Aqua Rite T-9 -- issue with salt levels and zero readings

[LukeTO]

If anyone can help I'd appreciate it.

Last summer was year 1 with my pool. I didn't have any issues -- regular water samples at my local pool store and all was good.

Thus far this year? High chlorine. Low chlorine. PH balancing. Stabilizer. The list goes on.

And now ...electrical or cell issues.... or NOT?

Just as I THOUGHT I had all in order...I noticed something else. And, admittedly, this may not even be an issue but it's something new I've noticed and i wasn't sure if it was normal.

Pardon me if my terms aren't correct. I'm very green with a lot of this.

Issue 1:
---------------

Avg salt reading appears fine (3300)
Temp is fine.
Amp (??) is around 27.3
Voltage (??) Somewhere around 4.4
Chlorinator at 28p
Salt intake -3100

But then moments later ....whether it be 5 minutes or 15 minutes .....

Avg salt is still fine.
Temp is fine.
Amp (??) Is 31.4
** Voltage (??) Is 0 (zero)
Chlorinator at 28p
** And salt intake shows as -0 (zero)

Is this normal? To have two zeros on the board? If his happens regularly -- if this happened last year with my pool -- I sure as heck never noticed it. But, perhaps, i wasn't really paying attention to my aqua rite box and all the settings and lights as much as I am now!! Does the cell just turn itself off?

Again this is the AQUA RITE Hayward generator. And my cell is a T9.

The cell (entering its second season/usage) was cleaned prior to the pool being opened a few weeks ago. And there are no lights or warnings showing up on the generator. Everything appears to be fine but I'm thrown off by these zeros.

----

Issue #2
------------------

When not showing zero (!!) ....my intake, as I stated, has been regularly reading -3100 (or -3200) and my avg salt has held steady at 3200 or 3300.

But the water sample I took to my pool store a few days ago ....according to them ...showed chlorine levels in a good spot (2.09) but a salt reading of only 2500.

I've read some posts that say the aqua rite could be off by about 400 ....but 3200 vs 2500!? That's a large discrepancy.

If I'm generating chlorine and my levels are fine .....would that be possible if my salt was actually that low (2500)? And ..........could THIS issue -- with the major difference in numbers -- have anything to do with the first issue I discussed (the zeros)?? Or is there no connection or correlation at all?

Do I trust the generator or the pool store sample reading? I don't want to over-salt.

Again....last year....rookie luck maybe ...I seemed to have very few (if any issues). Now in year 2 ...less than a month in ....I'm confused and paranoid and have zero clue. I've been driven to post here .....which I didn't even feel the need to do as a new owner last year. So clearly I'm rattled and could use some input.

Thanks all. I appreciate the feedback that may come.

Luke

** if it matters, my pool is 26×13 and approx 35,000 litres

 

[ajw22]

@JamesW this normal generation cycling? Voltage of 4.4 does not sound right.

 

[JamesW]

They have the volts and amps mixed up.

It looks like normal operation.

Below 60 degrees, the percentage is 20% of the set percentage.

 

[mguzzy]

Luke.. it seems like you are describing the normal cycling of the controller. For example, lIf the knob is set to 50% it will cycle on for half the time and off for the other half of its interval

 

[LukeMTL]

LukeTO—
I was looking for the same answer to the same problem.
and I still am.
i recognize what you’re saying: the swg is working and then it’s not. 15 min or 60 min later it shuts off. My cell is new too. It doesn’t come back on, so this isn’t ‘usual cycling’. The chlorine generation goes dead in the water (pun maybe intended).
my best guess is a bad panel board based on the info I could find (including on this forum). I’ll definitely let you know if I find anything, and maybe you can too.
i find it weird that we have the same problem—and the same name!
Cheers!

 

[LukeMTL]

LukeTO—
I was looking for the same answer to the same problem.
and I still am.
i recognize what you’re saying: the swg is working and then it’s not. 15 min or 60 min later it shuts off. My cell is new too. It doesn’t come back on, so this isn’t ‘usual cycling’. The chlorine generation goes dead in the water (pun maybe intended).
my best guess is a bad panel board based on the info I could find (including on this forum). I’ll definitely let you know if I find anything, and maybe you can too.
i find it weird that we have the same problem—and the same name!
Cheers!

So—
Here’s what helped in my situation so far. I put my old cell back in and cranked on superchlorinate. Superchlorinate worked.
ran non-stop, beautiful.
I’ve only had my pool very recently too, and I added stabilizer after checking and realizing I had none, zero. Any chlorine being generated was evaporating in a matter of hours. Adding stabilizer helped so much. I now have a pool running well—one that is stable. I still have to figure out if it’s a bad new cell, or one incompatible with an old board, or just a neglected pool that needed stabilizer or some combination. The local pool co. will test but with Covid the line-up is long and everything is complicated. In the meantime my pool is actually working. Good luck LukeTO.

 

[LukeMTL]

So—
Here’s what helped in my situation so far. I put my old cell back in and cranked on superchlorinate. Superchlorinate worked.
ran non-stop, beautiful.
I’ve only had my pool very recently too, and I added stabilizer after checking and realizing I had none, zero. Any chlorine being generated was evaporating in a matter of hours. Adding stabilizer helped so much. I now have a pool running well—one that is stable. I still have to figure out if it’s a bad new cell, or one incompatible with an old board, or just a neglected pool that needed stabilizer or some combination. The local pool co. will test but with Covid the line-up is long and everything is complicated. In the meantime my pool is actually working. Good luck LukeTO.

Oh and for your salt readings get salt test strips.