Goldline Aqua-Rite T-15 unit on 100% stops generating

[poolcat]

Split off of this post. JasonLion
I'm having a very similar problem -- it's what triggered me to register to join this forum a few minutes ago. Whether I put my Goldline Aqua-Rite T-15 unit on 100% or on Superchlorinate, I notice lately that it stops generating (green generating light on steady, but 0 amps) after a little while. I haven't timed it yet, so I don't know if it's 24 minutes, or if it comes back on after 2 hrs. My water temp right now is bouncing from about 58F to 61F depending on time of day, sun, weather, etc. I talked to a Goldline rep yesterday and was told it is supposed to run on a 100 minute cycle, generating for the % of the 100 minutes the dial is set on, and 100% of the time for superchlorinate. He just kind of blew me off saying I needed to call out a technician. Never mentioned it had anything to do with the temp. I actually called primarily about a failed (?) flow sensor, hoping they could help me diagnose. Didn't get a great deal of help there, but I'll talk about that in a separate post (I jumped the leads to the sensor for now, though they wouldn't confirm to me it was OK to do that -- it worked).

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

Bypassing the flow sensor is alright for a little while, but it sets up a potential safety hazard if you leave it that way. You never want the SWG to be on when the pump is off, doing so could result in an explosion. The flow sensor is one of (hopefully) several ways that is guaranteed.

The AquaRite units are designed to shutdown at a water temperature of 50 degrees. You are above that, but there is some possibility that the unit thinks the water is colder than what you are reporting.

Have you checked for good connections of all the cables at both ends?

 

[poolcat]

Thanks! It does completely stop generating and displays "Cold", I believe below 50F. I believe the cable connections are good. It has done completely fine since I finished my pool and started up the unit in June, 2007. I believe I do recall noticing even back during last summer, that it would stop generating (steady green light, but 0 amps) like this after it had been on 100% for a while. But, I always seemed to have plenty of FC.

I don't want to dominate this post/discussion with the flow sensor issue. Again, I'd like to save that for a seperate post. I think I should mention, though, that the AquaRite rep said the break in generation was possibly being triggered by the problem with the flow sensor. Since I have it jumped and it generates fine for a while after it first starts up, I really doubt that.

Right now it's at 58F and generating. I'm going to watch and see if it stops after 24 minutes, or whenever....

 

[poolcat]

Ha, 24 minutes exactly, and it stopped generating! At least until I slid the switch to off and back to Superchlorinate again, then it restarted. I'm wondering, then, if maybe my unit is normal? I've been giving serious consideration to investing in a spare cell, while I can get them at a great price right now, and replacing what seems to be a faulty flow switch. I'd like to have confidence that my control box is normal before I buy these seperately.

 

[JasonLion]

Based on what desoto was told by GoldLine in in this topic, that is normal behavior when the water is between 50 and 60 degrees.

 

[poolcat]

Yes, I was just reading back through his original post. Seems exactly as he described, except mine behaves the same whether on 100% or Super -- on for first 24 minutes, & then I am waiting to see if it will come back on after 2 hrs. Wonder if he wasn't off in saying, "Superchlorinate runs as long as it is set for"....

Will be interesting to see what happens above 60F. Strange this is not addressed in Goldline's manual or on its website.

 

[poolcat]

Update: I checked back the other night, while the water was still around 58F, and it did start generating again after 2 hrs, exactly. For exactly 24 minutes, again. Works the same whether it's on 100% or super (except I think maybe it would all stop after 24 hrs on super). Then yesterday, it was 61F, and it generated 100% of the time that I left it on super (several hours). Feeling pretty good now that my unit is normal, except for the dead flow sensor/switch that I have jumped. I feel that's a subject for a new post.