Polaris Autoclear Plus plagued by error code 94

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baudilus

Well-known member
Jun 23, 2009
156
Toms River, NJ
So I was all gung ho this season, got the water CRYSTAL clear thanks to TFP. Then I found out that my SWG wasn't working. I've been back and forth with Polaris, and they sent me a new cell (as in previous years I've already replaced the control panel and the entire control module).

So it was backordered, and I waited about two weeks for it, all the while spending money on bleach. I finally got it yesterday and installed it.

Guess what: the control screen freezes after 1-2 minutes of operation.

There is a GFCI that when tripped turns off the autoclear - that's the only other thing I can think of that would cause this.

*The error code 94 indicates a "cut cell" cord - the control module can't see the cell. When the screen is not frozen, it alternates between this error code 94 and normal operation.

I am at my wits' end. Does anyone have any ideas?
 
At this point, I've replaced every component in the system, to no avail. Could the GFCI outlet to which it is connected be causing this issue? *note - it's not tripping, and does disconnect power from the Autoclear when manually tripped.
 
Yes, I replaced the entire cell, including cable and flow switch. An interesting symptom that I noticed - when rebooting the SWG, its 8 hour run time begins. At 8 hours, only the top "salt level" light is lit - at 7:59, all BUT the top light is lit. at 7:58, another light goes out, as if the salt level is continually dropping. At 7:57, it either freezes accepting no input (and the LCD numbers appear to "throb") or I get error code 94.

I spent a good bit of time starting from scratch, inspecting the cell cord, changing the fuse, the fuse holder, etc., and I cannot remedy this situation.

At one point I seemed to notice the screen freeze when the automatic diverter switched the flow from the wall returns to the bottom jets (every five minutes or so), so I thought it might have been a pressure problem in the cell, so I locked the diverter to the wall returns. No luck there either.

*sigh* I don't have the budget right now to have someone come look at it either.
 
I just had the same problem. I moved into my home two months ago, and I've been having my pool serviced by the company that installed the pool (Elite Pools). After constantly adding chlorine tabs to my pool I finally asked the guy about adding salt and the salt generator. He then told me it doesn't seem to be working, and I may need to replace the system (not just the cell). After reading the online manual, I discovered that error code 94 could be a blown fuse. The fuse is located behind the face of the control panel. After cutting the power to the pool and removing the control panel face, I found and unscrewed the fuse casing and tried to get the fuse out, but it was melted in the casing (blown fuse caused this). I took the fuse casing to Radio Shack (I finally found a purpose for this place) and they gave me a new fuse casing. You may need to replace the two quick disconnects that attach to the fuse if they come off of the wires (it's crimped down for one time use); I did. The parts cost a whopping $6. I didn't have to buy another fuse, because there was another one sitting in a plastic bag behind the control panel (which tells me that this happens more than not). Suprisingly, all of these parts are smaller than your thumb.

I'm not a big do-it-yourselfer when it comes to plumbing or electrical, but once I had the parts from Radio Shack, it took 5 - 10 minutes to fix. If I listened to my pool guy (Elite Pools in Memphis - Don't expect any phone calls from me) I would've spent close to $2,000 replacing my system. They'll also tried to convince me that the cell may be bad, but I removed the cell and it was clean. I did clean it in 4 parts water and 1 muratic acid per the owners manual...just in case, but there were no signs of calcium build up. I'm in Memphis, and Memphis Pools offers a free class for beginners. After that class I've decided to service my own pool.
 
Two days ago I noticed my Autoclear Plus wasn't working at all and I found that the controller was showing error 94. I couldn't find anything wrong with the cell or its cable, and then I noticed that the box smelled like burning plastic, so I assumed the worst. I was about to call for repairs when I found this thread. So I opened the control panel and found that my fuse holder was completely scorched and melted away on the side where the wires connect to it. The fuse was trapped inside the holder making it really hard to tell what rating it was. So I too headed off to Radio Shack and found that they were really helpful. It's definitely a slow-blow 250 volt fuse, and I believe the rating is 7 amps (that part was burned the worst). I walked out with everything I needed: fuse, fuse holder, and crimp-on wire connectors. Less 10 minutes after I got home my system was back up and running. The new fuse hasn't blown yet and so far the controller hasn't burst into flames or anything, so I'm calling this a success. :-D

Thank you Jevon! You saved the day!
 
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