Aquarite w/old software, setting cell type?

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PrivatePilot

PrivatePilot

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Jun 13, 2013
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So, my old Intex SWG was failing (I jumped on that bandwagon a few years ago and it served me well) so I decided to replace things with a more proper Hayward system.

I found some great deals online for used hardware and picked them up a few days ago - a Hayward T3 described as basically brand new by the seller (bought a cell far too small for his pool and it's just been sitting in his shed for a few years afterwards) after replacing with the proper size cell. It does indeed look brand new but I had to take him at his word.

Picked up a controller elsewhere. Verified it was working at pickup, it was still fully hooked up and generating just fine. The guy went out of his way to make sure he could demonstrate it working and everything when I came for pickup and I actually unhooked it all myself.

Bring it all home and did the install today. It was at this point I discovered the controller is an old software version (v1.45) that doesn't allow you to set the cell size.

Unit fires up and generates for a few minutes then trips off with a "Check salt" and "check cell" solid lights.

Have I, in typical Murphy's Law fashion that I'm so famous for, managed to put together an incompatible combination?
 
Show a picture of the main circuit board.

Remove the display board so that we can see the whole board.

There might be a jumper that you can remove to make it take a T-5 cell, which should be close enough to work.

If you see the jumper, remove it if it comes off.

What is the actual salinity and how are you testing it?

What are the first seven characters of the cell serial number?
 
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Thanks mguzzy. I've spent the last few hours scouring the internet to try to sort things out before posting here (I hate being *that* guy who needs to be spoon fed stuff readily available online if one just made the effort) but the manuals one can find online are all over the map, 99% of them focusing on the newer models unfortunately. That said, knowing there was a jumper option that gives me some more keywords to search for.

I did unfortunately shortly after posting this come across some content online indicating the T15 lock, but I'll look at the jumper thing.

On the bright side the person who sold me the controller also gave me the old T15 cell he was about to throw out. He said it was kicking off occasionally hence why he decided to replace the entire system top to bottom. I gave it a good inspection earlier and found quite a lot of crud stuck between the plates and some minor calcium build up. I cleaned it up, gave it a 1.5 hour vinegar bath, and just swapped it in...and so far so good, 10 minutes of operation at 100% and it hasn't kicked out yet.

Now, the T15 is waaay too big for my pool (about 6000g), but I guess I can just run it at a lower percentage setting....?
 
What are the first seven characters of the t15 serial number?

To get the performance percentage of the cell, divide the instant salinity reading by the actual salinity reading.

You need to be really sure about the actual salinity reading. I recommend the K-1766 salt test kit.
 
image.jpg
Sorry for only partial pics (unit is operating on a test run as per my last response so I don’t want to shut it down right now) but I’m pretty electronically savvy and know what I’m looking for....so low and behold I have 2 jumpers marked J7 and J4.
 
Salinity has been checked both at the local pool store (I’m a BBB guy and only go there for full tests and parts) as well as strips here at home. Both shows I’m in the 3200ppm range right now.

I wouldn’t normally be that high but the old Intex system was constantly complaining about low salt and it took me too long to realize that wasn’t the actual issue....that the actual swg itself was, or the cell. And intex cells are impossible to find right now it seems.
 
The J4 jumper selects a T-15 or a T5. On is T-15, and off is T-5.

A T-5 is close enough to a T-3 that it should work. The salinity will read a little bit lower than actual, but not by much.

3E1101 means made January 2011.
3E16137 means made on the 137th day of 2016.

What is the instant salinity reading now and what is the actual salinity?

Aqua Rite 20 salt display wrong but cell is good. Won’t recalibrate.

Pool was installed in 2007 with Aqua Rite 20. The salt level reads 1700 but it tests 3100. The panel won’t reset. I had the t-cell 5 tested and it is good. We did the acid wash and it is clean. I am unable to verify what cell the panel is set for. The diagnostic screen won’t display the option...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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PrivatePilot said:
I wouldn’t normally be that high but the old Intex system was constantly complaining about low salt and it took me too long to realize that wasn’t the actual issue....that the actual swg itself was, or the cell. And intex cells are impossible to find right now it seems.
Click to expand...
That is a very common symptom of a dying cell. it reports the salinity too low. My fist cell did that to me as well before I realized it was time to replace it.. and I almost had too much salt.

Your t-3 looks like it was made in 2016 and the t-15 was made in 2011 any idea how much service the t-15 had before it was retired? Here's the site for deciphering those date codes https://www.totallyhayward.com/techservices/attachments/How to read Goldline Serial Numbers.pdf
 
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Thanks all - as always TFP is a wealth of information! Excellent news @JamesW, Glad to know that I can probably actually use the T5 I bought now, although if the T15 continues to operate is there any reason I shouldn't use it until it dies and save the T3 as a spare at this point?

