PoolSean.....ever heard of this?

[lsbarkley]

Saw a post on gardenweb and recommended they post you a thought here but I am curious and thought it might be helpful to post it here. More for knowledge and maybe how to prevent this. Here is what was posted. Hope this is okay to do.

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I noticed that my chlorine levels were low for the last week. I thought it may been due to the recent rain we had. Earlier this week I boosted my % Power and hit 72 hour boost. I checked a few days later and it was still low. Today I went and checked the equipment and noticed that the power cord that plugs into the cell was all brown at the cell. I turned everything off and the plug was black and crusty all but disintigrated on this inside. It looks as if it had gotten too hot either over time and slowly turned brown and burned out the inside or maybe it happened earlier this week all at once.
Has anyone had a similar problem? If you have one of these systems has the plug start to discolor a bit? My system was 2 years old.

Thanks for any info or advice. I will try and post a pic later tonight.





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Follow-Up Postings:


I don't have an Autopilot, but had a similar problem last year with my system. The plug looked all crusty and crumbly (not sure that's the best description). Pool company came out and replaced the plug. But, even when it was bad, my chlorine was fine. Are you sure the two are connected? Have you checked your CYA level?
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Thanks Sean

 

[Poolsean]

The discoloration may appear after a few years pf operatipon and is usually due to heat (electrically). Think of it as a light bulb... take the amperage x watts = watts. In the case of the AutoPilot, if you're at cell power 2 (6.5 amps) and running at 25 volts = 163 watts. That's more heat than radiating from a 100 watt bulb.

The condition you're describing is definately damage that will need to be replaced. Please contact the factory, with the serial number and date of installation.

Sean

 

[Strannik]

The cause of the problem is that the connectors are either loose, or dirty.
You should actually inspect the connectors every now and then, and clean/tighten them if necessary