- Sep 18, 2024
- 6
- Pool Size
- 18000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 700
2 months ago I moved into a new house with a pool. The seller left me contact information for the pool maintenance service he had hired. After getting the "sales pitch" from these bozos I was both committed to learning how to maintain the pool myself and concerned that it may not have been properly taken care of for the past few years. Thus began my saga of learning:
Initial Concern: When running in "spa mode" (suction 100% from spa, return 100% to spa, filter at 3000 RPM, heater at 100F) the heater fired and was heating for 15-30 seconds, then it stopped firing without any "error lights". Then a minute later it would fire and heat for another 30 seconds before ceasing to heat again. This continued until the spa temperature was stable with the heater maybe heating for a minute or 2 maximum on any given "firing".
First Discovery -- Salt Cell Neglect: After contacting home warranty they sent out a tech to look at the heater. I was not home, but the report I got back was "he said the issue was filter grid material stuck in the heater inlet pipe, it's fixed now." Before I could test if the heater was "fixed" I realized that there was now an error code (120) on the "Jandy PureLink Water Purification System Power Center". After removing the salt cell to inspect the interior I discovered it was nearly completely clogged with mineral buildup. I could not even see a hint of light through it. I then cleaned it thoroughly per the manual and reinstalled which ameliorated the error reported by the control box. Based on the state of the cell and the hardness of our local water I'm suspicious that it was never cleaned once in the 3 years since it was installed.
Second Discovery -- Filter Neglect: The heater continued to present the same issue. I recontacted home warranty and insisted they send someone different this time free of co-pay. This technician discovered there were no errors reported by the heater and he called Pentair support. They instructed him to replace the main control board. Once this repair was authorized by home warranty he did so. He then gave me some words of advice which boiled down to: "The previous pool guy was a slob, this concrete pad is covered in DE and filter backwash sludge. The inside of the heater was disgusting. The filter PSI is too high. Please do not attempt to try the heater until you get your filter cleaned as I am worried the heater is not getting enough water flow through your dirty filter."
The next day I opened up the filter to discover that he was correct. It was a nightmare. I threw away the filter grids. Then I cleaned out the interior from 40 lbs of soggy DE and large quantities of aggregate that appeared to be the same little rocks that make up the Pebbletec pool lining. I suspect that the filter wasn't properly cleaned once since the pool was re-lined with Pebbletec 3 years ago. After installing new filter grids, reassembling the filter, and re-priming it with DE the PSI now reads at a healthy level.
Continued Heater Issues: After cleaning the filter I fired the heater again in spa mode and discovered it has the same behavior. Hesitant to call home warranty for yet another technician I decided to sit with the problem for a while and consider my options. I intend to make a post in the appropriate forum ("Everything Else" I think?) about this and my next plan for troubleshooting very soon.
DIY journey so far -- now I have:
Initial Concern: When running in "spa mode" (suction 100% from spa, return 100% to spa, filter at 3000 RPM, heater at 100F) the heater fired and was heating for 15-30 seconds, then it stopped firing without any "error lights". Then a minute later it would fire and heat for another 30 seconds before ceasing to heat again. This continued until the spa temperature was stable with the heater maybe heating for a minute or 2 maximum on any given "firing".
First Discovery -- Salt Cell Neglect: After contacting home warranty they sent out a tech to look at the heater. I was not home, but the report I got back was "he said the issue was filter grid material stuck in the heater inlet pipe, it's fixed now." Before I could test if the heater was "fixed" I realized that there was now an error code (120) on the "Jandy PureLink Water Purification System Power Center". After removing the salt cell to inspect the interior I discovered it was nearly completely clogged with mineral buildup. I could not even see a hint of light through it. I then cleaned it thoroughly per the manual and reinstalled which ameliorated the error reported by the control box. Based on the state of the cell and the hardness of our local water I'm suspicious that it was never cleaned once in the 3 years since it was installed.
Second Discovery -- Filter Neglect: The heater continued to present the same issue. I recontacted home warranty and insisted they send someone different this time free of co-pay. This technician discovered there were no errors reported by the heater and he called Pentair support. They instructed him to replace the main control board. Once this repair was authorized by home warranty he did so. He then gave me some words of advice which boiled down to: "The previous pool guy was a slob, this concrete pad is covered in DE and filter backwash sludge. The inside of the heater was disgusting. The filter PSI is too high. Please do not attempt to try the heater until you get your filter cleaned as I am worried the heater is not getting enough water flow through your dirty filter."
The next day I opened up the filter to discover that he was correct. It was a nightmare. I threw away the filter grids. Then I cleaned out the interior from 40 lbs of soggy DE and large quantities of aggregate that appeared to be the same little rocks that make up the Pebbletec pool lining. I suspect that the filter wasn't properly cleaned once since the pool was re-lined with Pebbletec 3 years ago. After installing new filter grids, reassembling the filter, and re-priming it with DE the PSI now reads at a healthy level.
Continued Heater Issues: After cleaning the filter I fired the heater again in spa mode and discovered it has the same behavior. Hesitant to call home warranty for yet another technician I decided to sit with the problem for a while and consider my options. I intend to make a post in the appropriate forum ("Everything Else" I think?) about this and my next plan for troubleshooting very soon.
DIY journey so far -- now I have:
- Opened and cleaned the salt cell
- Opened and cleaned the filter (including replacing filter grids)
- Got a salinity measurement and adjusted salinity to correct levels for the chlorinator
- Got a Blue Devil OTO 5-way Test Kit to measure chlorine and adjusted the chlorinator production levels
- Got a digital PH meter and adjusted PH of the pool with muriatic acid to appropriate levels as described in chlorinator manual
- Swam every day for the last 2 months
