My Jandy PLC-1400 salt cell appears to need replacement: it's throwing 125/194 error codes. The cell is 4-1/2 years old, and it's worked flawlessly over that time at 25% in the winter and 70% in the summer. My pool guy and an electronic sensor that I have both report the salt level at 2800 but the control panel says 3400ppm. I descaled it two months ago -- got rid of all the visible white matter stuck to the plates and the place where the wires connect inside.
The code interpretation:
194 Cell Current is 85% lower than desired and cell voltage above 19V (Generates 125 code – Cell dirty or needs replacement)
125 Cell needs to be cleaned or replaced
The price of the PLC-1400 seems to have skyrocketed though. The last time, I paid $599 at Marina Pool Supply. This time, their price is $1199 and that's the price my pool guy quoted as well, so I'll get it from him.
Two questions:
* Is it worth proactively replacing the flow sensor/power cable? I have these from when I replaced the cell in 2017 and didn't replace the flow sensor or power cable because the new cell started working immediately (I did replace these in 2021 with the ones that came with that cell). Replacing the wires is a pain because the SWG control box is in an awkward hard-to-reach location and I'd prefer to just do it once with the new cables, but if it might make a difference, I'll give it a try. I'd rather not do it twice, but I suppose I could continue to use the 2017 sensor/cable (both unused) with the new cell unless something about these has changed since 2021.
* Does the measured salt level (3400 vs 2800) make a difference to the salt cell? Does it lower the current if it thinks there's more salt than there actually is? If I recalibrate the control box to match, might that make a difference? I think I'll give that a try anyway, once I find the calibration instructions again.
* Finally: instead of spending the $1200, have there been improvements in these systems since mine was installed in2006? Could I spend a bit more cash and switch to a better or more durable salt water generator to replace the Jandy system? This one has worked well, but if the technology has improved, that's something I'd be willing to consider if it's not 3x the price. I'm not wedded to Jandy/Zodiac but it would have to be compatible with my control box so I can see the salt level and control the cell level from my control panel and app.
Thanks!
The code interpretation:
194 Cell Current is 85% lower than desired and cell voltage above 19V (Generates 125 code – Cell dirty or needs replacement)
125 Cell needs to be cleaned or replaced
The price of the PLC-1400 seems to have skyrocketed though. The last time, I paid $599 at Marina Pool Supply. This time, their price is $1199 and that's the price my pool guy quoted as well, so I'll get it from him.
Two questions:
* Is it worth proactively replacing the flow sensor/power cable? I have these from when I replaced the cell in 2017 and didn't replace the flow sensor or power cable because the new cell started working immediately (I did replace these in 2021 with the ones that came with that cell). Replacing the wires is a pain because the SWG control box is in an awkward hard-to-reach location and I'd prefer to just do it once with the new cables, but if it might make a difference, I'll give it a try. I'd rather not do it twice, but I suppose I could continue to use the 2017 sensor/cable (both unused) with the new cell unless something about these has changed since 2021.
* Does the measured salt level (3400 vs 2800) make a difference to the salt cell? Does it lower the current if it thinks there's more salt than there actually is? If I recalibrate the control box to match, might that make a difference? I think I'll give that a try anyway, once I find the calibration instructions again.
* Finally: instead of spending the $1200, have there been improvements in these systems since mine was installed in2006? Could I spend a bit more cash and switch to a better or more durable salt water generator to replace the Jandy system? This one has worked well, but if the technology has improved, that's something I'd be willing to consider if it's not 3x the price. I'm not wedded to Jandy/Zodiac but it would have to be compatible with my control box so I can see the salt level and control the cell level from my control panel and app.
Thanks!
