Troubleshooting Salt level readings very low on brand-new Hayward SWCG cell

[Abnaxis]

That's AquaLogic P-4.

The X289 is the private label company identifier (San Juan) (I think).

Hayward makes private label equipment for various companies.

Ah, so it's from the "company has been bought but we're leaving all the products alone so the installers and private labelers don't freak out" stage of the acquisition. Glad to see buyouts in residential pool controls work just like the ones in commercial HVAC controls

 

[Abnaxis]

Alrighty, here's what I got:

Picture of the board (high quality so hopefully you can zoom):



The only possible place I can see to throw a switch for t-5 and t-15 is maybe a jumper on J12. The two far-left pins are 5V and the rest are zero.

Also, my hands are super shaky so I can tell you shorting pin 2 to pin 3 will short out the board.

 

[JamesW]

Will the black jumpers pull off?

Maybe you should switch to a T-15 cell?

 

[Abnaxis]

Will the black jumpers pull off?

Maybe you should switch to a T-15 cell?

What black jumpers? J12 is just bare pins

Where would I even get a T-15 cell? I had to special order the T-5, if I can get through this without blowing $500 on a cell I'm not even going to use it would be preferred.

 

[Abnaxis]

Looking in the Aqualogic P-4 manual, it does look like T-15 is the default setting for the cell, but there just is not any menu option there. I don't know why it isn't showing up!? Reference:




The thing skips straight from "Display Salt" to "Pool/Spa Setup" when I try to navigate to the cell selection option.

*Grumble mumble* maybe I can get the pool shop to let me trade up to a T-15...

 

[JamesW]

Maybe contact Hayward to see if they can tell you how to change the configuration.

The compatibility chart says that it will take a T-15 or a T-5.

 

[JamesW]

In the 2004 manual, there is no way indicated to set the cell size.

https://images.inyopools.com/cloud/documents/goldline-aqua-logic-p4-operation.pdf

Owner's Manuals - INYOPools.com

Swimming Pool Products such as Pumps, Heaters, Filters, Cleaners, and Fiber Optics

www.inyopools.com

https://images.inyopools.com/cloud/documents/goldline-aqua-logic-p4.pdf

 

[Abnaxis]

My guess now is that San Juan got clever and private-labeled an Aqualogic where they tried to deliberately disable the ability to choose what salt cell goes on it. It says right on the panel, in no uncertain terms "T-CELL-5 ONLY" and San Juan are the ones with their name on the panel...

Only now the system has defaulted back to T-15 and there's no way to change it back.

EDIT: simultaneously posted with your posting the 2004 manual...huh

 

[JamesW]

At some point after your system was made, the ability to change the cell type was added.

It apparently was not part of the original design.

Maybe a jumper on the board, but I don't know.

I would check with Hayward to see what they can tell you.

 

[JamesW]

Are you 100% sure that the instant salinity is much lower than the actual salinity?

What are the diagnostic readings for both polarities?

Triple check the actual salinity just to be sure.

Maybe try to return the T-5 for a T15.

 

[Abnaxis]

I've already triple checked, and had the pool shop check as well for good measure. The actual salinity is much higher than the instant salinity reading on the panel, by roughly a factor of 2 (1200 instant salinity vs. 2800 checking myself). Reversing polarities didn't seem to affect salinity measurements.

Actually... is there a table somewhere that gives expected voltage/Amp/ impedance measurements for different levels of salinity in T-5 and T-15 cells? I could cross reference the amps/ volts given by the diagnostics then

 

[JamesW]

The T-5 has 1/2 the production of the T-15, so it seems that the box is set for a T-15, but I don't know how to change it.

 

[JamesW]

If you can remove the top display/control board and show several high resolution pictures of the entire main circuit board, I might be able to identify the jumper.