balance, salt levels and water temperature.

84 thoughts on “Salt Chlorinator and Salt Cell Maintenance

  1. Michael Salinero

    A month ago I noticed my chlorine level abruptly fell from 2 to 0. The culprit was my salt cell being completely crusted over in calcium. Since then I have had to clean the cell weekly due to the cell crusting over in calcium. My chemistry is as follows ph 7.6 TA 100 calcium 250 stabilizer 50. I added scale remover and have been checking the ph every other day and adding acid as needed. Is there anything else I can do to slow the calcium buildup? The water temp is 92

    • THe water temp is 92? That is a big part of the problem actually, higher temperatures cause more precipitation. Keep adding sequestering agent maintenance doses each week, pretty much forever.

      • Michael Salinero

        Would that product be labeled as “scale remover”?

        • Hi, that may be it, unless that is a product designed to remove scale, which it may be. Usually these are called “Metal Magnet” or Stain Away, or ScaleFree, or other such terms like Stain & Scale Preventative. Don’t usually have the word Remover in the name…

  2. So I have a few things going on with my pool. My salt treading was way off so I added too much salt. I’m trying to dump water and add fresh water but it doesn’t seem to be helping. We cleaned the cell; it was full of gunk. Now I noticed that when they installed the system, they never set the timer. My pump is at “on” all the time. Is it better to schedule the pump and set it to “auto”? Is it hard on the pump to have it on all of the time? I have an oval pool about 12,000 gallons.
    Thanks!

    • Hi Leslie, many filter pumps do not need to run all the time, if you have enough flow rate to filter all of the water in a reasonable amount of time (8 hrs is standard), and you have an effective filter. If your filter system is only adequate or marginal, it may be best to run near 24/7. It is harder on the pump to run all the time, and it does cost more too, so you shouldn’t do it, unless you need to …

  3. Leo Lyons

    I have a salt chlorinator with two blades. Periodically one of the blades gets totally encrusted and I have to dump it in vinegar. But the other blade is always completely clear. Does this suggest only one blade is working?

    • The blades have an opposite charge to them, so one will attract the mineral ions, while the other will repel them, perfectly normal. Thanks Leo, good question.

      • Thanks Davy – great site you have here and most informative.

  4. Michelle Schechter

    I have a Nano pilot plus salt system for 3 years and it shows 46,000 hours. I Usually clean it every 3 months. Last week the inspect/clean cell light came on. I removed the cell to clean it and the second to outer plates had a block of calcium in it. I tried to acid wash It but it wouldn’t come out. So, I found a thin saw blade in my garage and pryed it out. Not warning low amp, cell light is displayed. I read the Manuel and it states never to use metal to clean the cell(my bad). Could I have ruined the cell and need to replace it and the power cord?

    • Hi Michelle, if you had scratched the surface of the cell deeply that can cause a short to occur on that plate, which can throw an error. Try to inspect the cell again, and if you see a scratch, dry it off and try fingernail polish, and reinstall? If no, then perhaps a new salt cell is in your future.

  5. christine sirianni

    i have a Jandy salt chlorinated just installed one month ago all levels are extremely low Ph and high chlorine blue sediment in backwash i’m worried salter is overworking just added Ph up but is there a way to turn chlorinated off temporarily until get Ph , alkalinity up?

    • Christine, your chlorinator should have a dial that you can turn to or touch buttons to control the amount of chlorine production. You can turn down the output, or you can turn it off completely. Look for the controller box or panel, usually on the wall.

  6. Kathy Newyear

    I have a PureChlor Salt System. The 40000 cell went bad and I replaced it with a 20000 cell. My pool is only 15000 gallons. Now it runs for 4 hours and I get a red light saying system error. If i touch the on/off button the red light goes away and it continues running for 5 more hours. When I check in the morning the red light is on again. My pool is clear and clean but the light bothers me. I can’t keep getting up in the middle of the night to turn off the red light. Do I need a new system?

    • Hi Kathy, according to the manual, if you get the red system error code, 1. check all connections carefully, or 2. please contact technical assistance at 561-455-0252, press option 2.

