Aqua Rite not making chlorine - only 3 years old

[deanbrew]

I have a Goldline Aqua Rite SWG system, installed in May 2009. It has worked pretty much flawlessly until this year. I tested my water when I opened in May, and added a couple bags of salt to get it to about 3000-3200, based on readings from my test strips. My my Aqua Rite control panel gave me a reading of about 2800. Less than a month later, my control panel has the "low salt" light on and reads something like 2400. Hmmm. I added two more bags of salt to bring it up. It has run pretty well until the past couple of days.

Yesterday, I woke and saw my water was cloudy. I tested and it had no chlorine. Uh oh. I turned the SWG switch to off and the back to on, waited a few minutes and then tested the water coming from my pool return. No chlorine. I then loosened the fitting right after the cell and tested the water dribbling out. No chlorine reading. None of the error lights are on, and the voltage and amp readings are in the spec range. I took the cell out and acid cleaned it (it had been cleaned over winter). It looked clean, but I cleaned it anyway, and only got a few bubbles.

I reinstalled and am still getting no chlorine productions. BTW, my PH is 7.5, CYA is 50, all other readings are fine except FC. Not showing any CC.

I run my pump 24/7, and keep the chlorine dial between 10 and 20 percent most of the time. It sure seems that my cell is worn out, even though I don't think it should be, running my pool four months per year for just over three years, with the dial set at around 15%. I called my pool installer and they are not able to test the salt cell to see if it's working. The closest store that Hayward shows as being able to test the cell is 93 miles away.

Do any of you have any advice or suggestions? Should I simply buy a new cell? They are pretty dang expensive to have to replace every three years. Of course, this one is two months out of the three-year warranty, so I guess the timing is spot-on for Hayward. :x

 

[Bama Rambler]

I'd call Hayward if it's that close. You never know. They may make a good will gesture and replace it.

 

[deanbrew]

Update: OK, now I'm not sure whether or not my SWG system is working or not. I think it may be. I shocked the pool on Sunday night (two pounds in a 17k gallon pool) and the water cleared up. The chlorine level was over 10 on Monday. It dropped slowly to about 4-5 as of yesterday, with the SWG turned off. I turned the SWG system back on last night, set to 20%. This morning, my FC reading from the pool is 5, with 0.5 CC. I tested water coming from a pool return (with the SWG running), and got a reading of 8, with 0.0 CC. On Sunday, I was getting no chlorine reading from the return.

What should the chlorine reading be, getting the water sample directly from a return? FWIW, I have a 40k gallon salt cell rated at adding 1.40 lbs. of chlorine per day.

Also, BTW, Hayward told me to check the phosphate level, and I got the impression I would get nowhere with them until I did. My pool store said my phosphate level was 1000, and sold me a $34 bottle of SeaKlear Phosphate Remover. Normally, I would not have bought it, but if I need to contact Hayward again, I need to be able to tell them I removed the phosphates to pursue replacement or repair under warranty, if it comes to that.

Also, BTW, my pool store cannot check whether or not my cell is working. The closest place Hayward/Goldline shows as being able to test my cell is 93 miles away from me. I may end up making a road trip there if I'm not convinced it's working properly.

 

[Qwaxalot]

You can test the cell yourself. Fill a bucket with pool water, remove the cell from the plumbing, drop it in the bucket. Turn the generator on and manually close the contacts on the flow sensor. If lots of little bubbles come out of the cell, it's generating.

 

[deanbrew]

You can test the cell yourself. Fill a bucket with pool water, remove the cell from the plumbing, drop it in the bucket. Turn the generator on and manually close the contacts on the flow sensor. If lots of little bubbles come out of the cell, it's generating.

I thought about doing that, but wasn't sure what to do about the flow sensor. If I remove the flow sensor, I can just connect the contacts? I was considering fashioning a section of pvc to insert where the cell goes so that the pump would run and the flow sensor would let the system operate.

If it is making bubbles, is that absolute proof it is making chlorine? If I let it run in a bucket for a bit, it should chlorinate the bucket water, right?

 

[jblizzle]

I think you already proved it was working when you read 8 ppm at the return and 5 ppm in the pool.

Sounds like your FC must have gotten a bit low and then algae started to grow (cloudy water) which consumed all the FC. I would make sure you accurately followed the shock PROCESS all the way through to passing the 3 tests (see Pool School) with the SWG off.

When you finish the shock process, fire the SWG back up and test the FC a little more often to make sure it is not dropping too low for your CYA.

Note that a CYA of 50ppm is pretty low compared to our recommendations for SWGs.