Another AquaRite "Hot" Error

[ezgz]

Hey Folks,

My salt system is giving me a "Hot" error and wont resume service automatically. If I flip it Off and back to Auto, it kicks in. From what I read, this is a bad sign, but wondering if anyone can guide me on how to proceed. The details people normally ask for are

Model: T-CELL-LS-CUL
Serial: 3E20273-204045

Diagnostics:

• Temp 85
• Cell voltage 27.5
• Cell current 3.66
• Output 100%
• Salinity -2400
• Product name AL-1
• Software 1.62

Thanks in advance,

 

[ajw22]

Hayward Aquarite SWG - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

If you have a multimeter, you can check the resistance of the thermistor in the cell (pin 6 against pin 10 on the plug). See Temperature Sensors.

Cutting either the Red or Blue wire should get the Temperature display to read 77F.

Some people have patched into the cable and installed an external temperature sensor.

 

[ezgz]

@ajw22 - ty for responding.

Just for posterity, I think I have it solved, in case some future person runs into this situation.

What I didn't realize is that the cell was actually getting hot - really hot - I run pump and heater overnight but in mid afternoon on a cold day I touched the cell and it was hot to the touch - I disconnected it from the line and the water that came out was steaming.

Then the pieces came together - I noticed that the generating LED is green even when the pump (VST) was off. I'm 99% sure the cell is never shutting itself off when the flow is gone and it is generating chlorine in still water until it trips the temperature sensor.

If I unplug the flow switch from the board then the flow LED turns red. Based on what I read that seems like a bad flow switch. I have a GLX-FLO-RP that should be showing up soon, so hopefully that fixes things but I can't help but wonder if I've dammaged the cell! It seems to still generate (I see the little bubbles coming out of the jets when I turn it on) -- regardless, I'm pretty sure its life has been shortened.

 

[ajw22]

The control unit should not be powered when the pump is off to prevent that situation. It says so in the Installation Manual.

The flow switch is s secondary safety

The primary safety should be the power.

Read SWG How It Works - Further Reading

 

[ezgz]

Thanks @ajw22
I inherited this pool and the Pentair VST has no external control (and cannot control the SWG). If I make changes in the future I'll correct this!

 

[Mdragger88]

Thanks @ajw22
I inherited this pool and the Pentair VST has no external control (and cannot control the SWG). If I make changes in the future I'll correct this!

Add a timer for the swcg asap and sync the two manually or leave both running 24/7. You are very lucky an explosion hasn’t already occurred.

 

[ezgz]

Hey - thanks everyone for your help - I'm just leaving it on 24/7 to avoid catastrophe.

 

[Mdragger88]

Hey - thanks everyone for your help - I'm just leaving it on 24/7 to avoid catastrophe.

If they are fed by the same circuit this is ok - ideally they would be so that if power to the pump is lost it is also lost to the swcg.