  7. Hello!
    I have a salt chlorinator and when I cleaned it, I noticed the wire casing is partially off of one of the wires inside the chlorinator where it attaches to the plates. Can the chlorinator still be used or do I need to get a new one?

    • Well, there’s only one way to find out! Does it work? You could get some liquid rubber at a hardware store, and coat the wire perhaps? That would keep the correct volts/amps going to the plates, and could extend the life of the cell.

  8. I have a new salt cell and a new circuit board but my salt reading is 5000 ( actual salt is 3200) so it does not generate chlorine because it is high. The pool company had replaced my board three times. This last board reads 4500 but it is generating. Any suggestions?

    • I have a suggestion, but you might not like it! Go back to tablets! Cheaper, easier and low-tech. 3 circuit boards? Ouch!

      • Phil Nagengast

        I didn’t know this. I have a Pentair. But my salt level is also close to 5000. We mistakenly added too much. Could too much salt cause it to stop producing chlorine?

        • Hi Phil, generally speaking it is not a huge problem, other than more corrosive water, but it should not stop the generator or salt cell from working.

  9. Matteo Salardi

    Hi, I would like to know if the self-cleaning function occurs only with the chlorinator on or also when it is off. thanks

    • Hi Matt, this would only happen when off. What it does is reverse polarity or charge, which should slough off any deposits. Still important to inspect visually, to be sure it is working or cleaning itself properly.

  10. My pool started blowing white cloudy stuff out of all the return lines figured it was a bad filter grid, pool got so couldn’t couldn’t see the bottom. Got up this morning pool is sparkling and no DE on the bottom chemicals spot on ??? Could it be my Pentair salt cell cleaning itself ? Never seen this before

  11. Theresa Lillian

    Hello what are the drawbacks of a salt water cell system installed before the de filter? The pool does nit have a heater – thanks

    • HI Theresa, probably nothing will happen, but it’s always said to put all purification and sanitization equipment after the pump, filter and heater, so that the chemicals are not directly going into , or backing up into your pump, filter or heater. Strong concentrations, without time to disperse, could damage sensitive rubber, fabrics or metal components. In addition, you only want filtered water going thru your salt cell, or it will clog up the small spaces between the plates. So, it is best to have it after the filter, for these reasons. IF it’s just impossible otherwise, then go ahead and do it, it won’t be the end of the world! 🙂

  12. Tiphani law

    I have a pool here in Arizona and I’m curious as to whether or not the calcification of my salt cell, calcium being more conductive than salt would ramp up the voltage passing thru the cell and short out the PCB in the control unit?

    • Hi Tiphani, I don’t think that the calcium would increase the voltage, and then short out the controller circuit board. I do know that calcium can contribute to salt cell failure, but unsure about pcb failure

  13. Simon Behar

    Hi,
    I accidentally added about a pound of calcium hardness increaser in a bucket of water to my skimmer. After that, my Aquarite is displaying HI salt. It was 3400 before I added the calcium. Did I damage the Hayward turbo cell? Should it flush out with the pump running and return to the actual number?

    • Hi Simon, no damage done, but calcium is a salt, so the salt sensor (separate from the cell) may be reading higher than what is accurate. You may need to recalibrate the system. With the pump running, Move switch from Auto to Off, then back to Auto, until a click is heard, then immediately press the Diagnostics button 5 times. Once the number shown on the Aquarite matches your test strip or test kit for salt, move the Switch from Auto to Super Chlorinate, then back to auto, to lock in the number shown. If it continues to be a problem, your salt cell may be getting weak.

  14. Hello all the lights on my intelechlor ic40 were flashing I cleaned it put it back had good salt reading but still flashing bought a new one hooked it up shocked with chlorine cause I was swampy green now milky white new one says low salt added 2 bags salt 80 pounds still reads low
    Any suggestions

    • Hi Kim; Sometimes salt sensors can be wrong, or they can develop scale on the sensor surfaces, or the wires can become crimped or partially shorted, or the wire connections can be loose or corroded. Check these things, and you can also calibrate your sensor or cross-check it with some salt test strips, or by taking a water sample to a local Leslie’s store, if you have one nearby. PS – 80 lbs of pool salt will add about 1000 ppm, to 10,000 gallons (or 500 ppm for 20,000 gals…).

