More D Report post Posted May 26, 2012 I just got a new home 2 mo ago and the pool uses a salt chlorinator that I an having issues with. It does work but the chlorine output is not enough. Does anyone here have a experince with these or fix them? Yes it is clean and not calcified. Other than that I am not sure what else could be happening. The pool guy says the system will not work if the pool water temp is <75ish but the temp is now reading 78-80degrees so I am at a loss. Any help would help greatly! Thanks in advance. More D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snapshot Report post Posted May 26, 2012 Salt Clhorine generators are temperature sensitive and can be a little touchy. Is your generator the right size for the pool? It has to generate enough chlorine for the pool size during the time the pump is on. total gallons of pool water vs. how many gallons an hour your pump capacity is wil tell you how many hours to run your pump for full chlorination What is your current PH level, alkalinity etc? Sometimes the salt cell can go bad and needs to be replaced. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZbowhntr Report post Posted May 28, 2012 I am a home inspector and see more bad salt systems than ones that are actually running. Most are turned off and just running with chlorine tablets. Try pricing a new salt cell and decide if you want to go that route. Luckily my wife doesn't like the way it makes her skin itch after swimming in so I didn't install one on my pool. Plus if you ever see a pool that has had a salt system for very long the decking will be damaged because of it. Look at what salting roads does to cars. Good luck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redman Report post Posted May 28, 2012 I have had a salt pool for over 6 years and WOULD NEVER go back...my kids swim a lot and never have green hair or irritated eyes... anyway.... what type of chloriantor do you have, the cells do go bad, but usually after 3-5 years. When you say NEW home, new to you or newly built... the cell should have a warranty if its brand new? Have you had your water tested (pH, cynauric acid and enough salt)? take a fresh sample to Cactus or Leslie... and have it tested How long are your running your pump (needs to be 8-12 hours)? Make sure you tell them its a salt pool. My advice is to always purchase the next sized salt cell for your pool (if you have to replace), my pool is 20,000 gallons, however I bought the 40,000 gallon cell... the 40,000 gallon cell is running at 20% where the 20,000 gallon cell (when I bought the house) was at 80-100%. It was really hard to balance the water with the smaller cell... the larger cell works so much better. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
More D Report post Posted May 29, 2012 The house and pool are new to me. The pool is 5+ years old. Maybe I just have to replace the cell (OUCH!) There is a gauge on the controller that runs from 0-100, not sure what the units are. When the pump is running it shows the output at 20 . If I clean the cell it will 'jump' to 25. When I run the water heater for the jacuzzi it does go up to 30-35 which leads me to believe that it is not so much temp sensitive but a bad cell. We really like the salt system so far so even if I have to come out of pocket to keep it going I will. I was just hoping it was something else. My pool is at around 20,000 gallons. PH, alkalinity, phosphates are all great. Salt is at 4ppm and the chlorinator states a min of 3ppm. Just no chlorine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redman Report post Posted May 29, 2012 Can the output on your cell be adjusted? Normally they can be increased/decreased to produce more or less chlorine, if its already maxed out....then I have not suggestions. Our pool has a Pentair IC 40... check Ebay on pricing for a new cell, sometimes a whole new system can be purchased at the same price. saltcells.com is based out of Mesa...but you will find the best price on Ebay, http://www.pentairpool.com/pdfs/IntelliChlorIG.pdf Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TexAz Report post Posted May 30, 2012 Take the cell to a pool supply store and have it tested. Also have the water tested to be sure the salt content is correct. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
naturegirl Report post Posted June 6, 2012 we are currently getting bids for a new pool (and had one at our old house) . Seems the consensus is salt chlorinatera work good for first 2-3 years and then don't. most people at that point (myself included at our old pool) just start putting chlorine in. we are leaning towards having a chlorine pool this time around. salt also can be destructive to pool decks and water features. just my experience and 2 cents. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
