Low Salt Error Codes

One problem that users have found with Intex saltwater chlorine generators is repetitive Low Salt Level errors - even when salt levels in your water are adequate. This is due to the chlorinator cell building up scale on the electrical plates. When you purchase a unit new, it should last several months without this problem coming up. However, you will eventually begin to get the scale and "Low Salt" error codes every 6-8 weeks after that. Fortunately, this problem is fairly simple to fix.

To correct this problem, you must disassemble your unit and remove the generator cell. If you look into the cell, you will see several metal plates that are likely overrun by a white scale. In some cases, you may be able to remove this scale with the spray from a water hose, however it's probably a better idea to perform the full cleaning outlined below. Otherwise, you'll just have to clean the unit again in a week or two.

To fully clean your generator cell, mix 1 cup of vinegar with about 2 gallons of water. Place your generator cell in this mixture overnight. The next day, you will be able to remove almost all of the scale by spraying it with your water hose. An additional technique is to scrape or push the scale out from between the plates with a non-metal object. Some ideas might be a popsicle stick, or a piece of plastic. The key is to find something with the right thickness. One suggestion to try is a piece of plastic cut out of the front cover of an old Compact Disc case. You do want to get as much of the scale out as possible before scraping so that you minimize the chances of damaging the metal plates in your cell.

ASK A QUESTION

Previously answered questions for this page...

Question From: Joe on 4/23/2013 9:13:26 PM "We just set-up our pool for the 3rd year and the low salt alarm keeps beeping. The plates are clean. My question is can the generator cell just quit working causing this problem? Or might I have some other problem? Please let me know if getting a new cell will solve this issue, Thanks, Joe"

Answer: Hi Joe, Being that you've used your SWG for three years, I figure it's likely that you actually do have correct salt levels and are using the correct kind of salt. Assuming that's true, I would say that three years is probably a pretty good run for an Intex SWG cell. You can get replacement cells, but the price of these is often almost as much as buying a whole new system on eBay or a similar site. I've done this a couple of times and found that the newer system also provided some other nice improvements to the programming. Thanks for the question, and I hope this helps.