  15. Jinjer Leigh

    Hello. I wonder if you might shed some light on a problem for me. My dog ate my pool.

    The wires coming out of either side of the salt cell are eaten through. Guess she was bored. If I buy a replacement salt cell, will that take care of both ends of wires? It looks to me that the new ones only have a power cord and I don’t know what the other one was. I’m guessing something that went back to the display panel. What should I buy to replace the eaten wires? The cell itself is barely a year old.

    • Hi, well the good news is that the salt cell is ok. The wires could be the power cable going to the salt cell, or it could be the wires from the salt/temp/flow sensors. Hard to say without knowing the the make/model of your salt system. Check out our salt system parts department when you know this, and hopefully you can easily find the wires.

  16. Rob Manning

    Thanks for the information. I Have a follow up question. My chlorinator lights are all off this winter. I was expecting a cold water light but nothing is on. I checked and there is power going to the unit. Would the lights go off in winter or is my unit broken?

    • Hi Rob, I would think that the lights would go off, some units do display a -TEMP- on the display which means that no chlorine is being produced, and some units just won’t turn on. If your unit looks normal, test to see if any chlorine is being produced (with a test kit), it may be very little, as a bit of warmth aids in the salt to chlorine process…

  17. Shamella Hanoomansingh

    My pool system is showing that the cell needs to be check.
    Can I wait a few days because I am out of town?
    Should I have the pool pump turn off?

    • Hi Shamella, yes it can wait a few days until you get back in town. No need to shut the pump off for a salt cell check message.

  18. mark tink

    Hello Davy,

    I have a salt pool – 90,000ltrs, the chlorinator apparently is shagged. If I stop using the salt chlorinator BUT still keep the salt levels in the pool water correct can I just add chlorine granules or liquid chlorine? Would this be more cost effective because of the salt content? ie less chlorine needing to be added than if the pool water was salt free? Would the same amount of chlorine last longer in the salt water than in a no salt water pool? Is this practical?

    • Hi Mark, It takes a bit of electricity and those metal plates to create chlorine from salt water. Without electrolysis, the salt won’t convert to chlorine. No harm in leaving it in the pool, it won’t have much affect either way, I don’t believe, with exception to there being a higher TDS content. You can start using any other type of chlorine.

  19. Hi,
    I have a Compupool Salt System
    (CPSC24). The red light is showing add salt ONLY on polarity 2 and on the display it shows low salt…It is NOT low on salt per my test strips, as well as the pool store testing the water.
    What could be causing this reading? Bad salt cell, circuit board or??
    Awaiting your response &
    Thank you for your time and help!

    • Hi, the Compupool display will show low salt at 2500 ppm or less. Units work best around 3500 ppm. Assuming your level is OK, I would look at the electrode, cleaning it if scaly, or replacing the salt sensor electrode. If problem persists, it would be the dreaded dead circuit board… good luck!

  20. We got an indicator flash to checke salt cell. The cell looks clean, but in the between the sheets, there is a loose solid sheet. It almost looks like it could be a solid sheet of calcium, but we are not sure, so we didn’t pull it out. Any ideas?

    • Hi Jackie, could be scaling, but odd that it would only be between two of the metal plates. Try soaking for a 5 minutes in a muriatic solution or 30 minutes in a vinegar solution, and then use a wooden spatula or other thin wood or plastic (not metal) tool to scrape it off (gently). IF the metal plate is loose or broken, that may be the end of this salt cell 🙁

  21. Werner Koekemoer

    Hi Davy my salt cell is packed with residue and have been renting out my house , so the people drained the pool and never cleaned the cell , i soaked it in acid solution 15:1 for 15 min each day and jyst cant get it clean and clear of the white substance , what can i do ?

