After pool opening this season my Aqua Logic control board started operation with the problem known before, but not in the way discussed here or elsewhere. I wonder if anyone observed such a problem and found the way to fix it in other ways than just replacing the board. After starting the pump, it powers the T-15 cell normally , but after a while it cuts off power to the cell and throws out Cell Power Error message. All chemistry is verified normal. The length of normal operation depends on chlorine output. At 40% output, the length of operation before Cell Power Error is approx. 53 min, but at 5% it is only 9 min. Flipping the breaker (total powering off) clears the error, the cell powers normally in reverse (-26.32 V, -5.97A, instant salt 3.1 g/l), but after a while everything repeats again. When during the normal cell operation the pump is turned off manually, the board powers off the cell without No Flow Error. If the pump is turned on right away, the cell is powered normally in reverse. However, after few minutes while the pump is still off, No Flow Error shows up. Now the board fails to restore power to the cell after the pump is turned back on and No Flow Error changes to Cell Power Error. Following recommendations, I first re-soldered the K-1 relay - no help, then replaced the relay with a new one - no help, the same behavior. It appears that the board powers off the cell to reverse polarity, but then does not power it back and throws out the error. Perhaps something faulty in the electric chain to/from the the K-1 relay, a condenser or a resistor, may be a simple reason. Any idea what could cause the board behave in such way?
Help with Aqua Logic GLX-PCB-MAIN board repair
- Thread starter yaximik
- Start date
- May 3, 2007
- 18,073
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
After you replaced K1, did you inspect all of the traces for any cold solder joints including K2 & K3?
K2 & K3 are the relays that swap polarity so you might want to look at those too.
Does the error only occur on one of the two polarities?
After throwing the error, reset the cell by going to the diagnostic menu where it shows the voltage and current and press the "+". This will switch the unit back to the previous polarity and if that works ok, then maybe it is just one of the two polarities that is the issue.
K2 & K3 are the relays that swap polarity so you might want to look at those too.
Does the error only occur on one of the two polarities?
After throwing the error, reset the cell by going to the diagnostic menu where it shows the voltage and current and press the "+". This will switch the unit back to the previous polarity and if that works ok, then maybe it is just one of the two polarities that is the issue.
Thanks for valuable suggestions. I am not sure I understood correctly the question about cold solder joints. Did you mean burned/not functional? I will recheck and run suggested tests.
Down on this page Hayward Aqualogic - Further Reading K1 and K2 are mentioned in regard to polarity reversal, but you mentioned K2 and K3.
To my surprise I noticed that relay I purchased to replace the existing K1 had only 4 pins instead of 5 pins, but nevertheless was recommended as compatible. I carefully inspected the printed board and found that 5th pin was soldered to a embedded copper conductor not connected to anything else on the board. I assumed that 5th pin is not functional in K1 and soldered 4 pins of the new relay as were on the old relay. Since the board (mal)functions in the same way my assumption seem s correct.
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No, polarity change does not seem the issue. Today system started at noon exactly as scheduled and chlorination turned on as well. I put it at 100% for now. After 30 min running time I tested in Diagnostic mode polarity reversal and it operated with no problem. Here are readings:
+26.12V +6.02A 3.2 g/l
-25.96V -5.90A 3.2 g/l
+25.96V +6.06A 3.3 g/l
-26.12V -5.86A 3.1 g/l
Everything seems OK. I watch for how long it will run until the error shows up.
- May 3, 2007
- 18,073
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Cold solder joints look dull and not shinny.
The one on the left is ok but the other two are cold.
The documentation is incorrect. K1 turns the cell on and off, while K2 & K3 swap the polarity.
Now it becomes even more puzzling. The current settings are circulation starting at noon and running until 4 pm. With chlorine output at 40% Cell Power Error shows after 53 min, at 5% after 9 min. I am not sure how often polarity reversing is done by Aqua Logic, but it does not seem similar to 3 hr cycle stated for ProLogic. During today's 4 hour circulation schedule polarity reversal was observed more often, yet with no error until its normal completion. Since the test with manual reversing (which also includes 15 sec power off period) did not cause Cell Power Error either, faulty polarity reversal can be excluded. But after circulation completion at 4 pm Cell Power Error flashed in 2 min or so after the pump was shut down and remained on until flipping the breaker cleared error, with no show after that. It appears that Cell Power Error shows up when power to the cell is turned off for a period longer than the lag period during polarity reversal (15 sec) or after pump is turned off and then immediately on (1 min power off lag). Longer power-offs occur when chlorine output is set for less than 100%, so the board cuts power off, but fails to restore it. What could the 0-60 sec permissive period indicate? The error circulation completion is even more puzzling - why Cell Power Error emerges when there is no need for powering the cell between circulation cycles? Any suggestions?
- May 3, 2007
- 18,073
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Are you forcing the unit to restart the cycle before each of your time measurements? This is done by going to the first menu in the Diagnostics menu and press "+". This restarts the cycle.
The AquaLogic has two different cycle times. Earlier units were at 120 minute cycles and later versions at 180 minutes. I believe they switched at version 2.65 when they added support for VS pumps. What is your version number?
5% at 9 min implies the 180 minute cycle. 53 min is close to 30% of 180 min so could have the setting been 30% or perhaps you didn't force a reset first?
The software version is 2.42, so it should be 120 min. Indeed careful timing shows that power is turned off exactly at 6 min with 5% load. To cut waiting I reduced load to 1%. After cold reset (breaker flip), cell is powered off 2 min after powering on (following 1 min lag after pump started), but in subsequent soft resets/polarity reversals (+ in Diagnostic Menu) the cell is powered off 1:30 after powering on (following 15 sec lag after soft reset). The light comes on with Cell Power Error after 1:42, the same period each time.
If soft reset is done within1:42 after cell powering off, power reversed and restored normally. Pressing + causes powering off, which is accompanied by single clicks in K1, K2 and K3, starting 15 sec countdown on the display, and at 0 sec powering on is accompanied by double sequential clicks in each relay. After1:42 with the light on and Cell Power Error, pressing + does not cause clicks in K1, K2, and K3, just starts 15 sec countdown on the display, and at 0 sec single clicks only are heard in K1, K2, and K3 without power restoration.
Does this look like some faulty capacitor drains in 1:42 causing relays to fail?
- May 3, 2007
- 18,073
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
The issue seems to be thermally sensitive which is why I suggested earlier to look for any cold or loose solder joints. That is usually the problem that these units face.
Do you have a Volt meter you could use to capture the voltage on the Red & Black leads coming off the rectifiers.
Do you have a Volt meter you could use to capture the voltage on the Red & Black leads coming off the rectifiers.