Maintaining a clean and well-balanced swimming pool during rainy season can be a challenging task for your Salt Chlorine Generator because rainwater brings along contaminants that can disrupt the chemical balance and overall cleanliness of your pool water.
Do You Need Technical Support for Your AutoPilot®?
An AutoPilot® salt chlorine generator comes with the support of a company that has been on the leading edge of electrolytic chlorine generation since 1976. AutoPilot® has sold over a half a million chlorinators all over the world and combines quality, dependability, customer satisfaction, and warranty. However, we do realize that technical issues could occur and in this article we will go over some steps you can take before contacting technical support or our AutoPilot® service line.
Below you will find some of the most common errors you will see when running your AutoPilot ® unit. In most cases, you may not see a warning light or error message on the display, but you’re not able to test for chlorine. Before scheduling a service call, we recommend you go over these steps and save yourself time and money due to a non-warranty related service call.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Flow Related
When the error code comes up showing “Purifier Off, Check Flow”, it means there is not enough flow going through the manifold’s tri-sensor to activate the flow switch. Your chlorine production will be halted until this is corrected. Here are some areas that are not related to the Tri-sensor:
1) Manifold Screen, Pump and Skimmer Baskets, and Pool Filter – Inspect and clean these items.
2) Improperly Positioned Valves – Ensure there are no valves blocking or diverting flow away from the manifold.
3) Calcium Scale Buildup on Cell – Remove, inspect, and clean the cell as needed. If scaled, refer to the owner’s manual to determine cause of scaling and how to acid wash it.
4) Return Side Obstructions – Pressure side cleaners, In-Floor Cleaning systems, and Fountain Jets can also create backpressure to hinder flow. Try diverting flow away from these devices, or check for debris/obstructions, until flow is corrected.
2) Improperly Positioned Valves – Ensure there are no valves blocking or diverting flow away from the manifold.
3) Calcium Scale Buildup on Cell – Remove, inspect, and clean the cell as needed. If scaled, refer to the owner’s manual to determine cause of scaling and how to acid wash it.
4) Return Side Obstructions – Pressure side cleaners, In-Floor Cleaning systems, and Fountain Jets can also create backpressure to hinder flow. Try diverting flow away from these devices, or check for debris/obstructions, until flow is corrected.
Error Code “CHECK/CLEAN CELL” or “LOW AMPS/CELL?”
These messages occur when there are problems with regards to the power going to the cell. Chlorine production will be reduced during this error display. Here are some areas that are not related to the cell, cell cord, or power supply:
1) Low Salt – Test the salt level or take a water sample to your Pool Professional and compare to what the display is showing. Calibrate the AutoPilot to match the test result as needed.
2) Cell Condition – If there is scale formation in the cell or if the cell is near the end of life, these displays will occur.
3) Cell Cord Condition – Remove and inspect both ends of the cell cord. If there is a loose wire or loose connection, retighten and reconnect. If there are signs of damage (corrosion or discoloration), replace the cord.
4) Cold Water Temperature – Cold temperatures increase voltage to the cell. In most cases, increasing the salt level to 3500 – 4000 ppm to compensate for the cold temperatures will resolve this error display.
5) Power to AutoPilot – Usually with New Installations, if there’s 115 volts going to a unit that is still factory wired for 230 volts, you will get this display when the cell is energized (Press BOOST button to test). With older systems, it’s possible for one of the two breakers powering up the AutoPilot to go bad, therefore, only 115 volts will be going to the unit. Turn both breakers on a 230 volt system OFF, and then back ON. If there is a bad breaker, it should trip.
2) Cell Condition – If there is scale formation in the cell or if the cell is near the end of life, these displays will occur.
3) Cell Cord Condition – Remove and inspect both ends of the cell cord. If there is a loose wire or loose connection, retighten and reconnect. If there are signs of damage (corrosion or discoloration), replace the cord.
4) Cold Water Temperature – Cold temperatures increase voltage to the cell. In most cases, increasing the salt level to 3500 – 4000 ppm to compensate for the cold temperatures will resolve this error display.
