Salt Water Pool Fails

If your salt system is not producing chlorine you will want to work down this list of steps to find the solution. Here is what I do if I find a salt system is not producing chlorine in a pool.
The salt level is a critical factor and if the salt level is too low in your pool the SWG will not be able to produce chlorine. The most systems needs at least 3000 ppm of salt in the water except for the Hayward Aqua Rite and the Pentair iChlor which can operate with as little as 2600 ppm. They will not produce the full amount of chlorine at the lower salinity level but they will still function at a reduced output. So, the first step is to check the pool's Salinity level or salt level of the pool with either test strips or a good digital salinity meter. Once you establish that there is enough salt in the pool you can move on to the next step if the system is still not producing chlorine.

Another common mistake along these lines is that you are not running the pool long enough for the SWG to produce enough chlorine each day and that is why it is at zero when you test it. So, increase your pool run time if that is the case. For example, if you have a 20,000-gallon pool and you run your pump for 3 hours a day, I can tell you that is not long enough to produce enough chlorine. Increase the pool run time to at least 12 to 14 hours a day to rule out the run time as the issue.

Next, if you have a Variable Speed pump make sure you are running it at least at 2000 RPM, preferably higher for a good part of the day. At the lower RPM the SWG will need a longer run time to produce the same amount of chlorine as a standard one-speed pump running at the full 3450 RPM.

Another issue may be that the salt cell output is set too low for it to generate enough chlorine each day. This is one thing that I often see on my route. Some salt systems will be set at 40% output and the pool will not have chlorine week to week. The manufacturer has an output chart in the manual and this chart is usually for the salt system set at 100% production running 24 hours a day. So, if the manual says your cell will produce 1 lb. of chlorine set at 100% running 24 hours a day if you set the output to 50% and run it 24 hours it will produce ½ lbs. of chlorine. Then set at 50% output and run only for 12 hours per day will give you ¼ lbs. of chlorine each day.

Check to see if the salt cell has any calcium build up on it. Calcium build-up will stop the chlorine production right away. As the plates in the cell cake up with calcium you will usually see a warning light on your system indicating that the cell is dirty. Simply take it off and clean it with a mixture of Muriatic Acid and water. A 6-part water 1-part acid mix is effective. Once the cell is clean it should start to produce chlorine again.

Other causes would be the salt cell is getting old and not producing anymore. If your salt cell is over 4 years old this may be a possibility. Also, if the system is very old the power unit or control board could be bad. As the cell ages, it loses the ability to produce chlorine.
And last it could be as simple as not having the right amount of Conditioner in the water and the Sun is just burning off the chlorine each day. You should have a Conditioner or CYA level of 30-80 ppm in the water. Too little Conditioner in the pool will cause the chlorine to burn off rapidly and production cannot keep up with the amount being destroyed by the sun.
These are the primary reasons why a salt system stops chlorine production.

Visit my Website: http://www.swimmingpoollearning.com/
eBook: https://www.swimmingpoollearning.com/swimming-pool-care-ebook
YouTube Video Index: http://poolmandave.blogspot.com/2014/03/swimming-pool-tips-reviews-how-to-video.html – A list of all of my videos.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq33AlEZl8QBmxatFEwknew
Visit my Website: http://www.swimmingpoollearning.com/
eBook: https://www.swimmingpoollearning.com/swimming-pool-care-ebook
Blogger: http://poolmandave.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swimmingpoollearning/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mrdgvb1
Join me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/poolguycoaching
Podcast: http://www.buzzsprout.com/110832
Podcast Website: https://www.thepoolguypodcastshow.com/
Coaching Site: https://poolguycoaching.com/

Shop INYO Pools: http://www.inyopools.com/?utm_source=Swimming-Pool-Learning
"Inyopools.com has been helping pool owners find the right pool parts since 2001. With over 50,000 pool parts in stock, order online today and have your parts delivered right to your door."

Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/pool/ “Jobber is your business’s command center. The easy to use app powers your sales, operations, and customer service, all in one place. Check the description below to Save 20% off your first 6 months.
Jobber's field service scheduling software and app is the best way to organize your service business. Quote, schedule, invoice, and get paid—all in one place.”