I have a new-to-me 11000 gal pool with an Aqua Rite SWG. Now that the weather is cool and the pool is not used, I only run the pump three times a day for a total of 3 hours, three 1-hour periods.
We have had quite a bit of rain lately along with a couple of leaks which have since been corrected. I've had to add some salt to compensate for dilution and water loss; no surprises there. However, several times I have found the Aqua Rite "Low Salt" and "Check Cell" lights on and noticed that the unit has shut itself down. The salt reading on the panel shows very low, usually below 1000ppm. Yet, a salt test shows the level in the pool to be in the normal range.
I wonder if it is possible that the rainwater is stratified; i.e. floating on top of the heavier salt water. Then, when the pump (and SWG system) comes on, the skimmers suck in the rain water, the SWG detects the very low salt level in the rain water, shuts itself down, and remains that way until I reset it. This makes even more sense to me because if I force the pump to run for a couple of hours and then reset the Aqua Rite SWG, it reads salt in the normal range and functions normally. I am guessing that once the rainwater is mixed in, the Aqua Rite unit is happy. At this point, the salt level indicated on the panel closely matches my salt-test figures. In addition, now that the rain has stopped for a few days, it is working just fine.
When I called the factory, the so-called technician told me that rain dilutes the salt water. Duh...... any 5 year old knows that. Then he said that the SWG does not "kick in" until it runs for an hour and a half and he is never heard of a situation like the one I described to him. That's when I thanked him and hung up. Customer support personnel who do not know the answer to your question is one thing, but making stuff up is worse. I can see that the Aqua Rite does a little "measuring and thinking" when it starts up, but once it detects normal flow and normal salt level, it appears to begin generating within about a minute or so, not an hour and a half. Perhaps the fellow did not understand the difference between seconds and hours.
Anyhow, has anyone noticed a problem with a SWG system shutting down after it rains even though the salt level, once the rain has had a chance to mix in, is still within acceptable levels?
We have had quite a bit of rain lately along with a couple of leaks which have since been corrected. I've had to add some salt to compensate for dilution and water loss; no surprises there. However, several times I have found the Aqua Rite "Low Salt" and "Check Cell" lights on and noticed that the unit has shut itself down. The salt reading on the panel shows very low, usually below 1000ppm. Yet, a salt test shows the level in the pool to be in the normal range.
I wonder if it is possible that the rainwater is stratified; i.e. floating on top of the heavier salt water. Then, when the pump (and SWG system) comes on, the skimmers suck in the rain water, the SWG detects the very low salt level in the rain water, shuts itself down, and remains that way until I reset it. This makes even more sense to me because if I force the pump to run for a couple of hours and then reset the Aqua Rite SWG, it reads salt in the normal range and functions normally. I am guessing that once the rainwater is mixed in, the Aqua Rite unit is happy. At this point, the salt level indicated on the panel closely matches my salt-test figures. In addition, now that the rain has stopped for a few days, it is working just fine.
When I called the factory, the so-called technician told me that rain dilutes the salt water. Duh...... any 5 year old knows that. Then he said that the SWG does not "kick in" until it runs for an hour and a half and he is never heard of a situation like the one I described to him. That's when I thanked him and hung up. Customer support personnel who do not know the answer to your question is one thing, but making stuff up is worse. I can see that the Aqua Rite does a little "measuring and thinking" when it starts up, but once it detects normal flow and normal salt level, it appears to begin generating within about a minute or so, not an hour and a half. Perhaps the fellow did not understand the difference between seconds and hours.
Anyhow, has anyone noticed a problem with a SWG system shutting down after it rains even though the salt level, once the rain has had a chance to mix in, is still within acceptable levels?