5) Power to AutoPilot – Usually with New Installations, if there’s 115 volts going to a unit that is still factory wired for 230 volts, you will get this display when the cell is energized (Press BOOST button to test). With older systems, it’s possible for one of the two breakers powering up the AutoPilot to go bad, therefore, only 115 volts will be going to the unit. Turn both breakers on a 230 volt system OFF, and then back ON. If there is a bad breaker, it should trip.
Error Code “BAD TEMP SENSOR”
This message can occur if the tri-sensor or tri-sensor cord is damaged or if the cord is not plugged in properly. This will not affect the chlorine production, just the Automatic Temperature Compensation feature.
1) Check the tri-sensor connector where it plugs into the power supply. On older models, also check the connector that plugs onto the tri-sensor for debris, corrosion, or damage to the 6-pin connector.
2) Check the tri-sensor cord for signs of damage from pets/animals chewing on the cord, lawn equipment cutting the cord, or other signs of damage to the cord.
2) Check the tri-sensor cord for signs of damage from pets/animals chewing on the cord, lawn equipment cutting the cord, or other signs of damage to the cord.
Changing Purifier Output Setting
If the purifier output setting (%) changes without someone changing it, this is the Automatic Temperature Compensation feature adjusting the %, based on water temperature changes. As the water temperatures increases, % will increase. As the water temperature decreases, % will decrease. At certain points when it gets colder, the maximum % allowed will be limited. When temperatures get to 55F or colder, the maximum % will be limited to 1%, and cannot be increased.
No Error Codes But No Chlorine
There are several situations in which you may not be able to read a chlorine level in the pool, yet there are no error displays on the AutoPilot. Some are Operational and some are from Chemical Reactions. A quick test is to place the units in BOOST mode, wait 30 seconds, loosen the lower cell union, and then take a water sample after the cell. Test for chlorine, which should yield a higher level than what’s in the pool.
* Operational – These are situations in which adjustments or upgrades may be needed.
1) Cell Too Small – If the cell is undersized for your pool, you will not be able to make enough chlorine to properly maintain your pool. It is always better to upsize the cell to your pool. Borderline sizing, that is, if you have a 20,000 gallon pool, do not install and 20,000 gallon rated cell, will probably not provide enough chlorine.
2) Pump Run Time Insufficient – Similar to undersized cells, you must run the pump long enough to be able to generate sufficient levels of chlorine daily. Upsizing the cell will allow you to lower your pump run time.
3) Chlorine Demand Too High – Outdoor (UV) exposure, water features, slides, pool parties, inclement weather conditions are all high chlorine demand conditions. Adding sufficient amounts of Chlorine Stabilizer will help with the UV exposure. The other conditions will require manual addition of supplemental chlorine, or higher amounts of chlorine production, which is achieved by upsizing the cell. The Digital and Soft Models allow you to upsize to any of our AutoPilot cells. The Nano and Nano + models cannot be upsized.
* Chemical Reactions – These are situations in which chlorine may be reacting with ancillary chemicals added to the pool, or lack thereof.
1) Chlorine Stabilizer – As mentioned for Chlorine Demand above, Chlorine Stabilizer is needed for pools exposed to sunlight. It is recommended to maintain 60 – 80 ppm for your typical pool. When used with an ORP/pH controller, such as the Total Control System, you should maintain 30 -50 ppm. Too high in stabilizer will create a slower reaction of chlorine and in some cases, can hinder the effectiveness of chlorine. If too low, add stabilizer. If too high, dilute some water to bring it down.
2) Sodium Bromide Based Algae Treatments – These usually have YELLOW or MUSTARD in the name in a powder form. If an algae treatment has been recently done, check your bottle and see if it contains Sodium Bromide. Sodium Bromide added to a Salt Chlorine Generator pool will create problems. Turn the AutoPilot off and add Sodium Hypochlorite manually, daily, to maintain 5 ppm or higher until you’re able to maintain a chlorine residual overnight. Determine this by testing your chlorine at night and again in the morning. Expect the chlorine level to be lower in the morning, due to the reaction of the sodium bromide. Add your chlorine after your morning test. Once you’re able to maintain the chlorine residual, you can turn the AutoPilot back on.
