So, my pump and chlorine generator both stopped working...

[Spd2230]

New, to me, 35k gallon inground. Easy Touch controller, IC60 cell, Ecostar pump.

Shut cell down from the panel while adding cyanuric. (In old socks hung in front of returns) Once 90% dissolved, I shut the pump off, attempted to restart cell and no lights.

Threw all breakers off and restarted panel. Threw pump breaker and it immediately tripped. Stuck on second try, but no power to pump and still no lights on cell.

Checked output voltage from pump relay, no output. Swapped relay, back in business. Pump display lit. Comm error on pump display, no serial, no version number. Ugh. Hayward's flow chart says the means new motor driver. Motor spins freely by hand.

Back to salt cell. One pin (black) completely burned off inside connector. Salt cell now lights after eliminating connector and direct wiring. Cell is free from obstructions.

Did the driver smoke the cell wiring or the other way around? Ideas?

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

I don't understand why you did what you did in powering everything down and up. To have any idea what happened we need to see how everything is wired. If you want to post pics of your equipment pad and the wiring in your ET it will give us ani dea about what is connected to which breakers.

 

[Spd2230]

I'll get some pics up tomorrow after work.

 

[Spd2230]

Here's the panel. The chlorinator pulls power from the pump relay.

I'm an experienced troubleshooter, I'm just trying to make sure I'm not missing anything.

I'm assuming the pump caused a surge that smoked the relay and chlorinator pin.

 

[Spd2230]

Here's the IC60 pigtail.

 

[ajw22]

@Jimrahbe @JamesW have you seen a melted IntelliChlor connector before?

 

[JamesW]

Maybe a bad connection?

The wires carry about 6 to 8 amps. So a bad connection can get pretty hot.

 

[Jimrahbe]

2230,

I can't see how there could be any connection between the salt cell connector and the pump.. The pump runs off of 120 or 240 VAC and the cell runs off of about 40 VDC...

I have not seen an IntelliChlor cable with bad pins, but have seen several other brands with burnt pins.. As James points out, this often happens when the connector gets corroded and adds resistance at the connections.. Basically the connection becomes a heater, which gets hotter and hotter until the pins just melts away.

While the salt system does get its power when the pump/filter relay is closed, the AC power from the relay would have to pass through the SWCG's transformer, as well as the SWCG's power supply card and SWCG's circuit breaker before getting to the cell itself.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Spd2230]

I'm relatively certain it was hooked up tight, but I'm sure it could have had a damaged pin to begin withb that wasn't noticed.

This is my first pool, but a buddy who has 30 years experience opened it for/with me. He did the labor and I observed.

Thank God I know how to fix things.

 

[Spd2230]

2230,

I can't see how there could be any connection between the salt cell connector and the pump.. The pump runs off of 120 or 240 VAC and the cell runs off of about 40 VDC...

I have not seen an IntelliChlor cable with bad pins, but have seen several other brands with burnt pins.. As James points out, this often happens when the connector gets corroded and adds resistance at the connections.. Basically the connection becomes a heater, which gets hotter and hotter until the pins just melts away.

While the salt system does get its power when the pump/filter relay is closed, the AC power from the relay would have to pass through the SWCG's transformer, as well as the SWCG's power supply card and SWCG's circuit breaker before getting to the cell itself.

Thanks,

Jim R.

I guess I might just have all ugly coincidence here.