Aquarite Not generating - lights not on

[tcmiller3]

Hi, new to the forum. Last summer I was gone a few days and noticed the pool starting to turn green. When I checked the panel, the generating light was off and the inspect cell and check salt were lit. I searched the net and found a recommendation (possibly on this forum) to replace the current limiter/varisitor so I did and I was up and running again. Now, once again the generating light is off and the inspec cell and check salt are lit. So, I once again replaced the current limiter (had ordered a couple of spares) but this time it didn't fix the problem. When first turning on the control panel the generating light will light and everything appears good but after about 30 seconds it goes off and the inpect cell and check salt light up. So, I tried it one more time with yet another replacement current limiter (thinking that maybe the other one could of been bad from the factory) but no luck, same problem.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome

I have to ask, did you test the salt level in the pool independently of the generator using a test strip/drops or even having a pool store test done?

It is possible that your salt just really is low due to splashout/backwashing.

Also, the inspect cell light will come on every 3 months or so as a reminder to check for scale ... this by itself would not indicate a problem.

How old is your cell? As they reach the end of their life (3-5 years) they tend to start reading the salt level lower and lower even though the actual salt level is acceptable. So, it may just be time for a new cell if you salt is acceptable, but the SWG is reading it low.

 

[PSW]

Welcome to TFP! I agree with Jason above - check your cell and clean or replace if necessary. Do you have a good test kit? The TF100 comes highly recommended!

Also, you should add pool and equipment info to your signature box. This will help us understand your pool (and solve your problems) in the future!

 

[tcmiller3]

Thanks to both of you, I will take a water sample in tomorrow and see what it says. I read somewhere that if you salt get too low or too high that the cell won't generate. Is this true? If it is this might be my problem as the display is only at 2000 which I know is very low but I didn't think it would stop generating.

 

[maxepr1]

Yes, depending on the brand of SWG you have it should say something like "Low Salt" or "High Amps" for high salt content.

 

[jblizzle]

It tells you to check the salt and it tells you the level is 2000 when you need over 3000. Have you ever tested the salt level and added salt? How long have you had this setup? You likely need to add salt a couple times a year.

Might be as simple as a few bags of salt. Or. It might be a failing cell which starts to read salt levels lower than reality.

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[tcmiller3]

Here's the deal. I live in Lexington, KY and while our winters can be fairly bad, I leave my pool, pump and AquaRite running during the winter months. My wife and I both enjoy looking at the pool even during the winter even though we have no intention of using it until the weather warms up. It just makes the back yard look awesome when snow is on the ground and the water is sparkling. During the colder months I have not been keeping the chemicals balanced or adding salt. With the cold temperatures the water stays very clear and we aren't going to use it until the weather warms up so I didn't see the need to keep chemicals balanced or add salt during the winter. I'm kind of thinking that once I get the chemicals balanced and salt added that everything might start working correctly. If this is the case, in the future I am assuming that I should keep everything balanced even during the winter months. I will keep you guys posted, hopefully over the weekend, I can get balanced and salt added.

 

[maxepr1]

Anything below 53* water temp., the Aquarite will not produce CL. So running it in the winter is fine it's not working, water is just running through it. Also you aren't going to get any algae outbreaks at that temperature. Most of us in the southern areas keep there pools open year around, the only thing I do is watch my PH during the winter. Once your salt is set, you rarely have to mess with it unless you are replacing large amounts of water. So if you set it during the swim season it should get you all the way through the winter.

 

[tcmiller3]

Well, to look on the bright side, I just got some extra soldering practice. Added salt to the pool and the generating light is on now and the inspect cell and check salt are off as they should be. Lesson learned. Thanks to you all for so much help.

 

[maxepr1]

Check your cell make sure the grids are clean. But it sounds like you got it!