3) High Phosphates – Phosphates is a food source for algae, usually introduced by lawn fertilizer, laundry detergents, city water, tile and vinyl cleaners, and can also be airborne (local golf course?). There are different thoughts on high phosphates. High phosphates alone being a problem, or high phosphates in conjunction with visible algae. In either case, it is best to maintain a low level of phosphates. There are chemical treatments to eliminate phosphates. These will cloud the water, as it’s reacting with the phosphates and allowing it to be filtered. Take care to keep your filter clean as you go through a treatment process. If there is algae present, it is best to treat your pool for the algae first – shock the pool, brush the algae off the walls, and vacuum to waste – then treat the phosphates. This will eliminate an extra step as the algae, when brushed off the walls, will release more phosphates into the pool.
4) Chlorine Neutralizer/Eliminator – Normally used with commercial pools, these pellets are very potent. This is also used in residential pools after a shock treatment to lower the chlorine back down, quickly. When overdosed, this creates a chlorine demand that will consume the chlorine being produced by the cell, resulting in low to no chlorine in the pool. The quick solution is to manually add chlorine to overcome this chlorine demand.
5) Water Chemistry Imbalance – Always keep your water chemistry adjusted to maintain proper balance, according to the Langelier’s Saturation Index, found here. Improper chemical levels can allow scale formation in the cell, which will reduce chlorine production and cell life. Improper chemical levels can also cause more chemicals to be needed to maintain your pool.
2) Sodium Bromide Based Algae Treatments – These usually have YELLOW or MUSTARD in the name in a powder form. If an algae treatment has been recently done, check your bottle and see if it contains Sodium Bromide. Sodium Bromide added to a Salt Chlorine Generator pool will create problems. Turn the AutoPilot off and add Sodium Hypochlorite manually, daily, to maintain 5 ppm or higher until you’re able to maintain a chlorine residual overnight. Determine this by testing your chlorine at night and again in the morning. Expect the chlorine level to be lower in the morning, due to the reaction of the sodium bromide. Add your chlorine after your morning test. Once you’re able to maintain the chlorine residual, you can turn the AutoPilot back on.
3) High Phosphates – Phosphates is a food source for algae, usually introduced by lawn fertilizer, laundry detergents, city water, tile and vinyl cleaners, and can also be airborne (local golf course?). There are different thoughts on high phosphates. High phosphates alone being a problem, or high phosphates in conjunction with visible algae. In either case, it is best to maintain a low level of phosphates. There are chemical treatments to eliminate phosphates. These will cloud the water, as it’s reacting with the phosphates and allowing it to be filtered. Take care to keep your filter clean as you go through a treatment process. If there is algae present, it is best to treat your pool for the algae first – shock the pool, brush the algae off the walls, and vacuum to waste – then treat the phosphates. This will eliminate an extra step as the algae, when brushed off the walls, will release more phosphates into the pool.
4) Chlorine Neutralizer/Eliminator – Normally used with commercial pools, these pellets are very potent. This is also used in residential pools after a shock treatment to lower the chlorine back down, quickly. When overdosed, this creates a chlorine demand that will consume the chlorine being produced by the cell, resulting in low to no chlorine in the pool. The quick solution is to manually add chlorine to overcome this chlorine demand.
5) Water Chemistry Imbalance – Always keep your water chemistry adjusted to maintain proper balance, according to the Langelier’s Saturation Index, found here. Improper chemical levels can allow scale formation in the cell, which will reduce chlorine production and cell life. Improper chemical levels can also cause more chemicals to be needed to maintain your pool.
As you can see, there are other conditions that may cause problems with the AutoPilot salt chlorinator, which are not related to a defective or damaged component. It is best to follow these steps to check your system before requesting a service call, which may end up being not related to the AutoPilot. Use the error codes shown on the unit, and compare against the charts in your owner’s manual. If you have tried the solutions suggested above, went through the possible solutions as shown in the owner’s manual troubleshooting section, and still have problems, please feel free to contact us to set up an appointment for service here.
As always, please feel free to contact us should you have any additional questions or leave any comments you may have below.
Do You Need Technical Support for Your AutoPilot®?
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I have an error message. Check Flow Purifier off
I changed the salt chlorinated and the tri censor
I have also cleaned the baskets and the union screen
You can also try purging the line by removing the union strainer basket and turning the pool pump on briefly to clear the line. If it’s not a flow issue, then it could either be the tri-sensor, an interface board or main board depending on the model.