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Werner, make it stronger, you can go up to 50/50 without much worry, but soak it for proportionally less time, like for 3 minutes, then rinse well. Repeat if needed. You can also use a thin wooden paddle, or plastic knife or other utensil with rounded edges (no steel tools), to help scrape gently in between the blades. The plastic knife can also be used, very delicately, to saw thru the deposits if they have bridged, between plates, but go slow and cut thru in stages, with acid soaks in between. Good luck!

  22. Hi Davy! I have just moved in to a rental house here in Sydney with a pool – we have been here for about 3 months. The filter has a vertical salt cell. It looks like it hasn’t been changed in a long time. I took in a sample to my local pool shop a few weeks back and everything looked good. Yesterday I decided to take another sample in. Zero chlorine. They advised to clean the cell. I went and detached the cell and noticed that the section where the wire is attached was black and bulging and leaking a bit. Blown out. I have spoken to my pool centre and they asked me about water levels in the pool, that a lack of flow to the salt cell can cause this. From what I can tell everything has been fine, when I detatched the salt cell it had water in it, the filter has been going etc. I am wondering if it is possible that because the salt cell is old, it has blown out like this. I know the usual signs the salt cell has gone are the unit working at half pace etc, but that fact the pool has been extremely poorly maintained previous to us moving in and the age of the cell makes me wonder if it was something different to a lack of water flow that made it blow like this. Appreciate any and all advice on this.

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Tim, salt cells that have wires detached, or burnt spots on the metal plates, or disconnected metal plates usually fail completely. Corrosion and scale is the most common culprit. Once the coatings wear off of the plates or wires, it can ‘short out’ a salt cell. Most salt cells last only 3-5 years, and if it looks ‘blown out’, it probably is. Water flow usually is not a culprit of failure, as your system also likely has a flow sensor, to protect the cell.

  23. My pool started to turn green and I checked the water and the chlorine was 0 when I checked the salt water chlorinator the plates had turned black. Any ideas.

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Bernie, the metal plates in a salt cell can attract metal ions, and these could make a stain on the surface, just as mineral ions (scale) is attracted to the charged metal plates. A black color could be ferrous (iron) or copper, manganese, silver or combination. And just like mineral scale, when deposits get thick enough, the chlorine production drops. So, I would remove the cell and clean it in a 5:1 solution of Water:Muriatic acid, increasing the strength as needed. Soak for a few minutes and rinse clean completely. Repeat if needed. It should then start working again, unless there is some other issue. Use a sequestering agent like Metal Free or Stain Away, to control metals, by keeping them locked in solution, which should prevent it from reoccuring.

  24. Tom Van Zandt

    Hi Davy,
    I just installed a new Pentair Intellichlor IC-40. When to unit is installed with the flow designation in the right direction the control panel is upside down. Can the control panel be reversed?
    Thanks.
    tom

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Tom, there is no way to do that, sorry. After awhile, you’ll get used to looking at it upside-down, I suppose!

  25. Susan perrine

    Hi. I have a salt water pool .. with goldline pro logic automation and chlorination by Hayward. My question concerns the temp sensor. I removed the little Hayward pool cleaner from the hose. The filter was turned off. I did not realize that the filter was turning on automatically while my cleaner was being serviced. So the hose was floating around in the pool for at least 24 hours. The pool store told me that should not be any problem. However the cleaner would not work due to low flow indication. After adding water directly to the filter pump as advised.. everything started to work just fine. The only problem is my temp sensor reads only 50 degrees however I know the water is at least 75. My question to you is: will recalibration of the temp sensor take care of this or does it sound like I inadvertently ruined the sensor during the time the pools flow was low. Is this a common accordance if the hose is left moving around the pool without the cleaner attached? My pool guy is coming tomorrow am so I would appreciate your input and suggestions. Thanks so much. Susan from So Cal

    • Davy Merino

      Hi susan, I wouldn’t think that what happened with the cleaner had any effect on the temp sensor, probably just coincidence. I’m not sure if your sensor can be recalibrated or not, but it may benefit from cleaning of any scale, and tightening of the wire leads. Or perhaps it has failed, they do so sometimes.

