Dead Mineral Spring Cell?

[bethsg]

We have a mineral springs unit, but just use morton coarse solar salt, never did use mineral springs.
I checked on my pool today, to find the low mineral (salt) light solid red, and the inspect cell light sold red. Salt reading is 0.
We pulled the cell, and cleaned in the 50/50 mix. Nothing appeared to be on the cell. But a little junk was left in the bucket after we let it soak.
Put the cell back in place... no change
Here are my readings
84
31.6
0.00
50P
-0
r1.06
This is our 5th summer on our cell. We keep our pool open 6 months per year, and run the pump 12 hours per day, usually with the cell at 50%.... I must admit I may have let my PH creap up to 7.8 here and there...
Salt water chlorinators are really no maintenance, and sometimes I haven't been the greatest about lower PH...
Do you think my cell is just shot?
Which cell should I buy for replacement? And where is the best place to buy it... Thanks.
Also did notice I think that it took more salt to get enough salt this year, to stay at 2500.... never did do a "real" salt test.

[bethsg]

Ok... so I called 800 number for aquarite, and they tell me I need a new cell.... so I order a new cell from an on line vendor, and replace it.... now my display is still reading 0..... and the High salt light is glowing steady... any thoughts?

[waste]

Beth, first let me congratulate you on your newfound seniority (post 100 did it )

I hope you kept the old cell as it's probably not shot if the new one is doing the same thing - keep the new one anyway, at some point in the future you'll need it. I suspect something may have happened to the 'control board'. Is there anyone in your area (like whoever installed the unit) that can install a new board as a test {that's what I do, I'm certainly no computer expert, so I carry a new board that I can install to check if the owner's board is bad -- we only have ~80 of these units installed, why should my boss pay to actually send me to tech school }? The only other thing that springs to mind is pushing the diagnostic button for ~ 5 seconds to reset the 'inspect cell' light, maybe the computer won't let the new unit come on until it gets 'reset'.

Wish I could be of more help, if no one else can offer advice, call Goldline tech support (and expect to wait. . . . . . . .) or try the online tech support.

Good luck with this, please keep me/ us informed as to what's going on.

[bethsg]

Its not saying inspect cell now.. it is saying HIGH salt now... sent you PM... thanks.

[bethsg]

waste here is my email....bethsg@comcast.net

[bethsg]

My new cell is up and running. A few things I want to share. First as the old cell was dying, I keep seeing a low salt reading, and kept adding salt (slowly over time, a bell should have went off in my head)... it would bring level up, and kept the cell running. Then I had the solid red lights of death, low salt, and inspect cell. So I order new cell. Attach new cell, get HIGH salt reading and cell shuts off. I figure my salt content is too high, so I start draining water off, and adding fresh water. That worked but what confused me in the process is my display kept reading zero. So, I figured it out by tabbing through display to instant salinity, and then turn the cell one, and watch the instant salinity reading go up to 5000+ and it would shut itself off, but then the low salt and inspect cell would start blinking???So what I learned with much searching, is the usual display is based on average cell current, and so since it has been zero for a while... the average continued to be zero, which would trigger the low salt, inspect cell blinking lights. I then shut the unit off, and drained more water, added more water.. finally, I got the salt diluted down, and the cell is running as usual. in order to get the display back to the actual current reading, you flip the switch from auto to super to auto, and this then will reset the current reading display to the current instant salinity. Just wanted to share for anyone who may have similar problem. Since I spent a lot of time searching for answers. My cell lasted almost, 5 -6 month pool seasons.

[waste]

Beth, thanks for updating us - glad you've solved the problem Also, thanks for thinking of the others who may encounter a similar problem!

[Phillbo]

We pulled the cell, and cleaned in the 50/50 mix.

This kind of jumped out at me ... 50/50 sounds like too strong of a mix and may damage the cell. Is this what the system instruction call for ? Mine calls for a 2:1 ratio.

[bethsg]

You are 100% right... mis type by me... it was in the recommended mix... thanks for pointing that out.

[Phillbo]

Didn't want to see you disolving away your cell while trying to clean it