FAQs

AquaRite recommends that you maintain a salt level within the range of 2700-3400 ppm. Low salt levels will cause damage to your cell and dramatically reduce the cell life. High salt levels may cause your power supply to overheat. It is important to maintain the recommended salt levels in your pool to ensure efficient chlorine production and best cell life.

Salt cells can last anywhere from 1-5 years before needing to be replaced. The easiest way to know when it is time to get a new salt cell is when your salt system continuously displays a drastically lower salt level than what the actual salt level is tested. This will probably cause some error code or flashing lights on the salt system indicating a problem with the salt cell. If this happens and the cell is free from calcium scale (see “why do salt cells need to be cleaned” below) then the cell most likely needs to be replaced.

Salt levels reduce due to:

1. Water loss through splashing
2. Swimmers leaving the pool
3. Backwashing a filter
4. Water levels overflowing after heavy rainfall

When such instances occur, check your salt levels to determine whether you need to add more salt to your pool.

A natural byproduct of salt chlorination is the deposit of calcium scale on the electrolytic cell. It is important that the scale is removed regularly to keep your salt system running efficiently. If calcium builds up too much, it will cause damage to the cell and premature wear, which may not be covered under warranty.

Turn off power to the AquaRite before removing the electrolytic cell. Once removed, look inside the cell and inspect for scale formation (light colored crusty or flaky deposits) on the plates and for any debris, which has passed through the filter and caught on the plates. If no deposits are visible, reinstall. If deposits are seen, use a high pressure garden hose and try to flush the scale off. If this is not successful, use a plastic or wood tool (do not use metal as this will scratch the coating off the plates) and scrape deposits off plates. Note that a buildup on the cells indicates that there is an unusually high calcium level in the pool (old pool water is usually the cause). If this is not corrected, you may have to periodically clean the cell The simplest way to avoid this is to bring the pool chemistry to the recommended levels as specified.

Use only in severe cases where flushing and scraping will not remove the majority of deposits.

To acid wash:

1. Turn off power to AquaRite.
2. Remove the cell from piping.
3. In a clear plastic container, mix a 4:1 solution of water to muriatic acid. ALWAYS ADD ACID TO WATER - NEVER ADD WATER TO ACID. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and appropriate eye protection.
4. Screw one end of the salt cell onto a cleaning stand or union piece with capped end to seal off one end of the turbo cell and stand the cell up vertically.
5. Fill the inside of the salt cell with the acidic mixture and let it sit for 2-10 minutes depending on the severity of calcium buildup.
6. Pour the solution into a plastic bucket and remove the cell from stand or cap.
7. Look in both ends of the cell to confirm calcium deposits are removed. If not, repeat cleaning procedure.
8. Rinse cell with fresh water and replace in plumbing line. Hand tighten unions before restoring power to filter pump.

The “No Flow” light is illuminated solid (not flashing) while the pump is running and there is adequate flow coming from the return line.

The flow switch has gone bad and needs to be replaced.

LCD display says “HOT”

Either the water flowing through the cell is above 140 degrees, or the cell has been damaged. The cell will need to be replaced or repaired.

LCD display says “pcb”

The main circuit board (PCB-RITE) has gone bad and needs to be replaced.

Numbers are displayed on the LCD screen, but none of the LED lights are illuminated.

The main circuit board (PCB-RITE) has gone bad and needs to be replaced.

The “Inspect Cell” light is blinking.

Hold down the diagnostic button for 5-10 seconds, the “Inspect Cell” light should go off. If the light begins flashing again within 48 hours, inspect the cell for calcium scale or damage.

Salt level display in PPT instead of PPM (e.g. 3.1 instead of 3100)

Press the diagnostic button one time, the panel will now display the water temperature in degrees Celsius. Then slide the switch to “Super Chlorinate” and back to “Auto” or “Off.” Then don’t press anything for 30 seconds. The temperature display should switch to degrees Fahrenheit, and the salt level display should have switched back to PPM.