  26. Erik Rittler

    Hey Davey. Thanks for the tips, hoping you can possibly help. Our pump went down while on vacation and by the time we got the replacement in we had a very dirty pool. Fast forward a few weeks, a new pump, and a lot of treatment and we have had a continuing issue with algea build up. Our electrolytic cell was alao getting a build up overnight. I thought our filtration sand may have calcified, so replaced it. Still getting calcium buildup in a matter of hours. We’ve had water tested, chlorine is constantly low, and alkalinity constantly a bit high. We’ve shocked, spent almost $100 on cell protect and salt water magic (natural chemistry), but it’s a constant battle cleaning the cell and vacuuming algae. Any thoughts, we’re running out of options I can find. Thanks in advance!

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Erik, there is some really persistent algae / bacteria in the pool. How’s the pH? If it’s also high, like alkalinity, that needs to be dealt with by adding pH decreaser to lower both alkalinity and pH levels. It can take several attempts, in between raising pH again, then lowering alkalinity (and pH again), until you get pH to 7.2-7.3 and alkalinity below 120 ppm. Then – shock the $%*&^ out of the pool, using 3-5 lbs of shock, per 10,000 gals, until the water turns a blue/gray color. Using a Slime Bag can help a sand filter in these situations, as can careful dosing with clarifier, or a small scoop or aluminum sulfate (Alum) or Puri-Fiber, added thru the skimmer, can improve sand filtration temporarily, until it is backwashed out. Run your filter 24/7 until resolved, and don’t backwash until you see the pressure gauge rise at least 5 psi. Be sure the pump basket it clean, and the pump is pumping well.

  27. Mel Heaps

    Hi Davy – We have an in-ground pool with a Jandy Aquapure 1400 chlorine generator system. It was reading 2.6 gpl so I checked manual and calculated salt to add. I moved chlorine production to 0% as manual stated and added salt in shallow end of pool, used brush to help dissolve salt, and left pump on for over 24 hours as manual stated to ensure salt was completely dissolved. I went to move chlorine generator back to 50% production rate; however, green power light is on but no display on LCD when I push B button to increase production from 0 to 50%. I have pushed all buttons A, B, C, D and held then for 10 seconds but get nothing to come up on LCD. Any thoughts? Thanks.

  28. I have just installed a Saltron Retro salt chlorine generator in a new above ground pool two days ago. The salt levels are measuring good but I have a 0 read on free chlorine and total chlorine. I also did a test right next to the SCG and still got 0 readings. My ph and stabilizer are both a little low but feel like I should still be getting some reading on chlorine. What could be causing this? The SCG is brand new.

  29. Hi Davy- we just installed a new salt cell and noticed when we backwash, some debris goes through the cell also. Should this be happening? Is there some way to stop backwash from going through the cell? Also, the panel reads “hot” lately until I unplug the connections and restart. Any insight is appreciated- thanks!

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Heidi, backwash water should not enter the return line, so I would suspect your multiport valve needs a new gasket, or rotor spring. Or if you have a push-pull valve to backwash with, one of the o-rings is missing or damaged. Not sure about the “Hot” code, check the manual or manufacturer website for causes of that…

  30. Hi Dave. I’m overwhelmed. We just installed a 14,800 gallon above ground pool with a salt system and we are having trouble generating free chlorine unless we put it into the super chlorinate position. All other readings seems fine. Salt level is at 3650. The pool has been running for maybe 2 weeks. Pool pump runs 24/7. Any thoughts? Also, does it make sense to get a normal free chlorine reading first thing in the morning but then it drops to zero later in the day? Thanks!

    • Hi Melissa, two things could cause this – first is having no cyanuric acid in the pool, the sun burns thru a lot of chlorine, and a level of 20-50 ppm of stabilizer (aka conditioner) is used to protect the chlorine that is created, from the sun, which helps your salt system, by not working it so hard. To raise cyanuric acid levels by 10 ppm, use 1 lb of cya, per 10000 gals. Second possible cause or contributing cause is a high pH, which makes chlorine very sluggish. For best results, aim for 7.3-7.4, for the most efficacy or potency of your chlorine.

