Jandy TruClear potential problem

Exlonghorn

Gold Supporter
Jun 16, 2019
119
Houston
Pool Size
18000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Jandy Truclear / Ei
I’ve had my Jandy TruClear installed since 2019, and recently I’ve noticed the FC levels have been down near zero. I increased the pump run time to match the time I was running a year ago and gave it a couple days while adding liquid chlorine. Same problem three days later…FC near zero. No error messages on the wall mounted power pack. Looks like it’s bubbling but hard to tell. Then tonight I just happened to catch an extra line in my Aqualink PDA….and I don’t have an Aquapure. Any recommendations to test or am I just buying a new cell? E6E39C56-27EA-4266-B7E8-9DE885684385.jpeg
 
How much salt does the K-1766 say you have?

Have you done an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to check for algae?
2,400. Low so I’m fixing that this morning. I would expect to see a low salt message on the SWCG if that was part of the problem, but it still needs correction.

I’ll run an OCLT but I don’t expect to find an issue. CC had been 0 or 0.5 and CYA is at 70.
 
Ex,

The first thing to check when you "think" the cell might be bad is your CYA level.. Cell's only produce a little chlorine and if your CYA is very low the sun will quickly consume the FC..

You can have algae long before a pool turns green.. So the next thing to do is to run an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test (OCLT).. Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

If your CYA is good and you pass the OCLT then I start looking at the cell itself, run times, and output settings.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Ex,

The first thing to check when you "think" the cell might be bad is your CYA level.. Cell's only produce a little chlorine and if your CYA is very low the sun will quickly consume the FC..

You can have algae long before a pool turns green.. So the next thing to do is to run an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test (OCLT).. Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

If your CYA is good and you pass the OCLT then I start looking at the cell itself, run times, and output settings.

Thanks,

Jim R.
Hi Jim,

CYA is 70ppm per K-2006C. Jandy recommends that I keep the CYA at 30 - 50 ppm. TFP recommends 60-90ppm so I'm splitting the difference.

None of the chemistry explains the fault message on the PDA.

I know the pump run times are good because I have records in PoolMath from this same time and temp last year. I even ran the TruClear in Boost Mode (24 hour continuous run) twice and didn't see an improvement in FC levels.

I called Fluidra this morning and talked with their Tech Support and they've never encountered this fault message before. They're recommending sending out a repair company to take a look. Technically the unit is still within the 3-year warranty so I'm hoping it's covered.

Thanks,
Mike
 
That SWG is compatible with your Aqualink and it will see it as "Aquapure". Test the water coming right out of the returns for chlorine once the error is cleared. Try also reseating all of the connections.
 
That SWG is compatible with your Aqualink and it will see it as "Aquapure". Test the water coming right out of the returns for chlorine once the error is cleared. Try also reseating all of the connections.
I assume that the PDA showing AquaPure is just an artifact of the Aqualink being installed around 8-10 years ago, and the TruClear being a relatively new product (2016-).

And the plot thickens. I'm now seeing a "Check Cell" message on the TruClear power pack. According to the manual, this indicates a cell short circuit or overload. Sounds like this is a repair/replace situation now. I'll take a look at the connections again and make sure everything is clean and dry. They don't give output specs on the 3-pin connector so can't test with a multimeter, and I don't want to get into the power pack itself as that could void the warranty.
1620917368730.png
 
If you remove the SWG you will see nothing on the Aqualink it just totally disappears. Do you have a 4 wire connection between the Truclear control panel and the Aqualink? Truclear cells are known to fail prematurely. If still under warranty, call Jandy and see if they will send you a free replacement cell. They usually will.
 
2,400. Low so I’m fixing that this morning.
Probably just low salinity.

The TruClear does not even measure salinity.

The 3,000 ppm means nothing.

NOTE The TruClear does not capture a salinity reading from your pool. When connected to an automation system, the target salinity level of 3000ppm will be displayed. "General Error" will show as a result of low salt, low temp or a combination of both.

 
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If you remove the SWG you will see nothing on the Aqualink it just totally disappears. Do you have a 4 wire connection between the Truclear control panel and the Aqualink? Truclear cells are known to fail prematurely. If still under warranty, call Jandy and see if they will send you a free replacement cell. They usually will.
Yes, I have the connection between the TruClear and the Aqualink. The cell itself was replaced in February (part of the freeze damage here in Texas) so this would be reeeeealy premature failure. It is still under warranty. I'm going to call Fluidra tech support again and see if they have any new directions now that this Check Cell alert is appearing.
 

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Probably just low salinity.

The TruClear does not even measure salinity.

The 3,000 ppm means nothing.
I knew the 3000ppm displayed in the PDA was a target, not an actual reading, so no worries there. I dumped in 86 pounds of salt crystals this morning which should put the pool right at 3000ppm, and the pool's been circulating for a couple hours (no visible salt remaining). Water temp is 74F so that's not an issue. I'll check the salt level again this afternoon and see if the error persists once the salt level and temp are both right on target. I think the new Check Cell message on the power pack is a greater concern than the General Fault message I am getting on the PDA. I missed that note in the manual regarding the General Error so thanks for sharing that.
 
Does the display say “Lo Tmp/Lo Salt”?

You can check the cell plates by removing the cell part from the body to look for problems if you want, but the problem is most likely just low salinity.


No. I've seen that displayed when the temps were colder or the salt really was low (2200ppm), but that's not being displayed now. The plates are clean....the cell itself is only 3 months old. I had to replace it because the clear plastic cover cracked due to the extended power outage and deep freeze in Texas in February. CH is 330ppm and pH has been around 7.8 so nothing that should cause a scaling problem. I really hope you're right that it's just a low salt problem.
 
Does the display say “Lo Tmp/Lo Salt”?

You can check the cell plates by removing the cell part from the body to look for problems if you want, but the problem is most likely just low salinity.


JamesW We have a winner. Once the salt level was at 3000ppm the errors disappeared. Also appears to be generating plenty of chlorine as FC went from 0.5ppm to 12ppm with just 128oz of 10% NaClO and the SWCG running at 100% for 9 hours on an overcast day. Lesson learned.
 
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