What could be wrong with my Cl generator

[dollard]

I have an Aqua Rite t cell 9. A week ago it was acting strange last week-the panel was cycling through number on it's own. I thought maybe someone had been fiddling with it and changed the cell type accidentally. I checked what cell type the panel now said. I couldn't really read it so I carefully went through it and changed it to t 9. After this the Cl level showed 4.2. I thought at some point after the cell type had been changed I had added too much salt. I added some water and the next day it showed salt level of 4.4. So for the next two days I drained water off and added new water-in total about maybe 10% of the pool. Now it says check salt and inspect cell. This T 9 is only about 6 months old and was working fine.
All the reading are;
0.00 salt
26 temperature
volt31.6
Curr. 0.00
output 8P
instant salinity -0.00
Name Rl 0
Software 1/50
Cell type t-9
I don't understand. Does this make sense to anyone/ What more can I check?

[dollard]

Now the salt is shown as 2.20 so I added all the salt I had and the stores are closed until monday. Cl is just trace so I added some. Was weird-now making sense?

[Teapot]

Hi dollard, although the cell is only 6 months old is there any sign of calcification in the cell on the plates?
Salt makes the water more conductive as well as providing the raw material for the chlorine production, it sounds like you are making progress so post back in 48 hours when you have added enough salt to get to the right level, Have you looked at the poolcalculator.com for some guidance?
How do you measure your chlorine and salt levels?

[dollard]

No sign of calcification. I measure the Cl level with an Interwater test kit. The salt level is shown on the Aqua Rite electronic generator panel-GL235. So after the salt reading showed 4.4 and I added about 4 inches of water and the panel said check salt and inspect cell. Then it changed to a salt reading of 2.2 and I added all the salt I had-about 6 kilograms. After some time the salt level showed 3.8. I dropped the pool about 2 inches and added that much water. Salt reading went to 3.9 and the next day 4.2. Now it is 4.4. I haven't added any more salt or water. I have a pool cover so there should be little evaporation. I will wait a day more to see what happens. Maybe the GL 235 panel is defective or it is very slow to react to changes of salt level.
I haven't used poolcalculator.com. I thought I should not have to as I have been running this system for almost 9 years and I always (until now) know what it needs and how the control panel will react. I will take a look at poolcalculator.

[dollard]

Quite some time back someone posted when I was having a different problem with my Cl generator and they told me how to reset the GL 235 panel or something similar. It was done by opening up the panel and unplugging something inside and replugging it in (something like that) and it worked. I was wondering if that needs doing again but I can not find that post. Where could it be?

[Teapot]

I am sorry I don't know, I am pretty new here myself but Dennis might know and he'll be here soon i hope.

[Denniswiseman]

Hi Dollard
I'm afraid that I don't have a SWCG and no knowledge of them but searching have come across a post from you on another forum which is the same problem
https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads ... ing-system
Checking online I also found these YouTube videos for your Aqua Rite which may be of some help
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... e+Display+
Let us know how you get on

[dollard]

Thanks Denis that is the post I was trying to find. I having a slightly different problem now-the salt level is reading higher that it should be. Since I posted it has gone from 4.2 to 4.4 and yesterday back to 4.3. This is without me adding any salt or water and virtually no evaporation. When it gets light I will check out those U Tube links in that post you sent.

[Denniswiseman]

I checked a few of those links and they had a lot of information but I did notice that they recommended not relying on the salt cell for your reading and to seperately test for salt and then adjust your reading on the cell
Aquachek have salt testing strips which are simple to use or you could purchase a more expensive Taylor salt kit

[Teapot]

Salt dissolves over a time period before it fully mixes, like most pool chems. You absolutely should not rely on internal sensor/probes and must have a second method for testing. Dip strips are usually graduated in to bigger steps to be useful so something better like a Taylor or LaMotte kit would be better. You should have something like that for all the pool levels if you can. When did you last clean the probe? These need removing and cleaning as part of the regular maintenance. Even my chlorine dosser went haywire this season as a large lump of sun cream found it way on to the sensor tip.

[dollard]

Hi Dollard
I'm afraid that I don't have a SWCG and no knowledge of them but searching have come across a post from you on another forum which is the same problem
https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads ... ing-system
Checking online I also found these YouTube videos for your Aqua Rite which may be of some help
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... e+Display+
Let us know how you get on

Thanks Dennis I tried to reset my panel as described in that first link but it didn't make any difference. The second link can't be displayed. I was going to ask James from the other Board as he was the one that gave directions but that board doesn't seem to be operational.

[dollard]

I checked a few of those links and they had a lot of information but I did notice that they recommended not relying on the salt cell for your reading and to seperately test for salt and then adjust your reading on the cell
Aquachek have salt testing strips which are simple to use or you could purchase a more expensive Taylor salt kit

Thanks. Tomorrow I will check and see if any of the local pool supply stores have strips for testing salt.

[dollard]

Salt dissolves over a time period before it fully mixes, like most pool chems. You absolutely should not rely on internal sensor/probes and must have a second method for testing. Dip strips are usually graduated in to bigger steps to be useful so something better like a Taylor or LaMotte kit would be better. You should have something like that for all the pool levels if you can. When did you last clean the probe? These need removing and cleaning as part of the regular maintenance. Even my chlorine dosser went haywire this season as a large lump of sun cream found it way on to the sensor tip.

Thanks Teapot. I will look for a second method for testing for salt. I've never cleaned the probe. I hesitate going to the local pool supply stores as they usually know very little and try to get you to buy a new piece of equipment at a ridiculous price.

[dollard]

Salt dissolves over a time period before it fully mixes, like most pool chems. You absolutely should not rely on internal sensor/probes and must have a second method for testing. Dip strips are usually graduated in to bigger steps to be useful so something better like a Taylor or LaMotte kit would be better. You should have something like that for all the pool levels if you can. When did you last clean the probe? These need removing and cleaning as part of the regular maintenance. Even my chlorine dosser went haywire this season as a large lump of sun cream found it way on to the sensor tip.

I'm just wondering about cleaning the probe. It goes into a 2 inch PVC pipe via a plug. Do you just screw the plug out?

[Denniswiseman]

Both Teapot and I don't have a SWCG but I would assume that unscrewing the plug would be correct
Check out the videos, I'm sure you will find all the answers you need
If not put in a new search about "Clean Probe on Aqua Rite"