If I just crank the percentage dial down is it apt to still overchlorinate the pool? 40K cell with 6k pool.

Instant salinity shows 2500 at the moment which I'm 99% sure is reading low. FWIW I did do the salinity recalibration process that I had read about in a few manuals a few times before I realized the cell mismatch was the issue, so would that mess up the instant reading as well?

Just passed 1 hour of operation now on the T15 and it's still hanging in there.

Thanks as well @mguzzy for the deciphering. I have no idea on the history of the T15 but given the sun bleaching and the fact the controller is an older model, I'm going to guess they were both installed together in potentially 2011/2012. It sounds like when the T15 started to become problematic (perhaps last season) he just bought an entire new system with a new cell and controller and everything - here in Canada the costs of the replacement cells versus the cost of a whole new system isn't far apart (oddly) so I can understand why some just opt for that route.

How much it's been used? Well, our pool season here in Ontario is 5 months long at the absolute best, maybe 6 for those who stretch it. The pool it was hooked up to seemed to be probably small-ish for the T15 and it was only set at 40% when I opened the panel for the first time, so I don't think the cell has had a hard life. But there was crud that apparently made it past his filter jammed in between a few plates.

The old controller (the one I bought) was working with his new cell already and I guess he just wanted to cycle in the new controller as he had it anyways...and who knows, perhaps a pool store guy told him the old controllers were sometimes wonky and prone to failure (the thermistor issue) and he decided to just replace everything as a result. That may have also been the reason he bought a whole new setup.

FWIW if the thermistor does die on this one I'm perfectly capable of soldering in a replacement as well, so all good. Paid $250 for the controller (~$180USD right now) and $200 for the T5 (~$147USD) for reference. On the flipside a new T3 system is north of $900 here (plus 13% tax) so I basically paid less than half price for the system as it sits. And if the T15 has some life left in it before it dies, bonus.
 
Also, the manufacturing date of 2016 on the T3 I bought used for $200 does coincide with the story the seller gave me, so I'm led to believe that indeed he did buy it not realizing it was far too small of a cell for his pool and he only used it for a brief period before realizing his chlorine wasn't maintaining properly and replaced it with a T15.

He said it had maybe 2 weeks of use and since it was used he couldn't return it. Had been sitting collecting cobwebs since.
 
2,500 ÷ 3,200 = 78%.

I usually recommend replacing the cell at 75%.

As long as the salinity reading is above 2,400 ppm, it will work.

You can keep adding salt to make it work.

If you remove the jumper, you can probably use the T-15 for a little bit longer because it will make the system read the salinity higher.
 
Thanks all - system seems to be churning along happily now. I'm going to leave things as-is for a few days as we're leaving for a small vacation and I don't want to rely on my son to keep an eye on things. If it runs trouble free for the next 2 days then I'll feel pretty confident it's going to be fine for the 4 days we're gone.

I have the SWG plugged into a smart plug that allows me to see it's wattage draw remotely as well...so if we're at the resort and I happen to see that at 2 in the afternoon when the solar is running that the SWG isn't consuming power, well, I'll know it's kicked off and I'll get the kiddo to throw some pucks in and tackle the swap to the T3 when I'm home.

That's the for that resource @mguzzy - not sure how I didn't come across it myself with all the Google searches I ran earlier today, but it's a massive help, especially for the geeky DIY guys like myself. ;)
 
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Ok, follow up.

The T3 cell has now been hooked up for 6 days.

The PPM display has settled down to 2200ppm and the “Inspect Cell” and “Check Salt” lights are on solid.

From the very low amp draw I’m seeing on the unit (I have a lot of home automation and have the unit hooked up to a current measurement system) I’m pretty confident it’s not making chlorine anymore either. When it’s generating I’m seeing about a 100w draw. Right now, only 10w.

Althiugh the salt level is indeed over 2200 I’m guessing this is just an artifact of the T3 vs T5 configuration on the controller?

Is the solution just basically....add more salt?
 
Did you remove the jumper?

The T-3 salinity reading will be about 75% of actual.

Since the reading needs to be above 2,400, the actual salinity needs to be at least 3,200 ppm.

What is the actual salinity as tested by a K-1766 salt test kit?
 
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Do not have that kit, and honestly, At between 80-$100 for that kit up here, it’s unlikely something I’d be willing to buy for the once a year I’d be using it.

I know test strips are discouraged but FWIW the ones I have are pretty much on par so far as measurement results with the system in use At the pool store.

That showed 3200PPM last week.

Test strip test shows about 3250 right now.

I’ll take a new sample to the pool place shortly for a “proper” test.

With that being said it does look like it may just be an “add more salt” situation to make up for the cell mismatch and I should likely preemptively pickup another bag while I’m at the pool store?
 

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