High salt reading

[buster626]

Aqua Rite was giving a hi salt light and check t-cell light flashing. I cleaned the T-cell using water and high pressure nozzle. Was unable to to remove calcium deposit so I soaked t-cell in vinegar. That removed scale but after reinstalling t-cell I still get flashing check light and high salt reading.
Tested salt with aqua check strips before and after cleaning and both test actually show a little lower than 3200ppm.

On the t-cell should the plate be metal and look like metal or are they a white ceramic like material. In a picture posted in TFP the picture I've seen show the T-cell plate that look like metal, which is not what mine appear to be.

As I trouble shoot this I will remove the t-cell and take pictures of the plate.

 

[JasonLion]

More often than not high salt readings do indeed indicate that the salt level is too high, regardless of what salt testing indicates. Scaling of the cell plates normally makes the salt level read lower than actual from the point of view of the SWG. If you compensate by adding extra salt to bring the reading up, and then later clean the cell plates, it is easy to get into a too high salt problem.

While it is remotely possible for the SWG to be broken in a way that makes it think the salt level is higher than it actually is, that is quite unusual. It is far more common for the AquaChek strips to be wrong.

 

[Poolsean]

How old is the cell? As the Hayward cell starts to fail and if water temperatures start getting cold, it will give you a low salt display too.

 

[JamesW]

The flashing check cell indicator is not an indicator of a problem with the cell. It's just a timed reminder to check the cell. You clear it by pushing the diagnostic button for a few seconds.

The high salt error might be due to high water temperature. What is the water temperature and do you have a heater?

The plates are titanium coated with ruthenium oxide. The ruthenium oxide is black. The plates should be black all over except that the edges might be exposed titanium.

Try this:

Turn the switch to off for about two minutes.
Move the switch to auto.
Wait for a click.
Wait about 30 seconds.
Scroll through the diagnostic readings and report what they say.

 

[timerguy]

My circupool was reading extremely high-- in fact so high if should have shut it off--if never did. The cell was replaced by the seller and has been fine ever since.

 

[buster626]

TFP is an excellent site and thanks to everyone that offered advice. After resetting the swg the check cell things are back to normal. Turns out that after a couple of rapid brownouts my t-cell was on the wrong number, reading t-5. I didn't notice this until I reset due to flashing check cell light. Not sure how long swg was not working, at least a day. Temps were in the low 90s with full tropical sun so pool began to look less brilliant than usual. Testing numbers

Ph 8
Ta 80
Ch140 - 150
Fc 1.5
Cc 1
Cya 30 - 50 (using test strip. Out of reagent, none available in Belize)
Salt 3200+
Added 16pzs of ma to lower ph
Added 4lbs of calcium chloride
Ran pump/filter, swg

Next evening (Tuesday)

Added 363ozs, 8.25 bleajch
swg off, ran pump/filter for 24hrs

Wednesday morning test.

Ph 7.5 -7.6
Ta 80
Fc 12.5
Cc .25

Ran pump/filter, swg set at 90% 24hrs

This morning (Thursday)

Ph 8
Fc 13
Cc .25

Weather conditions yesterday, heavy rain mostly overcast. Today, overcast.
Have swept pool both days and will vacuum today. This is the first time I've had to add any bleach. Swg has worked great even with the high temps and heavy rains we get during summer. Pool is on the beach, about 70 feet from the sea.

Any suggestions of how I should proceed? Still concerned about the internal grid of my t-cell as it is clearly not a metal but a white plastic appearing material. Plan to compare with one at pool store today.

 

[JamesW]

Try the procedure that I posted above and report all readings.

If the plates are scaled then they can look white. An acid cleaning might help.

 

[buster626]

Regarding the t-cell material. Checked at the pool store to compare and new one in the box had the same plate material as mine. White, 'plastic looking' nothing black inside of the t-cell my cell or the one at pool store.

 

[JamesW]

Ok, the cell has some plastic pieces in front of the plates. You might not be able to see the plates very well. As long as the diagnostic readings are good, then the system is working properly.