“Solar sensor shorted” REALLY? :(

[intrepid]

I’m new here, so if I’m posting in the wrong place please move it and PM me where to find the answers.

I have a 7 year old saltwater pool that has worked great. I have had very little trouble with it. At the end of last year I replace the pool pump and cleaner pump. I have been very happy with my pool over the years.

But now I’m getting an error on my RS6 Controller in the house. My Jandy Aqualink RS6 is showing the message saying “Solar sensor shorted” . I don’t have anything hooked up to those pins inside the outside control box by my pool equipment. I called my pool installer and he and I tried to trouble shoot the error, but we just could not get it to clear. We tried to reset by cutting the power to the unit. Then we reset the Rs6 by clear all controls back to factory. Then had to reprogram the rs6 back like it was before to run my equipment. (pool pump-cleaner-water fall- lights-blower-heater-ect…)
None of this worked, I still have the error “Solar sensor shorted”, what the heck is going on here?

My Jandy Aqualink RS6 is also showing the salt % to be 3500ppm, but I knew it could not still be that high after the rain over the weekend. Yesterday, I took a water sample to the pool store and had them check the salt % and found it to be 1400ppm. So the reading inside my house is 3500 and the reading from the pool store is 1400ppm. They also said I had zero % chlorine in the sample. I went home and added 4 bags of salt, and shocked the pool. I took my pool T-cell 15 back to the pool shop and they ran a test and said my cell passed.
My pool guy and I are not sure what the heck is going on here. He said he was going to research the errors before trying to replace anything.
I stopped by Lowes today and bought some more salt and some chlorine tablets. I plan to use the chlorine tablets until I get this problem solved.
So there you have it?
Anyone have any ideas where to start?
What tests should I run first?


Thanks
Mark

[waterbear]

let's clear up exactly what equipment you have, ok?

Since you mentioned a T15 cell I assume you have a Goldline?Hayward Aquarite SWCG hooked up to the Jandy pool automation system? Correct? Please post all your equipment (pumps, filters, automation, how many valve acutuators and what they control, heaters, etc.) and we can take it form there. Also post a FULL set of water test results (FC, CC, pH, TA, CH, CYA, salt), how many gallons in your pool, Your current water temperature, and if it is pool or a pool/spa combo using the Jandy controller (I suspect it is a pool/spa combo since you mentioned a blower) and if so if it is a spillover spa or if they are two separate bodies of water (I suspect the former since I do not believe the Jandy allows separate chlorination settings for pool and spa using an Aqauarite, but I could be wrong and would have to research that further).

If you are getting a message about the solar sensor then I would suspect a problem with the Jandy unit and not the SWCG, which could also explain why the jandy is not reporting the proper salt level. What is the readout on the Aquarite indicating? My guess is a circuit board problem on the Jandy since it is giving a spurious error message and also not reporting correct info from the SWCG.

[intrepid]

(((((((let's clear up exactly what equipment you have, ok? Since you mentioned a T15 cell I assume you have a Goldline?Hayward Aquarite SWCG hooked up to the Jandy pool automation system?)))))))))))

Correct

((((((((((Please post all your equipment (pumps, filters, automation, how many valve actuators and what they control, heaters, etc.) and we can take it from there.)))))))))

One three-way for skimmer valves 1 and 2.
One three-way valve for center drains.
One Jandy maximum torque actuator valve for suction of pool pump.
One Jandy maximum torque actuator valve for Pool or spa return.
Control sensor on discharge of pool/spa pump.
Control sensor on discharge of spa/ pool return.

((((((((Also post a FULL set of water test results (FC, CC, pH, TA, CH, CYA, salt), how many gallons in your pool,))))

13,000 Gallon Pool.
I had my water tested today to see where I’m at after adding salt acid yesterday.
Chlorine is at zero. 0%
Available chlorine zero, or 0%
Salt 3000 ppm
Hardness 120ppm low, should be (200-400)
Cyanuric acid 45 ppm, good.
Total alkalinity 90 ppm, good.
Ph 7.4, good
Copper zero, good
Iron, zero, good.

