Q: I have a salt water pool with Jandy controls, but with a NatureSoft chlorinator by pebble Technology. My salt level and cell inspection red light is reading low. I do not have the manual and I will like to know what to do? Also, the plumbing seems different, the cell is before the filter but after the pump.
A: When the Naturesoft cells start reading low and you get the "inspect cell" light, then you have either a dirty chlorine cell or a dying chlorine cell. Follow the below procedure to clean the cell:
From the manual:
"Turn off power to the Nature Soft before removing the electrolytic cell. Once removed, look inside the cell and inspect for scale formation (light colored crusty or flaky deposits) on the plates and for any debris which has passed through the filter and caught on the plates. If no deposits are visible, reinstall. If deposits are seen, use a high pressure garden hose and try to flush the scale off. If this is not successful, use a plastic or wood tool (do not use metal as this will scratch the coating off the plates) and scrape deposits off of plates. Note that a buildup on the cell indicates that there is an unusually high calcium level in the pool (old pool water is usually the cause). If this is not corrected, you may to have to periodically clean the cell. The simplest way to avoid this is to bring the pool chemistry to the recommended levels as specified.
Mild Acid Washing: Use only in severe cases where flushing and scraping will not remove the majority of deposits. To acid wash, turn off power to Nature Soft. Remove cell from piping. In a clean plastic container, mix a 4:1 solution of water to muriatic acid (one gallon of water to one quart of muriatic acid). ALWAYS ADD ACID TO WATER - NEVER ADD WATER TO ACID. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and appropriate eye protection. The level of the solution in the container should just reach the top of the cell so that the wire harness compartment is NOT submerged. It may be helpful to coil the wiring before immersing the cell. The cell should soak for a few minutes and then rinse with a high pressure garden hose. If any deposits are still visible, repeat soaking and rinsing. Replace cell and inspect again periodically."
If the above cleaning does not bring the cell reading to normal then you need a replacement cell. Unfortunately the replacement cells have been getting more expensive and we have been seeing evidence of shorter than desirable cell life. We have been recommending replacement of the entire unit when the cells fail in the Naturesoft chlorinators.
We have found the ElectroChlor to be a reasonably priced and very reliable replacement:
ElectroChlor Pool Chlorine Generator
If you would like to replace just the cell we can but they are roughly 2/3 the price of ElectroChlor.
