Squeeze last bit of life out of cell?

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JamesW said:
Check the salinity two new different reliable ways.

Get a different drop test kit and a calibrated meter.
Click to expand...
Any suggestions? I have no idea what else to get.

Is it possible something on the main board is wearing out, giving inaccurate readings, though not outright failure?

Thank you. 😀
 
Based on the amperage, I think that the box is correct and your K-1766 is incorrect.

What is the water temperature?

You can check the amperage going to the cell if you want to and if you have a clamp ammeter.

Get a different K-1766 test kit and a meter with a calibration solution or go to a pool store.

Hayward Digital Handheld Salt Meter - Model GLX-SALTMETER - INYOPools.com

Hayward Salt Meter, Hand Held Digital
www.inyopools.com www.inyopools.com

Ultrapen™ PT1 | Myron L® Company

The Ultrapen™ PT1 is an accurate and reliable pocket water tester for measuring Conductivity, TDS, Salinity and Temperature.
www.myronl.com www.myronl.com

PoolMeter™ | Myron L® Company

The Myron L® PoolMeter™ is designed specifically for the Pool and SPA Industry with “DUAL” Ranges, accurate and reliable results and is simple to use.
www.myronl.com www.myronl.com

 
Saturn94 said:
Any suggestions? I have no idea what else to get.

Is it possible something on the main board is wearing out, giving inaccurate readings, though not outright failure?

Thank you. 😀
Click to expand...
I don't think it is the board since the the voltage displayed and current appears to be within reasonable ranges although current is tad bit low which is reflective of the low salt value. Normally when the board fails, the voltage is zero or very low. Where did you buy the cell?

Do you have any salt? Add a handful to the skimmer and see if you can get the unit to operate within range. A small amount of salt dissolving slowly should raise the effective salt level just enough to get the unit to work. If it is working ok, then you might just want to increase the salt in the pool until the unit no longer alarms. It doesn't really matter if the salt display matches the accurate tests or not. What really matters is if the unit is generating chlorine. I think there have been others on the forum where the measured salt levels are much higher than the SWG displayed levels (500 ppm+). Something in the water may just be retarding the electrolytic reaction.
 
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JamesW said:
Based on the amperage, I think that the box is correct and your K-1766 is incorrect.

What is the water temperature?

You can check the amperage going to the cell if you want to and if you have a clamp ammeter.

Get a different K-1766 test kit and a meter with a calibration solution or go to a pool store.

Hayward Digital Handheld Salt Meter - Model GLX-SALTMETER - INYOPools.com

Hayward Salt Meter, Hand Held Digital
www.inyopools.com www.inyopools.com

Ultrapen™ PT1 | Myron L® Company

The Ultrapen™ PT1 is an accurate and reliable pocket water tester for measuring Conductivity, TDS, Salinity and Temperature.
www.myronl.com www.myronl.com

PoolMeter™ | Myron L® Company

The Myron L® PoolMeter™ is designed specifically for the Pool and SPA Industry with “DUAL” Ranges, accurate and reliable results and is simple to use.
www.myronl.com www.myronl.com

Click to expand...
Interesting. I hadn’t noticed anything odd about my K1766 results since I bought it last August. Perhaps it‘s been off from day one. I’ll order new reagents and see what I get.

The meters are kind of pricey, so I may hold off on that for now.
 
mas985 said:
I don't think it is the board since the the voltage displayed and current appears to be within reasonable ranges although current is tad bit low which is reflective of the low salt value. Normally when the board fails, the voltage is zero or very low. Where did you buy the cell?

Do you have any salt? Add a handful to the skimmer and see if you can get the unit to operate within range. A small amount of salt dissolving slowly should raise the effective salt level just enough to get the unit to work. If it is working ok, then you might just want to increase the salt in the pool until the unit no longer alarms. It doesn't really matter if the salt display matches the accurate tests or not. What really matters is if the unit is generating chlorine. I think there have been others on the forum where the measured salt levels are much higher than the SWG displayed levels (500 ppm+). Something in the water may just be retarding the electrolytic reaction.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the post.

I ordered the new cell from Leslies. The price was the same as elsewhere, and since Leslies is an authorized Hayward dealer, I figured it would be the best chance of the 3 year warranty being honored If needed.

Is there a point at which the actual salt level is too high and may cause damage even if the SWCG is reporting normal diagnostic readings?

Between @JamesW and your post, it seems my K1766 kit has led me astray. If there is no harm in raising the actual salt level above the recommended level as long as the SWCG is happy, I’ll just add more salt.

I greatly appreciate the help from both of you. 😀👍
 
JamesW said:
What was the water temperature for these readings?

2200
26.2v
5.06a
80P
-2200
AL-0
r1.50
t-15
Click to expand...
Sorry I missed you asked that before… 80 F

I went ahead and added about 600-700ppm salt this evening. That should get the SWCG to read 2800-2900 instant tomorrow. Even if my current K1766 is correct, that will raise actual salt level to 3600-3700, not too high I suspect. I’ll post the new SWCG readings tomorrow evening.