I have tried everything mention above and my system is still showing check flow. I have also turned the power off to the system for a brief period with luck. I have a Pool Pilot Digital mod# DIG-220. Is there something else I can check to try to find the problem.
Thanks
Hi Jason, If there are no restrictions in the line and there is adequate flow, the strainer basket is clean and the tri-sensor was replaced, the next step would be to ensure the directional arrow on the tri-sensor is aligned with the flowrate. After that, turn off the pool pump, undo the upper cell union, swing the manifold away and turn the pool pump back on. If water is gushing then there is a problem with either the new tri-sensor or the control board. A 986-ST simulator would be needed.
Jason, another common problem after replacing the Tri-sensor is that the plug isn’t fully inserted into the power supply.
I have a problem with my Autopilot. It’s at V4.2 has na SC48 cell, relatively new, bought April 2020, cleaned, filter pressure at 10-12. System only shows check flow, red light on. Power level is at 2, salt is at 4500 pp, the problem seems to be Voltage at 18V & 3.6A . All your charts show it should be running at>24V! What could be the problem?
When the check flow message appears, production stops. The volt reading is 0 because no power is being sent to the cell. The flow switch is a safety to prevent current being sent to the cell without water flow. Turn off the pool pump and check the union strainer basket for debris.
My system has a low cell voltage message and it’s not generating any chlorine
Low voltage would indicate a power supply issue. The cell isn’t receiving enough power to produce.
Salt level keeps fluctuating every several seconds or so. The unit keeps telling me that the pool has low salt, but I did an independent salt test, and my salt levels are very high. Around 4000 ppm. The cell is at 14 V and 4.7 A. It is a brand new cell. I do not know what is causing this problem. The cell power cord is also brand new.
The salt level may need calibrated within the system which we can walk you through over the phone. Please call us at 727-823-5642 or provide your name, phone number, and best time to reach you for further troubleshooting.
my autopilot salt generator is 4.5 years old. salt reading is good. cleaned the cell unit. The unit is not producing any chlorine. almost no chlorine or free chlorine reading need help. ph levels are good. just added chemical to lower the high phosphate reading. central florida location 589 350 8700
Good Morning Ms. Swanson,
Hope you are doing well.
Please do the following steps.
1- Make sure the unit is not in BOOST mode
2- Cut off power to unit for 30 seconds
3- Cut power back on
4- Wait until purifier screen comes up & put unit into BOOST mode
5- Let run in BOOST for 20 seconds & Press MENU
6- Unit will display TEST POOL PILOT – hit SELECT
7- Record numbers from unit paying special attention to VOLT & AMPS reading.
8- Report those numbers back for further troubleshooting.
You can call AutoPilot Tech support at 727-456-7426 for assistance.
Thanks,
Robert
AquaCal/AutoPilot tech support
Our cell keeps clogging up with like a white/solid and hard substance- what can we do to prevent this going forward
Hi Mike,
A calcifying cell is typically caused when your pool water is out of balance. Usually when your PH gets too high. Take a water sample to your local pool store and have them measure the Saturation Index. A balanced pool should be between -.3 and .3. Higher than .3 will usually cause calcium to precipitate out of the water.
Thanks,
Mark
AquaCal Tech Support
hello
I am having issue updating my Pool Sync and Chlor sync cs40 (less then a year old and under warranty. both need firm ware updates, but they will not update and it is causing issues as my chlorsync says it needs salt but when i test it salt is at 3300 which is perfect, This is causing the chlorsync to not produce chlorine becuse it thinks the pool needs salt.
Hi Ron,
Please call us at 727-823-5642 so we can troubleshoot your PoolSync and ChlorSync.
Thanks,
AquaCal/AutoPilot tech support.
My auto pilot is saying low cell. The amps are at 24 and the volts are .6. Can you advise me on how to correct this problem? I have recently added a new in line salt generator
Hi Don,
Low amps can be caused by a calcified cell that needs to be cleaned, a burnt cell cord, a depleted cell, or an issue with a board inside the control box. Please call us at 727-823-5642 when you are in front of the AutoPilot. We can assist with troubleshooting and/or recommend an authorized AutoPilot service center near you.
Thanks,
AutoPilot Tech Support