Aquarite says it's generating, but clearly is not

[LacesOUT]

Any help appreciated.

We opened the pool on Saturday.

Hayward T-Cell-15 with Aquarite control panel.

When I came into the situation I noticed the Aquarite was set to 'Super Chlorinate' and the 'Generating' light was illuminated BUT the diagnostic menu showed:

- 30volts
- 0.00 amps
- 0 instantaneous chlorine

So no chlorine was being generated.

The 'Check Salt' and 'Inspect Cell' Leads were flashing too, and the Aquarite diagnostic manual says this indicates salt at 2500-2600ppm.

I turned the unit off and on and then it started generating. But after a while it would stop generating but still keep the 'Generating' light illuminated.


I tested the salt @ 2400ppm.

My local pool store tested @ 2700ppm.

So I added 120lbs salt.

No change: still generates after a power cycle but then stops generating.

The 'Check Salt' and 'Inspect Cell' lights are no longer flashing, however.

Any idea what this is?

 

[LacesOUT]

Also, not sure if relevant: last year the 'No Flow' light came on.

So I replaced the flow switch. It helped, but a few weeks later the light came back on.

So I ended up just jumping the flow switch, the jumper is currently plugged in.

 

[BennytheDog]

I also have an Aquarite SWG (branded as Blue Essence 20). BTW: Your signature does not include your pool equipment setup so I can't tell if 120 lbs of salt would have moved the needle or sent it off scale the other way. For the moment I will assume your salt level is Ok.

The Super Chlorinate switch only activates one time with power on and will run for up to 24 hours or until the unit turns off. When power is turned back on the controller goes back to whatever Desired Output % it is set to until you reset the Super Chlorinate switch by moving it back to Auto. I don't know what happens if you have a pool controller that controls the power to the SWG system.

If the Desired Output % rotary switch is set to anything less than 100% the unit will cycle on and off accordingly. Example: If your Desired Output % is set to 20%, the reality is that the unit is not generating chlorine 80% of the time even if the generating light is on.

Per the manual the generating light is on anytime the the unit is turned on. If flashing the water is either too cold or too hot.

I think there is also a power up delay of about 1 minute in the system to allow the water flow to settle before chlorine generation can begin.

So, you might crank up your pool pump and your SWG and then after a couple of minutes set the diagnostic display to the amps setting and then crank up the Desired Output % to 100% and see if you get an amps reading. When you do this listen carefully as you should hear a solenoid make contact when the unit starts generating chlorine. Once you are generating chlorine, the instantaneous salt reading will also give a valid number in the diagnostic display.

 

[LacesOUT]

Signature has been edited, thank you.

The pump and SWG are all on the same switch (i.e. when the pump is off, so is the aquarite)

Auto was always set to 100% during the issue. So even if SuperChlorinate reverted to Auto it should still be always generating.

This whole no generating thing occurs after the SWG is well passed the initializion stage. When I turn the unit on, after 60 seconds I hear the solenoid click and I see the instantaneous chlorine reading ~3000. The issue is when I come back a few hours later the Generating light will still be on, but there won't be any instaneous chlorine, nor any amps.

 

[JamesW]

For AquaRite, move the switch from auto to off and check all of the readings.

Move the switch back to auto and recheck the readings.

Move the switch to off for a minute and then back to auto and recheck the readings.

Report all readings.

What are the first seven characters of the cell and box serial numbers?

What is the actual salinity and how are you measuring it?

What is the T-cell size?

Is the T-cell size set correctly in settings?

To get the performance percentage of the cell in each polarity, divide the instant salinity reading in each polarity by the actual salinity reading in each polarity.

You need to be really sure about the actual salinity reading.

You need to use a K-1766 salt test kit or a calibrated meter.

https://tftestkits.net/K-1766-Taylor-Salt-Test-p31.html

Note that ProLogic, AquaLogic and AquaPlus use the Hayward T Cell.

However, the procedure to get the diagnostic readings is different.

Here is the procedure for ProLogic, AquaLogic and AquaPlus:

Go to the diagnostic screen, note the readings and then press the + button to reverse the polarity.

When the new numbers appear, see what they are.

Then, press + again and note the new readings.

 

[JamesW]

So I ended up just jumping the flow switch, the jumper is currently plugged in.

You need to get a good flow switch before you use the SWG.

Do not operate the SWG without a good flow switch.

 

[LacesOUT]

You need to get a good flow switch before you use the SWG.

Do not operate the SWG without a good flow switch.

Can you recommend a good flow switch?

A GLX-FLO-RP is $100.

An aftermarket is $36.

So I went with aftermarket last year. It just a spring-tensioned terminal that completes a circuit when water compresses the spring; nothing fancy.

 

[LacesOUT]

For AquaRite, move the switch from auto to off and check all of the readings.

Move the switch back to auto and recheck the readings.

Move the switch to off for a minute and then back to auto and recheck the readings.

Report all readings.

What are the first seven characters of the cell and box serial numbers?

What is the actual salinity and how are you measuring it?

What is the T-cell size?

Is the T-cell size set correctly in settings?

To get the performance percentage of the cell in each polarity, divide the instant salinity reading in each polarity by the actual salinity reading in each polarity.

You need to be really sure about the actual salinity reading.

You need to use a K-1766 salt test kit or a calibrated meter.

https://tftestkits.net/K-1766-Taylor-Salt-Test-p31.html

Note that ProLogic, AquaLogic and AquaPlus use the Hayward T Cell.

However, the procedure to get the diagnostic readings is different.

Here is the procedure for ProLogic, AquaLogic and AquaPlus:

Go to the diagnostic screen, note the readings and then press the + button to reverse the polarity.

When the new numbers appear, see what they are.

Then, press + again and note the new readings.

Let me try this over the weekend.