So perhaps my cell from 2015 is fine after all. I thought it was dying based on the K-1766 results I was getting. Maybe I didn’t need to buy a new cell….ugh. Oh well, if that’s the case I’ll just use the new cell since the warranty clock is ticking and just keep the 2015 cell as a backup.
 
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I checked a different system and got these results.

Temp: 80
Volts: 24.5
Amps: 5.26
Salinity: 2,700

Based on this, I think that the salinity reading from your system is likely to be correct.

Maybe take a water sample to the place where you got the cell.

Get some new reagents for your K-1766 to check the salinity with fresh reagents.

Try to find a reasonably priced meter to check the salinity.

Amazon.com : eSeasonGear SALT-3000 Meter, Digital Salinity PPM Temperature Tester for Salt Water Pool and Koi Fish Pond : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : eSeasonGear SALT-3000 Meter, Digital Salinity PPM Temperature Tester for Salt Water Pool and Koi Fish Pond : Patio, Lawn & Garden
www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: Digital Salinity Tester for Salt Water - Waterproof IP67 Salinity Meter with ATC Large Range 0-200ppt Saltwater Tester for Seawater, Aquariums, Marine Monitoring, and Koi Fish Pond by ORAPXI: Industrial & Scientific

Amazon.com: Digital Salinity Tester for Salt Water - Waterproof IP67 Salinity Meter with ATC Large Range 0-200ppt Saltwater Tester for Seawater, Aquariums, Marine Monitoring, and Koi Fish Pond by ORAPXI: Industrial & Scientific
www.amazon.com

lamotte.com

Salt/TDS/Conductivity/Temp TRACER PockeTester™

The electronic Salt TRACER PockeTester™ measures the Sodium Chloride level in salt water pools with a range from 0 to 9,999 ppm. TDS is measured from 0 to 9,999 ppm and Temperature from 32.0° to 149°F.
lamotte.com lamotte.com
 
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JamesW said:
I checked a different system and got these results.

Temp: 80
Volts: 24.5
Amps: 5.26
Salinity: 2,700

Based on this, I think that the salinity reading from your system is likely to be correct.
Click to expand...
Thank you for checking that. 🙂

It was really bugging me that it seems I’ve added much more salt than usual so far this season, including tonight’s addition, about 1200ppm (I can confirm there is no pool leak). I keep pretty good pool records, including heavy rain events where I have to pump out excess water to account for dilution. I went back to Aug 17th where I recorded the last good SWCG reading on the T15 setting. From that readng, I added all salt additions and subtracted all dilution events and came up within 200ppm of the current instant SWCG reading on the T15 setting.

This is making me believe that you are correct! Tomorrow’s readings should be interesting.

Ugh, I used LaMotte salt test strips for years without issue to confirm salt levels. Late last August I gave in to all the posters on TFP swearing the K1766 was so much better and bought the K1766, and the stupid thing led me astray! ☹️ Was this just my dumb luck I may have bad reagents (I ordered more tonight)? Or is the K1766 not as great as touted on the forum?
 

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The K-1766 is a good test kit, however, I never rely on a single test, especially when I get different results from two different methods.

I always like to have at least two tests in agreement.

If two different tests are out of agreement, I get two new tests to see what's the real salinity.
 
JamesW said:
The K-1766 is a good test kit, however, I never rely on a single test, especially when I get different results from two different methods.

I always like to have at least two tests in agreement.

If two different tests are out of agreement, I get two new tests to see what's the real salinity.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the links. Some of the reviews seem to question the reliability of the less expensive meters. Are they accuate/reliable enough for my purpose?

I ordered new K1766 reagents. I’ll let you know how it goes when they arrive.

Based on your information that the SWCG diagnostic readings indicate the reported salt level is correct, and what I calculated going back through my records being very close to the current SWCG reading, I’m inclined to believe that it’s just an issue of low salt and that my K1766 is giving me a false high reading.

I’m also going to review my test procedure. Perhaps I’m not swirling vigorously enough between drops? Are there known interferences with this test? I do have borates and Jack’s Magic Purple stuff in the pool…could they cause interference with the K1766 test?
 
JamesW said:
If you get a cheaper meter, get the calibration solution to verify that the meter is accurate.
Click to expand...
So I searched “calibration solution” and came up with a zillion options with no clue on what’s appropriate for the meters you linked. The description of the meters were of no help.

I‘m feeling like I’m quickly getting in over my head (and a lighter wallet) just trying to get a good salt reading. 😖
 
JamesW said:

Amazon.com: LaMotte Calibration Fluid Pool Water Salt Test Meter,6005-J : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Buy LaMotte Calibration Fluid Pool Water Salt Test Meter,6005-J: Water Test Kits - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
Click to expand...
Thank you. 😃

This morning I turned the SWCG on and instant salt fluctuated between 2600-2700 (water temp 78). Not quite the 2800-2900 I was expecting after last night’s salt addition (120lbs, should add 600ppm). I added another 40# this morning (turned SWCG back off).
 