  31. Hi Davy, I have Jandy Ei 35 system for couple years and I just realized my pool got green… Went check system and flow sensor light it’s blinking, so system its turning On and Off …Any idea why and what I can do?

    • Hi Anthony, the flow sensor is an inline sensor, plumbed in line which makes sure that the water flow is high enough for the salt cell to operate. If it is blinking, you should clean the filter and baskets, and check valves to be sure that flow rate through the salt cell is as high as possible, or normal. If it is not poor flow, remove the sensor cap to inspect the paddle for damage or scale. It can be cleaned with a mild acid solution. Also check that the power cable is intact and plugged in correctly.

  32. I went to take out my salt cell to clean it and the union broke while unscrewing it. I went online and it looks like I can purchase a new union but am not sure how it will fit over the pvc. I am not very inclined when it comes to plumbing and pvc. Is this something I will need to hire a professional?

    • Hi, union rings or nuts, are complete with another plumbing fitting called the tailpiece, which is the PVC part that the nut fits around, and provides a sealing surface. So in addition to the union nut, you may also need the tailpiece. However, if your plumbing has a bit of open pipe close to the tailpiece, where the pipe can be cut an rejoined again (and there usually is), you can cut the pipe at a point where you can slip the new union nut onto the pipe, and slide it to the end, to the tailpiece. Then rejoin the pipe with a coupling fitting (with PVC glue). Not all unions are exactly the same size and such, so it’s best if you can find the union nut/tailpiece used by your particular salt system manufacturer, instead of one that just looks like it, but might not fit exactly over the tailpiece, or have a slight difference in thread measurements.

  33. Gary Beacher

    Hi Davey, my Hayward Goldline Aqua Rite salt cell chlorinator (clean and less than 2 years old) is producing TOO MUCH chlorine.I have a relatively small pool (12,000 gal). I set it to the lowest possible output percentage and it still over produces. I’m only running my pump for 6 hours or less but my test readings for chlorine are way hi. Is their anything I can do other than turn the chlorinator off and on and monitor it constantly??

    • Hi Gary, are you measuring Free chlorine or Total chlorine? You may be measuring a high level of combined chlorine (chloramines) in the pool, which would indicate the need for shocking the pool. Also I would ask if your reagents or strips are reliable, and not old, just to be sure.

      If all is good with those things, and it is producing too much free chlorine, perhaps you can reduce the cyanuric acid (stabilizer) level in the pool (if over 50 ppm). As the weather gets warmer and the water gets warmer, it may settle down, or the chlorine demand should go up, and become more manageable. If you use an automatic pool cover, opening daily to expose the pool to sun and air can also help for now. But yeah, for a 12000 gallon pool, I could see how it could happen.

  34. I just had a pool installed and the contractor hooked up the sand filter backwards and ran it for a week like that pushing sand out of the filter through the Heater and Salt Cell – would the sand damage the cell and heater??

    • Hi, sand can be abrasive, and could have damaged the coatings on the salt cell, or possibly nicked up the heat exchanger in the heater, but there may be no way to know for sure, unless you can visually see something. There really should not be any possible way to plumb a sand filter that would push sand out of the filter, but if the tank was overfilled (too much sand), if it was plumbed in a backwards, (backwashing and returning to the pool), then excess sand can be expelled, but probably not much, a few lbs. maybe?

  35. John Baker

    Hi, my two year old self cleaning salt water chlorinator usually alternates from positive to negative (as it should) however it is stuck in negative. How can i fix this, and is it damaging my cell.It is a Davey ChloroMatic MCS24C.
    I would appreciate any suggestions.
    John

    • Hi John, not a question I’ve heard before, but I would try to manual clean the salt cell, by soaking in a 10:1 Water to Acid mix, to remove any calcium. Also make sure that the water is balanced with good levels of calcium hardness, alkalinity, pH and cyanuric acid (stabilizer). Inspect the wire terminals, and clean with a wire brush if any deposits or discoloration is observed. If that doesn’t help, you may have a bad relay on the circuit board, causing it not to switch back to positive. If you still have problems – check with Davey – https://www.daveywater.com/au

