DIY Cell replacement

[n0rthern]

Has anyone bought a SWCG cell from Alibaba or similar. The specs look very good. I'm looking at a 50g/hr (2.63 lbs/day) unit. The prices are amazing compared to buying an OEM version. They can be bought as just the electrodes or in a container. I like a pool DIY project.

You'd pay £1000+ for a 50g/hr OEM cell here. I've got a Hayward Europe SWCG, they are different to the North American models.

Example:

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[PoolStored]

I have never seen anyone on TFP build their own SWG.

 

[Mdragger88]

In general generic chinese cells tend to have a much shorter lifespan than oem due to the lower content of rare earth metals thus the cost difference. Anywhere from 1-5k hours vs 7-10k hours for oem. Many also have little to no recourse as far as warranty goes.

 

[n0rthern]

I've just bought an OEM replacement cell for my SWCG. I'm going to put this investigation on my to do list.

 

[mas985]

Keep in mind that a particular controller such as the AquaRite cannot use just any cell plates. The plate size and gap separation determine the amount of current draw and the controller can provide only so much current. Plus the unit will alarm if current levels are too high and shut down or if the calculated salt level is too low (due to the cells being too small), it will also shut down. So you would need to find the exact size of the T-15 cell plates in order to use them with the current controller. Cutting them will compromise the coatings and decrease life span.

Also, do not believe the specs that manufactures use because the published production rates are all based on certain assumptions and those may be different between manufactures so you really need to test the cell yourself to determine actual production rates.

Also, in order to produce 2.63lbs/day, that is an increase of 80% over the Hayward cell and that is just not possible without causing issues with the power supply. CL production rates are proportional to current and current is driven by plate area, gap width and salt level. So higher current creates problems with the controller power supply and larger plate area would not fit within the existing form factor of the cell. So the manufacture is playing very loose with the truth since there are no consequences.

 

[n0rthern]

My SWCG is a European Hayward unit not listed in the poolmath list, also sold as Hidrolife brand. Hayward bought Sugar Valley, a Spanish manufacturer of SWCG a while back. They have big cells capable of producing 50g/hr or 2.63lb/day in US units. There are other differences such as Sugar Valley recommending 5000-6000 ppm salt, rather than 3200 ppm. Thank you for the information. i'm going to investigate further. From the investigation so far, it looks like most cells are manufactured in China and then encased in a waterproof plastic chamber by the OEM SWCG manufacturer.

 

[chlorinatorpro]

That's very interesting to learn about Hidrolife/Sugar Valley. I don't think this board has come across that brand before but being it's European, perhaps not surprising. Most generic cells are manufactured in China, correct , but the Hayward plates themselves come from DeNora which is an Italian company. It's hard to say with 100% certainty if Hayward cells are manufactured in the USA (as opposed to assembled) or in China. Chinese plates have a different application process to add the rare earth materials. It varies WIDELY amongst the manufacturers. CircuPool. a favorite brand here, to the best of my knowledge, uses Chinese plates. The same manufacturer that I use on my cells.

 

[n0rthern]

The Hayward Europe SWCG are SWCG/pool automation units. Lots of control relays for lights, covers, heaters, pool pump, acid pump, etc. And ORP(doesn't work with high CYA, I follow TFP method), pH, temperature, flow, and Free Chlorine sensors (too expensive). And WIFI connectivity too. I'm also trying to fine tune pH automation - got some dialogue going with Hanna Instruments engineers (makers of pH electrodes) who are advising weekly calibration of pH probes in Pools. But thats a different story. I'm away from my pool for extended periods working, and the local pool maintenance people are mostly hopeless. I need some level of automation. If I was with my pool daily, I'd ditch the pH sensor/acid pump and manually test and dose as needed.