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Did you get the OEM T-15 cell? And what is your warranty look like?
Update on post# 50: According to my outdated (2016) K-1766, my current salt level is at 3200ppm and I am not doubting that. We have a 20k gals pool and each year, I have to add a 40lb bag of salt or two. Last week, I replaced our 4 year old OEM T-15 with a brand new Jacuzzi J-SC40H off eBay for half the price of the OEM T-15. I really don't care about the warranty scheme, for me it's just baloney. But hey, I think I lucked out. I am very happy knowing the replacement cell reads higher salinity than my outdated K-1766. For me, that indicates the cell is beyond good. But of course, time will tell.
For reference, here are the diagnostics post installation on 5/26/2021:
2800
72
25.2
6.78
100P
-4000
AL-0
r1.59
t-15
Reverse Polarity:
2800
72
25.2
6.78
100P
-4000
AL-0
r1.59
t-15
Follow up (6/6/2021)
4200
70
25.4
7.12
100P
-4300
AL-0
r1.59
t-15
Reverse Polarity:
4200
70
25.2
7.22
-4500
AL-0
r1.59
t-15
 
C0d3Sp4c3 said:
Did you get the OEM T-15 cell? And what is your warranty look like?
Update on post# 50: According to my outdated (2016) K-1766, my current salt level is at 3200ppm and I am not doubting that. We have a 20k gals pool and each year, I have to add a 40lb bag of salt or two. Last week, I replaced our 4 year old OEM T-15 with a brand new Jacuzzi J-SC40H off eBay for half the price of the OEM T-15. I really don't care about the warranty scheme, for me it's just baloney. But hey, I think I lucked out. I am very happy knowing the replacement cell reads higher salinity than my outdated K-1766. For me, that indicates the cell is beyond good. But of course, time will tell.
For reference, here are the diagnostics post installation on 5/26/2021:
2800
72
25.2
6.78
100P
-4000
AL-0
r1.59
t-15
Reverse Polarity:
2800
72
25.2
6.78
100P
-4000
AL-0
r1.59
t-15
Follow up (6/6/2021)
4200
70
25.4
7.12
100P
-4300
AL-0
r1.59
t-15
Reverse Polarity:
4200
70
25.2
7.22
-4500
AL-0
r1.59
t-15
Click to expand...
Yes, I bought an OEM cell. I registered it with Hayward and they sent an email confirming my registration and warranty (3 years, plus 90 extra days for registering). I’ve have good luck with prior OEM cells, so I stuck with what I know. From reading, it seems generic/aftermarket cells don’t last as long, but of course they are cheaper as well.

In my experience, my SWCG has always read salt a little lower than the test results, usually within a couple hundred ppm or so (except for my K1766 Taylor kit I bought last August 🙄).
 
Granted the salinity is within the recommended range, a known good T-15 cell should pull 6.+ Amps. In comparison, our swcg when first installed matched the K-1766 salinity test results at 3200ppm. And I'd say my trust for K-1766 was built on that! Do you have access to somebody else's Aquarite controller to perform a swap test?
I for one have no love for the generic chinese knock off salt cells regardless how cheap they are! I did my homework and learned from others in here that the Jacuzzi is a well reputable brand and was sold by Leslies. Circupool 40k cell is also getting good reviews here and I'll be more than willing to give it a try the next time around if I can justify the cost.
 
C0d3Sp4c3 said:
Granted the salinity is within the recommended range, a known good T-15 cell should pull 6.+ Amps. In comparison, our swcg when first installed matched the K-1766 salinity test results at 3200ppm. And I'd say my trust for K-1766 was built on that! Do you have access to somebody else's Aquarite controller to perform a swap test?
I for one have no love for the generic chinese knock off salt cells regardless how cheap they are! I did my homework and learned from others in here that the Jacuzzi is a well reputable brand and was sold by Leslies. Circupool 40k cell is also getting good reviews here and I'll be more than willing to give it a try the next time around if I can justify the cost.
Click to expand...
At this point my experience with the K1766 has not been good. We’ll see what happens when the new reagents arrive.

Between last night and this morning, I added 160# salt (about 800ppm). I just checked the SWCG (new cell, T15 setting) and the instant salt reading is normal now, 3000ppm. That’s right at where it should be given it was reading 2200pm before adding salt. Also, today I noticed the water doesn’t taste particularly salty, which is normal. If the salt level was really as high as indicated by the Taylor test, it should definitely taste saltier.

It really does seem now that the salt level actually was low, and that the Taylor kit is giving me false high readings. It seems likely I did not need a new cell after all. Oh well, I’ll keep the old cell as a backup.
 
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