Low conductivity
Problem: Chlorine production becomes insufficient (affected by low salt, cold water and/or scaled cells), causing premature wear on the cell.
Solution: For low salt, test the water, adjust the salt level and calibrate the control unit as required. Consistent low salt warnings indicate a leaking pool, worn cell or defective salt sensor. In cold water, as temperatures start to fall, the amperage and voltage to the cell will adjust to compensate; however, this can also falsely indicate a low-salt condition. Depending on the manufacturer, some ECGs will automatically shut down to protect the system in cold water conditions. For these systems, it is necessary for chlorine to be added to the pool/spa manually. In some cases, increasing salt levels to the upper limit of the manufacturer’s recommended range will allow extended operation before shut down. Finally, for scaled cells, see the problem/solution as previously discussed.
Pump run time
Problem: Too much or too little chlorine production due to inadequate pump operation settings.
Solution: ECGs are rated at a specific amount of chlorine production per day; therefore, the pump must run enough hours per day to generate a sufficient amount of chlorine to maintain adequate sanitizer levels in the pool/spa. Most ECGs have a percentage setting, which controls how much chlorine they produce while the pump is running. Chlorine production can be increased/decreased by raising/lowering this percentage. An ECG should not be expected to produce enough chlorine to maintain a large pool if the pump is only operating four hours per day.
The value of knowledge
Having the knowledge of proper ECG operation and maintenance is critical for pool and spa service professionals—especially with consumer demand for these systems rapidly increasing. By attending local training courses offered by various ECG manufacturers, the differences between each system can be better understood. The more knowledge a service professional has about ECG systems, and saltwater pools in general, the more valuable they are to their customers.
Sean Assam is the commercial products sales manager for AquaCal AutoPilot Inc., a manufacturer of salt chlorine generators and heat pumps in St. Petersburg, Fla. He has been in the industry for more than 25 years, half of which working in the salt chlorine generator industry. He can be reached via e-mail at sean@teamhorner.com.
