Should i replace my salt cell or the whole system

I have a Polaris Auto clear SWG which will not produce any chlorine. I moved to my house 3 years ago and system was already here for at 2 years. I pretty sure these only last about that long. Anyway for about 2 months last year it wouldn't produce any. I didn't want to spring for a new one so i just added regular bleach as my chlorine. I don't want to this year as i did like the less maintenance of the system. I've found a few place online for around $500 for the part. I've never heard of them or used them before. I just wanted to see if anyone had a reputable place or places that sell this item. Also, since i have to buy a new cell and it's $500 or more probably should i be looking at other brands and whole systems that might be $750-$1000 and be better. I don't know. I would check in the forums but am restricted for now. Thanks.

I'm moving your post into the SWCG section, but after a little checking, I don't have any definite recommendations.

I'm not sure on your particular brand, but I've picked up some cells and other components for my Jandy Aquapure on E-bay for very good prices over the years. You take your chances with private sellers, but I've not been burned yet on parts for my system on Ebay. Though I only buy from those with good feedback as sellers.

Thanks for the idea. I had never thought of doing that. I think will at least see if its out there on ebay.

I was an inch away from buying a 'generic' cell replacement for my Aquarite from poolsupplyworld.com when I saw they had the Hayward replacement (they bought Aquarite?) for not much more. I think I paid about $430 for the Hayward. The unit shipped quickly and arrived quickly. I think they used FedEx. I installed it and am now generating chlorine.

For what it's worth, I've heard some of the generics are just as good, if not even better in some way, to the factory originals. I stayed with the named brand in case I need service, I don't want them pointing the clear blue salt cell and claiming that's the problem even if it isn't.

Just my paranoia.

I'm in the exact same boat as you turk2012. My Polaris Autoclear was installed 4 seasons ago. At the end of last season, it would not produce chlorine. Since they don't make this model anymore, I'm stuck with all local service companies wanting to install a whole new system for $1800 or taking the chance of trying to replace the cell myself, and hoping it works. I've already spent $300 on chemicals during opening, which here in Arkansas was about 4 weeks ago. Since I put in the SWG when I installed the pool, I'm now starting all over, learning from scratch, which is costly and frustrating. I was considering just doing chemicals moving forward, but what a pain in the rear! My SWG was very low maintenance, and water always clear. Now I'm dealing with balancing chemicals, a lot of time and money!

Cuuhl, once you get the hang of it, doing chemicals by hand is pretty fast and easy. It does take awhile to get the routine down, though.

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Originally Posted by mphare

I was an inch away from buying a 'generic' cell replacement for my Aquarite from poolsupplyworld.com when I saw they had the Hayward replacement (they bought Aquarite?) for not much more.

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Hayward has owned Goldline Controls (manufacturer of AquaRite, AquaLogic, and AquaTrol SWCGs and automation systems and also solar controllers) since 2004! Recently they have phased out the Goldline Controls name and the units are now branded Hayward.

I was at my local Metal Supermarket a couple of weeks ago were I met a man who's salt cell was shot. I believe 3 to 4 hundred dollars for replacement. Bottom line, he disassembled the cell to expose the almost completely gone copper bars. I believe it was around 20 bucks for a foot or so of 1/2" copper bar stock and he has enought for many replacements. Yes he had to carefully cut the unit apart, yes he will have to drill and tap the new copper bars and cut them to length, yes he will have to glue everything back together......20 bucks versus 400....I know what I would be doing (or asking a talented neighbor to help).

Bob E.

Sounds like your neighbor had a copper ionizer, not an SWCG. Unfortunately, the repair you describe would not work at all on an SWCG cell, which uses titanium or other exotically coated base plates -- to avoid loss of plate metal into the water.

Also many ionizers do not use just copper. Many are copper and silver so that cheap 'fix' is not going to do the job!

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Originally Posted by waterbear

Also many ionizers do not use just copper. Many are copper and silver so that cheap 'fix' is not going to do the job!

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Oh, I don't know. I tend to think of ionizers as "broken from the factory", so a 'broken fix' won't make them any worse! :o

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Originally Posted by pooldoc

oh, i don't know. I tend to think of ionizers as "broken from the factory", so a 'broken fix' won't make them any worse! :o

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roflmao!!!!!!!!:):):D

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Originally Posted by PoolDoc

Cuuhl, once you get the hang of it, doing chemicals by hand is pretty fast and easy. It does take awhile to get the routine down, though.

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That's the thing about the B-B-B system: Once you get the hang of it, you find the idea of an SWCG attractive and intriguing, but hard to justify as B-B-B done right is easy and simple, so you don't really gain that much of a work reduction. Of course, if you travel a lot and don't have someone to take care of your pool, that's a different story. I've toyed with getting one over the years, but it's just too easy for me to add LC instead.

