Aquarite Chlorine Generator Problem

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BoernePoolGuy

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Jun 10, 2013
17
Hello. I am having issues with my Aquarite system. I have read the thread here extensively, reporting the component on the PCB to replace. My system is experiencing the same problems. I noticed some film developing on the sides of the pool. Went and checked the box and it had no lights on, the digital read out was reading fine it appeared, but no power, no flow lights, nothing.

I shut it off and then turned it back on. The no flow light flashes for about 30 seconds, then the generating light comes on for about 10 seconds, then turns off and thats it.

The readings seem whacky too. The voltage and amperage seem low (I dont recall the exact numbers), the water temp is probably accurate for now at around 73F. The salt read 0, or more specifically - 0.0. I thought, oh wow, we had lots of rain, I should probably add salt, thats likely the problem. I added 3 bags and nothing changed.

I took the faceplate off of the Aquarite and the board looks brand new. The current limiter appears solid and not burnt, or brittle at all. I pulled the board out to look at the back, and it appears brand new as well. No burn marks, or discoloring.

What else should I be checking before I go try and operate on this board, soldering another current limiter on? It hasnt been generating for a week or so, and the pool is starting to show it. I need a fix quickly, but I am hesitant to call out a tech who is going to run me over the coals.

Thanks!
 
It's well worth your effort to replace the current limiter and see if that fixes your problem. There have only been a few instances where that did not fix the problem and given the cost of the limiters it's a lot cheaper than replacing the board and if that doesn't fix it you're only out a few dollars and a little time.
 
Bama Rambler said:
It's well worth your effort to replace the current limiter and see if that fixes your problem. There have only been a few instances where that did not fix the problem and given the cost of the limiters it's a lot cheaper than replacing the board and if that doesn't fix it you're only out a few dollars and a little time.
Click to expand...

My worry is I would create a new problem trying to solder onto an electronics board. I have absolutely 0 experience with a soldering iron.

I will likely do that this weekend. I was all set to order a couple of those components, when I decided to ask around first.
 
Maybe you have a friend that could help. I'm sure you won't mess the board up, but even if you do and have to replace it, that's what a service person is going to do, so you're no worse off. Besides, the experience you gain will more than make up for the anxiety you're feeling.
 
Sounds like you are not testing your pool's chlorine often enough if you discovered a slimy pool. Also, generally not a good idea to add salt without independently testing the salt level. At this point once the SWG is working, you may have too much salt and have to replace water to lower it.

There is a company that will refurb the boards on these SWGs if you are not handy with soldering, supposed to be quite a bit cheaper than replacing the board. Let me know if you are interested and I can send you their information. If it works out, you could report back your experience.
 
jblizzle said:
Sounds like you are not testing your pool's chlorine often enough if you discovered a slimy pool. Also, generally not a good idea to add salt without independently testing the salt level. At this point once the SWG is working, you may have too much salt and have to replace water to lower it.

There is a company that will refurb the boards on these SWGs if you are not handy with soldering, supposed to be quite a bit cheaper than replacing the board. Let me know if you are interested and I can send you their information. If it works out, you could report back your experience.
Click to expand...


I definitely slacked off on it the past month. The generator has been doing awesome, and my water has pretty much been maintenance free all summer, so I got complacent.

I just moved into the house in May. I believe the pool was installed in 2011. So it is barely 2 years old.
 
It might be under warranty. The first number of the serial number is the number of years of the warranty. The two numbers after the first letter are the year of manufacture.
 
jblizzle said:
Have you inspected the cell for scaling? Although that does not sound like the entire problem.
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I have. I disconnected it this past weekend and soaked it in a muriatic acid / water solution for about 8 minutes. Cleaned it out and it looked good.

Would the flow sensor be causing a problem like this? or maybe just a bad cell? I would think even with a bad cell, I would at least have a power light on the generator box.
 

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I got the parts in and took the board off. The piece on my board has a metal shield thing over the solder on the front and back. No matter how long I left the solder gun on that, it would not melt and allow me to take off the part. This was the only component on the PCB that had this metal shield thing (it is visible in the link below).

I called Hayward. They had me turn the switch from auto to super back to auto and wait a minute. It did nothing so he told me to call a local service center or call Goldline.

At this point I a not sure what to do. I am thinking of ordering the control board

http://www.inyopools.com/Products/02146 ... escription

I would hate to order that and have it not be the problem, but at this point, I cannot really see how it could be anything else.

Any thoughts before I do this?
 
BoernePoolGuy said:
I got the parts in and took the board off. The piece on my board has a metal shield thing over the solder on the front and back. No matter how long I left the solder gun on that, it would not melt and allow me to take off the part. This was the only component on the PCB that had this metal shield thing (it is visible in the link below).
http://www.inyopools.com/Products/02146 ... escription
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you are referring to. The current limiter is the black coin shaped object near the wiring harness.

Rather than trying to unsolder the old part, what I would do is clip the wire leads as close to the body of the old part as is possible. Assuming that there will be at least two short pieces of wire sticking up from the board, then solder your new part to those two wire "stubs" and you should be good to go!

If even this proves to be impossible, I would follow the advice given earlier and take the board to a radio/TV repair center and ask them to replace the part for you. They have desoldering tools and the skills that make the process very easy. A ham radio operator, like myself, would be happy to do the replacement for free.
 
If you take look at that image above, click it to zoom in, you will notice the black coin looking component. Underneath it there is a metal looking plate that is on the board, that plate is also on the back of the board too, underneath the coin looking piece. I assume it is a sort of heat guard. No matter how long I kept the soldering iron on it, it never would melt enough for me to remove the part. On the front, the metal poles connecting the part to the board are sheathed in plastic, I cannot connect to them.

It would appear to me goldine got smart, and realized people were fixing this problem for a fraction of the cost, and made it tougher to fix with these additions. I have seen pictures of other goldine boards that did not have these features.

My wife is now determined to just call a service tech out to fix it. I tried to call the one hayward recommended in our area yesterday, got a cell phone and no answer, 24hrs now and no call back.

Im starting to lose faith.
 
What size soldering iron do you have?

Those lands are for heat dissipation, but a good iron will melt the solder. They probably weren't specifically to deter DIY repair, but to try and make the limiter last longer.
 
Bama Rambler said:
What size soldering iron do you have?

Those lands are for heat dissipation, but a good iron will melt the solder. They probably weren't specifically to deter DIY repair, but to try and make the limiter last longer.
Click to expand...

Yea, I was mostly being facetious, I was assuming it was to try and protect these things from burning out.

I am not sure about my iron. I borrowed it from someone as I have next to no soldering experience.

One thing that makes me question even replacing the part is that it appears brand new. Noting about it would make me think that this component is bad, other than the things I have read about bad components. The things I have read though, all report the component being visually brittle or breaking apart.
 
I'm in the same boat as Boerne. No lights on the generator, out of the blue last week. Would it be possible for you all to post pics of the parts you are referring to? I don't know what a "limiter" is- a pic could assist. I did look at my board, and to my uneducated eye everything looked fine. An electrician friend said my fuse is good and power is going to the unit.
This board has always helped me solve my pool issues. Thanks in advance for any direction you can provide.
 

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