Calling all CircuPool RJ series owners, need you real world experiences

[JonoVegas]

Just recently installed CircuPool RJ45+, of course purchased from Discount Salt Pools. My concern is the amount of CL being generated so I would like to get other owners experience. Installed this new unit 2 weeks ago.

Intentionally oversized the SWG for my 9000 gallon pool with the RJ45+. Therefore I expected to see significant CL production from the unit and so far not really getting significant CL generation. I spoke with DSP and they said based on the RJ consol readings that the unit is producing CL as designed. I am pretty confident in my water chemestry and perhaps I am just not testing long enough. I'll keep testing, but what are the experiences of other CircuPool RJ series owners regarding CL generation?

I've run a few 4 hour tests where I expected to notice a few CL ppm increases and maybe got a 1 or 2 CL ppm bump. oversized RJ45+ at 50% and also tested at 100%. Tonight I'll let run a full 12 hrs at 70% and hopefully can read some recordable bump in CL ppm. Are any other RJ45+ owners having concerns with amount of CL generation?

OF COURSE, water chemestry can play a role along with other issues for CL consumption, but I believe I do not have any big CL consumption while doing these tests. Solar cover on 24x7. Discount Salt Pool tech says phosphates at 200 are above CircuPool requirements (I get the Phosphate debate). As an aside the salt readings from my RJ45+ took a week plus to start getting more accurate salt reads. After about 8 days the RJ45+ is measuring 3250 now (but the SWG measure does move around), K-1766 says 3800 so close enough and I do not think the salt is the issue. Again looking for RJ+ owners experience, I'll remove the Phosphates and run a few more 12 hr test runs

PH	7.4​
FC	4​
TA	90​
CYA	80​
CH	350​
CSI	-0.49​
Water temp	66​
Phosphates	200​

 

[mknauss]

Phosphates do not matter.

Run an Overnight Chlorine Gain test. Test your FC in the evening. Set the pump and SWCG to run XX hours at XX%. Use Poolmath to see what FC that will add. Test in the morning and see if it matches.

 

[setsailsoon]

Ditto what Marty says. I've been able to match Pool Math predictions extremely close to what I experience. K-1766 salt level is the most accurate measure of salt so you're correct, salt's not the problem. What are the amp and voltage readings you are seeing?

It would not be unheard of that you have a defective cell. We see them very occasionally from most (maybe all?). The best way I know to "prove" this requires you go down the road Marty started you on.

Chris

 

[Brett S]

I might be inclined to do an OCLT as well. If you have algae that’s consuming chlorine then it could appear that your SWG is not producing enough chlorine. It’s possible that you have the start of an algae bloom.

 

[wireform]

What is your CC ? You can also see through the clear cell just ahead of the plates while it's producing small bubbles almost looks like a fog.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Jon,

With a 9K pool, an RJ45+ should add 27ppm of FC to your pool each day if the cell is being run at 100% for 24 hours.. That is more than 1 ppm per hour.

The only way to know for sure it to..

1. Ensure that you can pass the OCLT with the cell off... Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

2. Assuming you pass, then run the same test with the cell on.

There is no magic here.. Either your pool is consuming the FC the cell is making, or your cell is bad and not making chlorine.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JonoVegas]

Your right Marty I need to tighten up my before / after tests. I was/am starting to get concerned with the RJ45+ unit.