It's definately not a chlorine generator. Copper is too soft a metal to last any length of time in an electrolytic process, much less an electrolytic chlorine generator.

Everytime you consider replacing a cell or installing a SWCG, I would seriously (re)consider the cost. Kinch, had a very good cost analysis regarding a SWCG (see http://www.truetex.com/poolcontrol.htm). It might not be as low cost as many people give it credit. It does however supply a great convenience factor.

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Originally Posted by spica

It (a SWCG - PoolDoc) might not be as low cost as many people give it credit. It does however supply a great convenience factor.

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Spica, we do NOT recommend SWCG's as a cost saving measure. Instead tell people that using the BBB method manual is cheaper, as a rule, than using a SWCG, once you look at all the costs. They might save money for people who are frequently away, since algae episodes can be so expensive, and a SWCG makes it much easier to keep a pool chlorinated while no one's at home. So, while most people who have them seem to like them, in my judgement they are only 'essential' for 'road warriors'.

We *have* seen some problems with corrosion, but these seem to be somewhat localized to dry areas of the country, and to pools using specific kinds of natural stone. But, we haven't figured out what kind of stone that is, except it doesn't seem to be limestone or granite.

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Originally Posted by Poolsean

Copper is too soft a metal to last any length of time in an electrolytic process, much less an electrolytic chlorine generator.

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Sean, I was *guessing* was that they WERE using copper, but were treating the deterioration of the electrodes as a 'feature' (it adds algicidal copper to the pool) rather than a 'failure' (the SWCG stopped working). However, when I looked at the schematic, it appears I was mistaken, and you are correct.

In the schematic below for the "Krystal Clear Saltwater System " (~$270 @ Intex), part #4 is listed as "ELECTROLYTIC CELL (WITH TITANIUM PLATES) (O-RING A INCLUDED) 11233" for $131, and #5 is listed as "COPPER ELECTRODE 11234" for $54. Replacing parts may not make sense, however. The complete unit is available from Amazon of for less than $170 (May 2012): Intex 54601EG Krystal Clear Saltwater System

http://www.intexcorp.com/media/catalog/parts/2067.jpg

I had the goldline aquarite system priced out by local pool company. They came in at $1,400. For now i'll be going with the BBB method. I did it for most of last year and just can't see spending that much on a new one. That being said, I will definitely miss the convenience factor of the swg.

I suppose my only quandry now will be how I maintenance the system when on vacation.

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Originally Posted by turk2012

I suppose my only quandary now will be how I maintenance the system when on vacation.

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Here's how:

1. Make sure you the K-2006 or K-1515 so you can manage high chlorine levels. (Test kit page in sig)

2. Get a K-2006 or HTH 6-way so you can test CYA

3. Buy undiluted, unblended dichlor from Sams Club (50# for $105) or Amazon Kem-Tek Dichlor 22.5 lbs

4. Buy undiluted, unblended trichlor from Sams Club (40# for ?? I forget, but cheap) or Amazon Kem-Tek 3" Trichlor 35#

5. If you use Amazon, get the 1 month Amazon Prime trial, so you can ship 2-day for free. (~$90 unlimited; remember to cancel if it doesn't work for you -- I live by it at Xmas!)

6. Get your CYA up to near 100 ppm by vacation. (The 22lbs of KemTek dichlor, in your pool, will add about 55 ppm of CYA to your pool)

7. Get a floater and trichlor (Sams Club or Amazon again)

Kem-Tek 879 Pool Floating Tablet Dispenser Pool and Spa Accessories
Kem-Tek 3" Trichlor 35#

8. Shock the pool to 20 ppm FC before you leave, and then put the trichlor floater in, filled full, and turned down to the lowest setting.

You should be good for a week, that way.

PoolDoc, Thanks for the step by step lesson. Amazing the quality of content i get on this forum. I really appreciate it.

You're welcome.

Pool Doc,

Its been awhile since I have been on the forum but I thought it was not good to have your CYA so high (as 100+) as the only way to get rid of it is to drain the water from the pool and high levels of CYA force you to keep the FC very high. I always targeted a CYA of 40-60 so I could keep my FC at the 3-5 PPM level. Or am I remembering wrongly?

JP

That's true, but if you maintain the ratio between chlorine and CYA, your chlorine consumption doesn't increase, as the levels increase.

What does happen is that you are able to 'store' more and more chlorine in the pool. When you get to CYA = 150, you can add chlorine just 1x per week!

Jumping in late here, but I have a Polaris Auto Clear Plus system on my pool, going into its sixth season. I had some issues with it apparently not producing chlorine last year, and although the plates looked clean I decided to try soaking it in a muriatic acid/water bath per the manual's cleaning instructions. This seemed to rejuvenate it, and it is working fine so far this year.

Just cleaning the cell with a muritic acid solution on a 3 year old system did the trick of getting it to work again. May be worth the try.