RJ-45 Low Salt/Cell Maint keeps turning on

[BabsNMK]

We have a circupool RJ-45 that we installed in 2019. Things have been ok until this season. The system will run a few weeks and then the Lo Salt/Cell Maintenance lights come on and stop chlorine production. We clean the cell and then get a few more weeks.

Yesterday after a week of no swimming, we discovered the pool was slightly cloudy and no chlorine (I’ve been checking levels about once a week). The lights are on again, we do another cleaning. Then this morning, the water is even cloudier and 0 chlorine still. I cleaned the cell again and I shocked the pool and checked my chemicals.

The Taylor salt reading is 3500 while the RJ-45 is showing an average of 2300. I added 4 bags of salt just to be safe. I then watched as I would turn the system off and about 3 min later lo salt would flash for a few seconds and then the cell maintenance light goes on and the unit stops production.

Do I need to wait longer for the salt to circulate? But also why would there be such a discrepancy in the readings? And if it’s just low salt, why is the cell maintenance light flashing? Would it be possible that we need to replace this after 3.5 seasons? We run the unit on 40% 24hr (no automation ) for roughly 3 months a year.

 

[mas985]

If the cell is clean, then it is probably failing. Pool stores can usually test them for you.

But stop adding extra salt because this could become an issue when you replace the cell.

 

[BabsNMK]

If the cell is clean, then it is probably failing. Pool stores can usually test them for you.

But stop adding extra salt because this could become an issue when you replace the cell.

So since writing this, the light is now just flashing lo salt (no longer cell maintenance). It’s circulating the added salt but still barely getting to a reading of 2400. When I first poured it in, it got up to 3200ppm and then tapered off again.

So if the issue is just it not reading the salinity correctly, would that still be a case for replacement? I guess because it’s on all the time it has shortened the cell life vs if we had it on automation. But we do only run it at 40% so I’m confused by the calculations.

 

[ajw22]

I guess because it’s on all the time it has shortened the cell life vs if we had it on automation.

Your cell is not on all the time. It should only be on and generating 40% of the time your pump is running. The time the SWG is on and not generating does not affect the cell life.

Is your cell wired to be off when your pool pump is off?

 

[BabsNMK]

Your cell is not on all the time. It should only be on and generating 40% of the time your pump is running. The time the SWG is on and not generating does not affect the cell life.

Is your cell wired to be off when your pool pump is off?

For the most part our pump is always on. It’s totally on me because my husband has “claimed” he told me to figure out how to set it on a schedule and I never have. So that would mean about 9.6 hours of cell usage per day correct? And if that’s the case I should be well under the lifespan for the cell.

 

[mas985]

So since writing this, the light is now just flashing lo salt (no longer cell maintenance). It’s circulating the added salt but still barely getting to a reading of 2400. When I first poured it in, it got up to 3200ppm and then tapered off again.

So if the issue is just it not reading the salinity correctly, would that still be a case for replacement? I guess because it’s on all the time it has shortened the cell life vs if we had it on automation. But we do only run it at 40% so I’m confused by the calculations.

The reason the cell is reading lower salt is because there is less current traveling through cell which is caused by plate degradation (or a dirty cell). They are all connected.

 

[ajw22]

So that would mean about 9.6 hours of cell usage per day correct? And if that’s the case I should be well under the lifespan for the cell.

Yup, if you babied it all along the way and never acid washed it.

 

[BabsNMK]

Yup, if you babied it all along the way and never acid washed it.

We definitely acid washed it (typically about 2x per season). It was only coming on here today to troubleshoot that I saw we shouldn’t. I can thank Circupool for that crummy advice.

Ok then it sounds like the lifespan may be done which is really upsetting after 3.5 seasons. I’ll take it somewhere locally to get checked just in case.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

There should be some time left on your warranty, although it will be prorated. Take a look at the manual. Run some of the diagnostics through the menu button for cell current and voltage.

 

[BabsNMK]

Ok so as an update. I spoke to Circupool on Monday and they said the cell was probably end of life especially since it was reading a salt amount much lower than my Taylor kit. I asked how it could be because it was only 4.5 years operating 3 months at 40% and he said it could be water chemistry and it was corrosive. Our saturation index was too low so I balanced everything. I installed a new cell on Thursday. It worked until today. We did have a party and a lot of kids in the pool so maybe that’s contributing, but the same lights are going on.

I disconnected the new cell, rinsed with hose (never using acid again!), reinstalled. It works and generates for a few min before the lo salt/cell maint lights go on.

I do think my salt may now be too high because in an effort to fix the old cell, I thought adding salt helped . The control panel is now reading around 4000ppm (it varies but as high as 4300). Taylor Kit says 4000 but the test chemicals just expired.

Would those lights go on for high salt instead of the hi salt light? Or is this just another issue altogether and I replaced the cell for no reason? Anything else to try before Monday since Circupool isn’t open until then?