Any Hayward Aqua Plus Users

[rocket]

Seems my sensors are bad and not working properly. What I would like to do is disable the ORP and run the chlorinator on strictly a percentage basis until I get new sensors. Does anybody know which menu and how to do this? Currently I have the chlorinator disabled and the ORP system disabled. However, I would like to enable the chlorinator and run on a percent for the time being.

[txpoolguy]

I think it's in the configuration menu, where you select if you're using auto-sense or timed feed. You'll have to re-enable the chlorinator, then select timed feed.

[pooltech9]

Configuration Menu-Unlock-> Chlor Config. hit + to Enabled

Chemistry Wizard -> Chlorine Feed -> hit + until it says Timed%.

Settings -> Set your Chlorinator % to 50%, run it for a few days, test the chlorine level each day, adjust it.

[pooltech9]

By the way, the sensors are about $300. each. You may consider going to the Maintenence Menu -> Clean Probe Wizard. It will tell you how to clean your probes. Should be done montly at a minimum.

[rocket]

thanks. I think the probes are done for. Pool installer who closed the pool never removed them when they winterized the pool. So they are getting new ones and installing them. I have read a lot of people who have had trouble with them anyway. I think on another forum they could never get them to work right. Some of them people just gave up and just use the percentage setting. Have you had good luck with them? Also if I also end up just using giving up and using the percent function, do I even need the sensors?

[pooltech9]

Don't give up! Balance your pool first. When your chlorine reading is 1-3ppm, check and see what your ORP reading is and set the ORP setting to that number. If you don't use your orp sensor and go with the timed %, you can still get a pH reading. The biggest problem with the Sense & Dispense is overmanagement.

[rocket]

Thanks, I now got the timed % figured out.

But I now have another issue. The pool guy installed the new ORP sensor (the PH sensor did not come in yet). Basically he just took the old one off and screwed the new one on and then we went to config menu and switched from the % back to the ORP sensing. However it does not seem to be working as my chlorine level is dropping (a little under 1) and when I go to the box it does not display the ORP reading like it did last year. Last year when you opened the box it would by default flip thru a bunch of readings including the day, time, air temp, PH level, ORP level. However now it does not display the ORP or the PH reading. The PH sensor is still the bad one however the ORP sensor is brand new, shouldn't it be giving me a reading like last year? Is there some setting I need to adjust to get working?

[txpoolguy]

Hopefully the new pH sensor was installed wet - if the sensors stay dry for more than an hour or so, they are dead.

ORP is not a measurement equal to the amount of chlorine in the water. Some of the other guys can probably explain it much better but I'll give it a stab. ORP = oxidation reduction potential. As the "effectiveness" of the chlorine in the water rises, so will the ORP, even though your chlorine residual is the same. When pH drops, ORP rises even with no increase in chlorine. The reverse is also true, as your pH increases, chlorine is not as effective, so ORP drops. Chlorine in the water is part of the ORP measurement, but it's not measured like your test kit measures chlorine.

If he has disabled the "auto sense" in the main controller (chemistry wizard?), then neither pH or ORP will be displayed until that is reactivated.

[rocket]

PH sensor is still the old one, so I am sure it is not working. Will the ORP sensor work without the PH sensor working? "auto sensing" was enabled and the ORP reading was not showing up and appeared generator was not generating chlorine either.

[txpoolguy]

It's probably still a configuration or setting somewhere. If everything were enabled, you should still display pH & ORP, although your readings will currently be inaccurate because of the bad probe.

[rocket]

i have looked thru those menus with no luck. Can not get the PH and ORP to display and to make matters worse, because the chlorinator is not working my chlorine level is dropping fast. I am under 1 now. Last night before bed I changed to timed percent like the above poster said. I put the % to 50% in the settings menu. However this morning my chlorine level is still falling. I just now changed the % to 85%. However I would think 50% should have been enough to maintain my low chlorine level.

When you want to use a % timed feed should auto sensing be enabled? When I disable auto sensing the wizard menu stops and it will not even display the percent timed part. That makes me believe it should be enabled. However I have a suspicion that I am not making chlorine right now.

[txpoolguy]

I can't remember where that is at, offhand. You can call Hayward Tech Support at (908) 355-7995 and they can walk you thru it. When autosense is disabled, it removes all auto-sense related information from the other menus, so it will have to be enabled. Sorry I can't be more help, but try the number above & they should be able to walk you thru it.

[rocket]

thanks got it figured out. Box was wired wrong so unit thought the filter was off, so chlorinator would not kick on.