Bad flow sensor on chlorinator

[kelemvor]

I've got a goldline/aquarite chlorinator that was working fine until recently the flow sensor seems to have failed. I've checked it out, appears clean, no breaks in the wire I can find.

I've read you can cheat by installing a shorted phone cord in its place since my chloronator is on the same circuit as my pump. Four wires in the connector, I assume one pair passes AC to an inductor and another receives? Is this theory of shorting one of the pairs sound, and if so; any idea which pair gets shorted for sense?

[waste]

Hi there.

The shorted phone cord is only for diagnostic purposes!!!!!!!!!!! You only do it to see if the flow switch is bad. If you left the switch closed all the time, the SWCG would generate chlorine when the system is off - this would be VERY BAD!!

To see which wires need to be spliced together to bypass the switch, look at which 2 are wired on your existing plug-in (it's a black wire and a red one - I think they go in the center 2 slots).

Without an obvious nick in the wire, I'd suspect the fault is at the switch, try wiggling the wire and see if the 'no flow' light starts blinking.

[Pool Clown]

Just so you have accurate information...

IF the unit is wired to the pump, the unit will shut off when the pump turns off, However, if the pump were to loose prime (while running), the unit would continue to run. The shorting of the flow switch should only be done as a test, and not left to operate like that.

The flow switch should be removed, and the two wires that waste spoke of, tested with an ohm meter while contacting the switch manually. When removing the switch, note the arrow on the switch. That arrow should be pointing in the direction of flow when you reinstall the switch.

Note: As you probably already know, the flow light will flash for several seconds when first energized, and should show flow shortly thereafter.

[kelemvor]

Thanks. So how does the switch work exactly? Doesn't appear to make physical electrical contact on the part that is exposed (the round post doesn't conduct electricity). Is the switching mechanism actually inside the top? I can't get it to read short when I manually "close" the switch while connected to the wires on the jack...