SWG pool and rusty screws

I have a IG SWG pool (4 weeks old) and I have noticed that the screws around the lights and some of the returns are starting to rust. I thought they were stainless steel... how does one go about replacing them and preventing them from rusting.

2900 ppm salt
6 FC
5.5 TC
.5 CC
160 alk
180 CA
35 CYA

CP, welcome to the foum! Sorry I missed this post before as this is a problem I am currently experiencing on almost all our new SWCG pools. We use Hayward light niches and within a week of adding the salt, the screws on the lights are showing signs of rusting. What we've been doing is replacing the screws. I suspect that Hayward got a batch of improperly coated screws (something in the manufacturing process went awry leaving the screws suseptable to oxidising) What I would do is remove one of the screws (#3 phillips head screwdriver) and take it to the hardware store and get replacement screws that are really stainless. What you should do is call the installer and complain, it's a new pool so the fix should be on him, if staining of the faceplate has occured, ascorbic acid will remove the stains.
Again, welcome to the forum and sorry for the delay in responding! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask :) - Waste

Thanks waste! now, can I take out one screw at a time and replace while the unit is underwater? will it leak?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by waste

CP, welcome to the foum! Sorry I missed this post before as this is a problem I am currently experiencing on almost all our new SWCG pools. We use Hayward light niches and within a week of adding the salt, the screws on the lights are showing signs of rusting. What we've been doing is replacing the screws. I suspect that Hayward got a batch of improperly coated screws (something in the manufacturing process went awry leaving the screws suseptable to oxidising) What I would do is remove one of the screws (#3 phillips head screwdriver) and take it to the hardware store and get replacement screws that are really stainless. What you should do is call the installer and complain, it's a new pool so the fix should be on him, if staining of the faceplate has occured, ascorbic acid will remove the stains.
Again, welcome to the forum and sorry for the delay in responding! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask :) - Waste

---

That's funny, Waste. We just filled our pool about 3 weeks ago and have a SWG. There are 3 Hayward niche lights and 2 of them are fine (so far) but one is rusting like the USS Arizona.

I thought that the installer must have lost a screw but replaced it with a wood screw or something.......I just hadn't gotten a chance to look at it yet, but I'm going to have to find a good source of marine hardware, it looks like.

I wonder if I should replace all of them? Good stainless steel is harder to find these days for some reason. A lot of it from Lowes/HD rusts eventually, and is even magnetic! I think they should call it "Stain Steel-less".

STS

Just had this problem this year after having liner replaced. One of the screws started to rust 2 weeks after liner was replaced. Must be some poor quality stainless steel out there.

I asked our pool guy and he said that it was a bad batch of screws from hayward, he will replace them with better stainless... hopefully.