The power light flickers off, or turns off at all, anytime while there is power supplied to the control panel.

The main circuit board (PCB-RITE) is bad and needs to be replaced.

There are no lights on and nothing at all is displayed on the LCD screen.

Check the circuit breaker to make sure that power is getting to the panel. If power is reaching the panel then the fuse may have blown. Switch off electricity at the breaker before servicing or inspecting the control panel. Remove the cover plate of the control panel and inspect the fuse located on the right side of the main circuit board near the orange and yellow wire connections. If this fuse is intact and power is reaching the panel, yet there are no lights on and nothing at all is displayed on the LCD screen, then the display circuit board (PCB-DSP) is bad and needs to be replaced.

Check system light is on and the panel displays "No Cell Power."

Most likely, the main circuit board is faulty and needs to be replaced. In some very rare cases, this error could be caused by a blown fuse, a faulty transformer, or a damaged salt cell. Inspect the fuse and transformer for visual damage, and inspect the salt cell cord and plug for obvious signs of damage. If no signs of damage can be spotted, it is more than likely that the PCB-MAIN circuit board should be replaced.

Check system light is on and the panel displays "Cell Power Error."

The main circuit board is bad and need to be replaced (PCB-MAIN).

Typically, they should be replaced every 3-5 years, depending on usage and cleaning. The cartridges should be replaced when the pressure doesn’t go down adequately after cleaning.

When the filter tank pressure rises above normal, it is time to clean the cartridges. Normal operating range for a cartridge filter could be anywhere from 10-20 psi depending on your particular system. Pay attention to your filter’s normal operating pressure, and when the pressure rises about 10 psi above normal it is time to clean the cartridges.

Turn off the filter pump and remove the cartridges. Use a hose with a pressure nozzle and spray the cartridges thoroughly. Work slowly from top to bottom, making sure to clean between the all the pleats of the filter media. When done properly, cleaning cartridge filters could take up to an hour.

Record the make of the filter tank (e.g. Pentair Clean and Clear Plus, Hayward Swimclear) and the model/size (e.g. 420 sq ft C4030). Match those values with a replacement cartridge. Also, your current cartridges may have a model number imprinted on them that can be cross referenced to the replacement cartridge. If you cannot find all the identifying information, take out one of the cartridge filters and measure its length and diameter. These values along with the brand of the filter tank should be plenty of information for one of our customer service representatives to identify which cartridge replacements you should purchase.

Filter grids should be replaced every 2-5 years, depending on usage and care. D.E. grids should be replaced when they become damaged or torn.

When the filter tank pressure rises above normal, it is time to clean the cartridges. Normal operating range for a cartridge filter could be anywhere from 10 - 40 psi depending on your particular system. Pay attention to your filter’s normal operating pressure, and when the pressure rises about 10 psi above normal it is time to clean the cartridges.

Turn off the filter pump and remove the grids. Use a hose and spray the grids thoroughly, washing off all of the Diatomaceous Earth. Inspect the grids for any tears, and replace the ones with tears or damage with new grids. Put the grids back together inside of the filter tank and install the filter tank lid. Turn the pump on and add Diatomaceous Earth directly into your skimmer as needed. When done properly, cleaning D.E. filters could take up to an hour. Refer to your filter owner’s manual for the proper amount of D.E. to add to your specific filter model.

First, identify if the filter manifold is on top of the grids or on the bottom. The manifold is the plastic piece that the filter grid nipples fit into. So if the grids are installed with their nipples on top, the filter is a top manifold filter. If the grids are installed with the nipples at the bottom of the tank, the filter is a bottom manifold filter. Next, measure the height of the grids, and match them up to the correct height of the replacement grids:

• 12” tall is 24 sq ft
• 18” tall is 36 sq ft
• 24” tall is 48 sq ft
• 30” tall is 60 sq ft
• 36” tall is 72 sq ft