CircuPool RJ60+ Not Generating. Only Year Old

[ForceEdge]

So couple days ago I started noticing algae build up on corners of pools. Which I thought was strange because I’ve never had any algae build up since I’ve had my SWG.

I went over to the unit and it was on but the “generate” light was not green as it usually was when powered at 50%.

So I reset the unit and a quick Notification pops up and says “cell connection” than immediately goes away.

SWG light was on for the time being. Several hours later I go and check and it was off again.

I reset the unit, cleaned the salt cell and tried again. Once again the message popped up saying “cell connection” I check all connection, turned power up to 100% as the troubleshoot guide said and everything worked again and it stayed on. Last night I turned it down to 50% and it stayed on for several hours before I went to bed. So I checked in the morning and the “generate” light was off again. So I upped the power to 70% just to see and the light clicked on.

I’m not sure what’s malfunctioning here but last year the SWG light was constantly illuminated at 50% and I’ve never had an issue. Just wondering why it’s clicking off at 50% randomly but when I turned the power up it clicked on

Could the salt generation connection be bad or is it the actual head unit?

 

[Texas Splash]

Not sure about the cell connection issue. But remember that at 50%, the green generate light will not always be on. It's only in when actually generating, then it goes into a rest cycle at which point the light will be off and the amps will show zeros in the menu.

 

[Texas Splash]

As to the cell actually producing, are you seeing bubbles at the return jets when generating? If so, that's good. Have you done an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test yet?

 

[wireform]

The cell has a clear housing and you should see the haze of bubbles when it's producing chlorine.

 

[ForceEdge]

I am not home now to test but from what I remember and thought, at 50% the SWG is producing constantly while the unit is on. Just at 50% power. I have a timer set on the pump and SWG and have it running for a set amount of hours to keep chlorine consistent (according to trouble free pools calculator)

I have never seen the light off last season. It was always on when the pump turned on

 

[Jimrahbe]

Edge,

"Most" salt system in the US are either on or off.. They control the amount of chlorine produced by only running part of the time. At 50% the cell would only run about half of the time.

From your manual... "• Generate: This LED is illuminated intermittently during normal operation, and indicates that the system is currently generating chlorine. IMPORTANT: this light will be off during normal rest periods of the system's duty cycle"

I suspect that you have algae, because you are simply running your FC way too low.

Once you get algae, the cell will never be able to make as much chlorine as the algae can consume.

Tell us what your CYA is and what FC level you were trying to maintain..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Bperry]

I am not home now to test but from what I remember and thought, at 50% the SWG is producing constantly while the unit is on. Just at 50% power. I have a timer set on the pump and SWG and have it running for a set amount of hours to keep chlorine consistent (according to trouble free pools calculator)

I have never seen the light of last season. It was always on when the pump turned on

Not how it works. It runs on a duty cycle, x minutes on and x minutes off. Baby sit it for 20 minutes or so and verify that it comes on sometimes.

 

[proavia]

The RJ series duty cycle is about 180 minutes (some references say 200 minutes).
If the cell is set to 50%, the green light will be on for 90 minutes and off for 90 minutes. This cycle will continue unless power is removed from the controller or the power is cycled off/on.

Post a full set of current test results from one of the recommended test kits.

FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt
Water temperature

Do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

 

[hexabc]

Not how it works. It runs on a duty cycle, x minutes on and x minutes off. Baby sit it for 20 minutes or so and verify that it comes on sometimes.

RJ-60 cycling is based on 180 minutes interval. If the duty cycle is set to 50%, the cell is ON and OFF for 90 minutes in each state.

 

[wireform]

Jim,
I have RJ60 controller that has the green light showing generate but it has a bad cell. There's no amperage and no salinity when you press the menu button on the bottom. I think when everything is working right, in the generating cycle the green light stays on, and the off cycle the green light is off but when there's a problem with the cell and it's not generating the controller doesn't get the feedback from the cell so the cycle sort of never ends.
As per my last conversation with circupool the it's a 200 minute cycle.

 

[wireform]

last year the SWG light was constantly illuminated at 50% and I’ve never had an issue.

You probably never just caught it in the off portion of the cycle but it will be on and off intermittently half the amount of minutes it uses for a full cycle.

 

[Bperry]

RJ-60 cycling is based on 180 minutes interval. If the duty cycle is set to 50%, the cell is ON and OFF for 90 minutes in each state.

Mine doesn’t cycle anywhere near that long.

 

[wireform]

Mine doesn’t cycle anywhere near that long.

How would you know that.

 

[hexabc]

Mine doesn’t cycle anywhere near that long.

The only explanation that comes to mind is a different software version running in the microcontroller. Mine is R6.10.

 

[wireform]

Between versions they'll all be similar in the way it works. It doesn't turn on for half the time of the cycle and then off the rest but a combination of offs and ons.....

 

[hexabc]

Didn’t see that behavior. In “generate” phase it continuously produces hydrogen bubbles, when off - it doesn’t.

 

[Bperry]

How would you know that.

I can sit out there and watch it switch on and off.

 

[Bperry]

Between versions they'll all be similar in the way it works. It doesn't turn on for half the time of the cycle and then off the rest but a combination of offs and ons.....

This must be what I see. Maybe the cycle is 180 min, but I can see it turn off and on several times during that period.

 

[ForceEdge]

Okay so I got home late tonight but I did check system. Generate light is on but it says -6.37 amps. Not sure why it says negative?

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

The unit switches between positive and negative polarity. It is running negative now. Your numbers look normal.