Chris, two sample readings (CircuPool said these readings indicated cell was generating CL):
amps -4.37 A volts 22.9 V
amps 4.30 A volts 23.1 V

Calls summary with CicuPool / Discount Salt PooL:

• After initial install, Salt Reading way off on SWG (low salt indicator on) compared with two different K-1766 test. Per DSP I cleaned the brand new cell twice. Added one more 40# salt bag as I would still be under 4,000. The SWG unit started getting within 500ppm of the K-1766, no low salt indicator.
• Called CircuPool about 1 week later because "current salt" measure on SWG would constantly drift down and I was concerned this was not acceptable for a new unit. CircuPool said test a few more days and don't worry if needs to be replaced they'll take care of it
• Called CircuPool yesterday because now I am focusing my test runs on the CL generation and I was not seeing a noticable bump in CL ppm as suggested by Pool Math. This time the CircuPool person was clearly positioning that the unit was fine based on the amps/volts display and that there must be something consuming the CL (i.e. Phosphate which I debated for quite a while). Anyway agreed to test further with more like 12 hr runs vs 4 hr runs. I am CONCERNED that this CircuPool person seemed to be emphasing the unit is fine (vs "don't worry, we'll replace if needed). I am sending them a water sample per there request (my cost to mail it)

 

[JonoVegas]

Jim you are correct. I ran an overnight test last week and showed no CL loss. But I'll carefully do another to be sure. Both with and without SWG on.

CC's per Taylor kit are 0 or maybe 0.5.

Thx for input
Jon

 

[wireform]

Overall they're a good company. Been with them on the phone many a time for various questions and decisions. The guy is entitled to make sure all else is ok before doing the exchange.

 

[Texas Splash]

Jon, I installed my RJ-45 a couple days ago. As with any new toy, I'm exceptionally "OCD" about it and analyzing everything. My salt readings are doing like yours. I'm reading on the low end for the module (about 3,000 - 3,100) and about 3,800 on my K-1766. My amp and volt outputs were very close to yours, so I think that's fine. While I understand that salt measurements have a significant variance of about +/= 400 ppm either way (SWG and K-1766), the difference was still bugging me. Our weather took a dive the past couple days and my water temp dropped 10 degrees to about 69. So I turned mine off for now until we get some warmth back. While I didn't see anything in the manual, and my phone call with Sonny today didn't mention anything about water temp, I did see in some other discussions where the water temp seemed to influence the salt reading a bit. So I'm curious to see how numbers look over the next few days.

As for FC production, my pool is a bit larger at just under 18K. Yesterday my FC was 6, and today about 6.5 running 24/7 at 30%. No cover and my CYA is currently at about 60. Maybe some of that will help in your concerns when comparing performance.

 

[gonfishin]

what are the experiences of other CircuPool RJ series owners regarding CL generation?

I have not opened my pool yet this year. However, last year toward the end of the season, my RJ-45+ was reliably generating the chlorine my pool needed as long as the pool temperature was above 70F. I see from my logs, it even did so when my salt measured 3000ppm per K-1766 testkit (yes, I let it drift low before closing).

 

[Herbaldew]

Well this thread is making me paranoid. Based on This Thread I started I ordered the RJ-30 for my 17.5k pool.

I took awhile to make that decision and now this thread has me second guessing again. It hasn't arrived yet and now I am wondering if I should refuse delivery and order the RJ-45 instead.

 

[setsailsoon]

Folks,

Here are some observations and comments I have on this:

My RJ 30+ has always read low on the salt reading. I called CS the first week and the tech there indicated they were aware the reading was up to 500 ppm off so they adjusted the internal software so it wouldn't shut down until the salt reading is 700 ppm below the min required. So I just ignore it and use my K-1766.

My chlorine production has been very consistent and matches well with Pool Math predictions. As Jim R mentioned earlier this has to be either the pool is consuming chlorine like crazy or the unit's not putting out sufficient FC. With Jono's cc numbers it looks like the latter is the case.

Pat's unit should be contributing 4 ppm per day at the conditions he's running at but with stable FC he's probably making less than half that.

The voltage and amperage readings seem normal to me and are similar to mine At these conditions I see a LOT of bubbles formed and my chlorine is stable with 7 hrs operation at 40% and I should be producing a little less than 2 ppm at this rate.... seems about right just like my previous checks.

We recently had another Circupool owner that had a faulty cell that was replaced after he sent it back to them for testing and the unit was only a few weeks old.