  36. My IntelliChlor Ic20 clean cell light keeps blinking. and the cell has no salt deposit on it what is the problem

    • Hi Troy, if you have tried cleaning the cell already (even though you don’t see deposits, it still could be ‘filmed’), and it still doesn’t work, 2) Check water temp (cell won’t work under about 60 degrees F), Check salt level (cell won’t work under about 3000 ppm salinity), and finally 3) check your water flow to be sure that the filter or baskets aren’t clogged, or water is not being bypassed – you can also check the flow sensor for correct placement to the water flow.

  37. Davy, I cleaned my cell but accidentally used a much higher muriatic acid ratio. Now, it consistently says my salt is low. I don’t want to keep on adding too much salt…Did I ruin the cell?

    • Hi Tom, I don’t think that a failing salt cell will give a low salt error. Salt Cells can take a good acid washing, you probably are ok there. Your salt sensor could need cleaning though. They can develop scale which affects readings. Not sure which type of salt system you have, but it has a salt sensor in contact with the water, sometimes it’s combined with the flow and temp sensor, into one 3-way sensor. Just clean off the silver contacts after removing the sensor. In some cases they also go bad :-(. Also check the cable from the sensor to the controller, and be sure it’s plugged in securely. You can buy salt strips to check (and in some cases calibrate) your salt sensor. It could be correct, telling you that salt is low. It takes a good bit of salt to move the needle, you can use the Pentair Salinity Calculator to determine salt demand, or how much salt to add to the pool – https://www.pentair.com/en/knowledge-base/pool-spa-equipment/pentair-pool-calculators.html

  38. Hi Davy. My cell is of an old type that cannot be put in a bath or hosed out because it is not possible to detach it from the power supply (without an electrician). The best I can do is put the 1:15 acid mix into the cell and let it sit. I’ve done this a few dozen times now and it has little effect on the significant calcium deposits. Do you have any advice for me?

    • Hi Jeremy. A 1:15 mix is pretty tame, probably what the manufacturer recommends, but yeah, it won’t do much on heavy deposits. Try a 1:10, or even a 1:5 if the 1:10 doesnt’ work. Another option would be to have it rewired somehow, so that you could unplug it to clean it, which may be more effective, with the help of a hose, or small soft brush.

  39. Bob Evans

    I just replaced my salt cell and the flow sensor, however I’ve noticed that the check flow light comes on as soon as my multi phase motor speed drops. I suspect that the flow becomes insufficient for the flow sensor contact contact points to engage. Does this affect the salt converters ability to produce chlorine? I’m not sure if the flow switch also controls the engaging of the converter tube. The chlorine level is almost non existent. The water here in Florida (unheated) is in the 50-60 degree range.

    • Hi Bob; most salt cells will operate just fine on low speed of 1725 RPM. If your check flow light is on, that would indicate that the flow sensor is not closed, which means that your salt cell is not producing chlorine. First thing to do is to clean or backwash the filter and pump basket, and rule out any clogged pipe or pump impeller, or bypass valves, pool water level – anything that would reduce water flow. If that’s all good, your salt cell should operate. If not, you may be able to bend the contact points closer together on the flow switch. Check that the sensor cord is connected properly into the controller. And, make sure the sensor is installed correctly in the direction of the water flow, aligned with the arrow. If it still doesn’t work, and your pump speed is adjustable, you can raise the RPM slightly to see if the low flow light turns off. Depending on your salt system, there may be other tweaks that you can do, but that may require contacting the manufacturer. As with most salt systems, this is one of those occasions where having some granular pool shock or tablets on hand can really save the day, and allow you to maintain chlorine levels when the salt system (or the pump, plumbing or filter) not operating.

  40. […] Salt cells are cleaned once a year, by filling the chamber or otherwise soaking the cell with a mild acid solution to remove calcium deposits which are attracted to the charged metal plates of the salt cell. […]

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