I’m going to add a few Chlorine tablets to my skimmer baskets to get my Chlorine levels back up.
I don’t think my control box is kicking on the T Cell to generate chlorine. I know the T-Cell15 works because I had it checked on Tuesday. It pass the test twice.

(((((((Your current water temperature, and if it is pool or a pool/spa combo using the Jandy controller )))))))

Temp is around 78*, Texas weather.

((((((I suspect it is a pool/spa combo since you mentioned a blower) and if so if it is a spillover spa or if they are two separate bodies of water (I suspect the former since I do not believe the Jandy allows separate chlorination settings for pool and spa using an Aqauarite, but I could be wrong and would have to research that further).)))))

Yes. It is a pool-spa combo and spills over from spa to pool.



(((((If you are getting a message about the solar sensor then I would suspect a problem with the Jandy unit and not the SWCG, which could also explain why the jandy is not reporting the proper salt level. What is the readout on the Aquarite indicating? My guess is a circuit board problem on the Jandy since it is giving a spurious error message and also not reporting correct info from the SWCG.)))))))))))))

The Aquarite is indicating a salt percent of 3500ppm inside my house and at the Goldline box by pool equipment. I’m just now getting up to 3000ppm after adding 6 Bags of salt this week. It rained over the weekend while I was out of town.

[PoolDoc]

I'm going to let Waterbear finish, but I just want to warn you: with FC = 0 and water temp @ 78, you need to go get several gallons of bleach, and put one of them in, TONIGHT.

If you don't, you will have algae and slime. Slime can be worse, because it can 'eat' your stabilizer, and 'poop' ammonia, leaving your pool in an awful mess.

[waterbear]

EDIT: Important question--has any work been done on your Jandy RS unit nrecently? You mentioned repalcing your pump and booster pump. If the software was updated in the Jandy then it is very possible that it will not properly operate the Aquarite SWCG anymore!
This thread concerning Aqaurite and Jandy might be of interest to you. It indicates that they do not "play well together" (and does not surprise me since Jandy was bought out by Zodiac). To the best of my knowledge (and the info in the GoldLine Aquarite manual) only Goldline, Pentair, and Polaris Autmation systems can successfully remotely control the Aquarite and according to the Jandy RS manual the only SWCG that it can control is the Jandy Aquapure!

This is a direct quote from the Jandy RS manual:
The AquaLink® RS is compatible with only Jandy AquaPure®, Jandy PureLink™ and Clormatic branded Electronic Chlorine Generators. Connecting other brands of Electronic Chlorine Generators to theAquaLink® RS system will disable the Electronic Chlorine Generator and cause the AquaLink®
RS to function improperly

However, older versions of the RS software did work but if the board was upgraded or repaired Jandy probably changed the software making the systems incompatible.
You can run the Aquarite as a stand along unit but it would need to be connected to your pump and a separate times and not to the jandy.

Hardness 120ppm low, should be (200-400)
Possibly even a bit higher once you get your other water parameters into better ranges!

Cyanuric acid 45 ppm, good.
Too low! Should be at 80 ppm with Aquarite! Long explanation but in essence it will help with pH control in an indirect way. Run the FC at 4-5 ppm with 80 ppm CYA and a working SWCG. Othewise follow Ben's Best Guess chart if you are manually chlorinating.
Total alkalinity 90 ppm, good.
Too High! Better pH control because less outgassing of CO2 if you lower this to 70 ppm. Might need to bump up calcium to keep water balanced.
Ph 7.4, good
7.6 would be better for pH control. The lower you put the pH the faster CO2 outgasses and the faster your pH rises and the sooner you need to add acid! I usually recommend not loweing the pH below 7.6 (unless you are trying to lower TA and that is a whole different animal!) and waiting until is rises above 7.8 before dropping it back to 7.6 again. Salt pools operate well in this range when you keep the TA low and the CYA high as I already suggested. Also adding 50 ppm borate will provide additional pH and algaestaic control in addition to helping with the "feel" of the water.
Copper zero, good
Iron, zero, good.
There should be no metals in the water!
I’m going to add a few Chlorine tablets to my skimmer baskets to get my Chlorine levels back up.
NOT a good idea unless you run the pump 24/7. Tabs in the basket can ruin pump seals and other equipment because trichlor is extremely acidic! If they sit in a skimmer with the filter and pump off the pH drops to around 2 and when the pump goes on it's like pouring a shot of acid right into the skimmer. Invest in a floater for a few buck! Remember that for every 10 ppm FC added by the tabs you will also add 6 ppm CYA (which is fine now since you really need to bump yours up to 80 ppm)
I don’t think my control box is kicking on the T Cell to generate chlorine.
You mean the Aquarite? If it is being controlled by the Jandy controller it might not be if the Jandy is not working right and that spurious message about an open solar sensor makes me think that your Jandy is bad, not the Aquarite.
I know the T-Cell15 works because I had it checked on Tuesday. It pass the test twice.
Then the next step is to determine if the Aquarite is working properly when disconnected from the jandy and running on it's own. If it is then the Jandy unit is bad. If it is not, it's the Aquarite.
(((((((Your current water temperature, and if it is pool or a pool/spa combo using the Jandy controller )))))))