The differences between my relative performance and Pats and Jono's is my temperature runs consistently around 90 deg. and my unit was purchased over a year ago So I wonder if these units have a more significant lower catalyst activity or selectivity at lower temperatures or is it possible they got a batch of anodes that have something wrong with the anode coating. The coating is what makes them work. Without this they'd make a LOT more H2 and O2 because there's so much more water than salt in the solution.

One off issues like this are easy to accept as rare manufacturing defects that just happen. But this seems like a potential trend. I should hasten to add I've been a big fan of Circupool for many reasons but Jono, I'd talk to tech support and tell them there are at least two other people with similar performance concerns on this forum that has been loaded with fans in the past. If you don't think you have the right person ask for their boss. You shouldn't have to go to far to find somebody that sees the potential big problem they may have. I'm very hopeful this turns out not to be the case but I'm equally hopeful they will be the first to admit and correct it if needed. My loyalty certainly hangs in the balance.

Thoughts?

Chris

 

[Rq120]

I installed an Edge in December 2019. Sent it back last month. They tested it, found it faulty, and sent a new replacement out. Just replaced the cell yesterday and seems to be ok. In December, my cell seemed to work well at first, but I could never get it titrated correctly. I think it was slowly dying (maybe). I thought I was going crazy because how does a brand new system not work.

 

[setsailsoon]

I think this makes 4.

 

[-MacGyver-]

Have RJ+45 for a 16,500 pool. Installed last June. Raised my CYA and CL to SWG levels before turning on (after adding salt of course).

Started out at 60% for the first day, and then 25% the next month. CL was holding steady at 4. When we went on vacation I set to 35% due to higher temps and not wanting to come home to a green pool, just in case. It was a little over 8 when we returned home 10 days later, with solar cover on.

Sorry you have having issues, when they work they work like a champ.

The salt reading on my unit was always within 200 of what the K-1766 measured. This was right from when I turned the unit on. It actually started at 3800 and then would drift down to 3400. At the end of the season it was around 3600, all the while my tests were 3800.

Have a VSP and run 24/7.

Will be firing up in about three weeks, but won't have the SWG on until I get rid of the worms and get the pool clear.

 

[dswwpb]

My pool is about 9500 gallons with sun most of the day, heated by solar to 92*. Installed a RJ30+ about a month ago. Running my pump 9 hours/day and the SWG at 25-30% is providing me with between 5 and 7.5 ppm FC. Salt readings on the unit are also way low compared to manual testing. Unit runs at about 21 volts, 4.75 amps.

 

[Holydoc]

I have an RJ45+ that is currently 1 year old.

It appears to produce chlorine consistently at the rate predicted by PoolMath. The Salt content reads right now at 3400, Taylor kit says it is 3600. I believe the RJ45+ salt calculation is an average over a certain time frame (not 100% sure, but it is close enough that I do not worry about it).

By comparing my FC tested to previous tested FC's I can determine how to adjust my SWG. For instance today I adjusted my SWG down from 20% to 15% because my FC tested at 10. Given the PoolMath calculations that 15% setting produces 1.9ppm a day for my pool, and comparing previous FC's I know my pool is eating 2.43ppm a day. This would mean that I should lose approximately 0.5ppm a day from my pool. My goal is to get it back down to 7ppm, so I will leave it at 15% for 6 days (6 * 0.5 = 3ppm lost).

Typically the above calculation is pretty dang close unless we have a weird weather event that changes the chemistry drastically. For my size pool, that basically hasn't ever happened.

All the above to say, that my RJ45+ has worked as advertised and has been a real blessing to have. Good luck getting yours working to your expectations.

 

[markayash]

If you see bubbles is that a sign it's working? In other words is that a good way to check?

 

[-MacGyver-]

The small "fizzing" bubbles in the clear part of the housing? Yes, that is a good way to glance and know it is generating chlorine (and the Generating Light on the control panel will be on).

I always smile when I see the small bubbles in the cell.