Temp is around 78*, Texas weather.
Wow! That's to cold for me! I keep mine around 86 (Florida)!
((((((I suspect it is a pool/spa combo since you mentioned a blower) and if so if it is a spillover spa or if they are two separate bodies of water (I suspect the former since I do not believe the Jandy allows separate chlorination settings for pool and spa using an Aqauarite, but I could be wrong and would have to research that further).)))))

Yes. It is a pool-spa combo and spills over from spa to pool.

That means that the water is only being chlorinated in spillover mode and not in spa mode. Fairly standard with many brands of SWCG and pool automation combos. I believe that only the Hayward?Goldline Aqualogic Automation/SWCG combo can set different cell outputs for pool and spa mode to chlorinate the pool in either pool or spillover mode and the spa in spa mode on a shared equipment system.

(((((If you are getting a message about the solar sensor then I would suspect a problem with the Jandy unit and not the SWCG, which could also explain why the jandy is not reporting the proper salt level. What is the readout on the Aquarite indicating? My guess is a circuit board problem on the Jandy since it is giving a spurious error message and also not reporting correct info from the SWCG.)))))))))))))

The Aquarite is indicating a salt percent of 3500ppm inside my house
That would be the Jandy box inside your house
and at the Goldline box by pool equipment. I’m just now getting up to 3000ppm after adding 6 Bags of salt this week. It rained over the weekend while I was out of town.

How are you testing salt if you are getting a different reading than the display?

IF the salt cell is working properly then I would go by the salt reading (which is conductivity reading) on the Aquarite unit. Also, if the cell is not working ( or generating) you would not get any reading on the Aquarite at all. The Jandy is probably just echoing what the Aquarite says. What is your cell output percentage? Also, how are you testing salt if not using the readout on the Aquarite? Realize that a chemical test (strip or titration) is testing chloride ion concentration in the water while a meter (either stand alone or built in to the SWCG) is testing conductivity and temperature does come into play here so the two will not always coincide. I tend to go with what the built in meter says as long as it is within about 800 ppm of either a chemical test or a handheld (and properly calibrated) meter since THAT is the salt reading that the unit will work with and use to trip the high salt or low salt sensor.


My suggestion no matter what is not working t is to get 2 gallons of 6% liquid laundry bleach or 1 gallon of 12% liquid pool chlorine in the pool right away and then immediately test for FC and CC (FC should be just about 10 ppm and CC should be 0 ppm, if not you have something in the water consuming the chlorine) and do the same a few hours after you added the chlorine. If you have something in the water consuming your chlorine (which is highly likely with a temp of 78 and no chlorine in the water) you will have more CC show up ( It should be 0 ppm) and the FC will drop fairly fast. Please report back the results of these tests!

Either the unit is not generating chloriine, it is not generating enough chlorine (CYA of 45 ppm can be a factor here), is not being controlled properly by the Jandy (highly likely because of the spurious error message), or you just have more of a chlorine demand going on that the unit cannot keep up with (not uncommon with SWCGs) without manually shocking the pool (and I would suggest bleach or liquid chlorine for this).