Saltwater Chlorinators

[#HISH]

Does anyone here have experience with saltwater chlorinators or probably
just a little knowledge of Bridge rectifiers would help.
The chlorinator has a control circuit that controls the supply to a 240/9v
transformer. This is rectified and fed to the chlorinator cell. The problem
is that I have almost no current. The controller also (somehow) monitors for
water flow and shuts down if flow ceases.
The transformer seems to be firing OK and has a 9.8VAC output and while the
cell is disconnected (no load) the rectifier also has about a 9.5VDC output.
When the cell is connected, the DC voltage drops to about .9V.
Is it normal for a bridge rectifier to fail in this way? I would have
thought it would be OS or exploded.
Thanks for any help.
PS. The manufacturer reccomends replacing the controller but when I bypass
the controller I still dont get an output so I'm not convinced.
Thanks for any help
Wayne

 

[John Crighton]

Does anyone here have experience with saltwater chlorinators or probably
just a little knowledge of Bridge rectifiers would help.
The chlorinator has a control circuit that controls the supply to a 240/9v
transformer. This is rectified and fed to the chlorinator cell. The problem
is that I have almost no current. The controller also (somehow) monitors for
water flow and shuts down if flow ceases.
The transformer seems to be firing OK and has a 9.8VAC output and while the
cell is disconnected (no load) the rectifier also has about a 9.5VDC output.
When the cell is connected, the DC voltage drops to about .9V.
Is it normal for a bridge rectifier to fail in this way? I would have
thought it would be OS or exploded.
Thanks for any help.
PS. The manufacturer reccomends replacing the controller but when I bypass
the controller I still dont get an output so I'm not convinced.
Thanks for any help
Wayne

Hello Wayne,
if you are suspecting the bridge rectifier block or the individual
diodes, why don't you just replace them temporarily with suitable
types from your junk box or buy some from your local supplier?

You can check your individual diodes with a small battery and
light globe.
Maybe just take the batteries and globe out of your torch and
hook them up with your diode in series.
Globe lights up, now reverse diode and globe is out.
Here is a simple little component tester that illustrates
what I am talking about.
http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/projects/simplet.htm

Another thought, if the diodes are on a printed circuit board,
have you visually checked all the soldered connections on
the diodes?
Look for bad soldered joints and cracked tracks. If you can't
see any cracks, no harm in touching up the joints with fresh
solder. If that doesn't work then remove one end of each diode
from the board and test them individually.

Let us know how you get on.

Regards,
John Crighton
Hornsby Heights

 

[#HISH]

Hi John,
Thanx for your reply.
What I thought was strange is that it the diode seems ok with a low or no
load. I have never heard of a diode goins OOS this way but I haven't had
huge volumes of experience either The output voltage from the bridge only
drops off as the controller brings on the load. The ramp up and down of the
input voltage to the transformer seems to work OK when the adjuster is
turned up and down.(this is how the current to the cell is controlled) It's
a 35A diode so I dont have anything to load it up.
The diode is mounted on a heatsink and has soldered leads and I dont have a
spare of any sort. A replacement diode is 5 bucks at Jaycar so that is
probably the way I will go (incidently, the same diode from the pool
chlorinator shop is $22). To replace the board is $110 delivered so its a
worthwile gamble.
All tracks and leads have been inspected and the single possibly dodgy pad
resoldered.
Again, thanks for your help
Wayne

 

[John Crighton]

Hi John,
Thanx for your reply.
What I thought was strange is that it the diode seems ok with a low or no
load. I have never heard of a diode goins OOS this way but I haven't had
huge volumes of experience either The output voltage from the bridge only
drops off as the controller brings on the load. The ramp up and down of the
input voltage to the transformer seems to work OK when the adjuster is
turned up and down.(this is how the current to the cell is controlled) It's
a 35A diode so I dont have anything to load it up.
The diode is mounted on a heatsink and has soldered leads and I dont have a
spare of any sort. A replacement diode is 5 bucks at Jaycar so that is
probably the way I will go (incidently, the same diode from the pool
chlorinator shop is $22). To replace the board is $110 delivered so its a
worthwile gamble.
All tracks and leads have been inspected and the single possibly dodgy pad
resoldered.
Again, thanks for your help
Wayne

Hello Wayne,
you could check your diode(s) at high current using your car battery
and head lamp for a load. A bit messy having to remove the diode
heatsink assemblies and stuffing around with bits of wire and
crocodile clips on the rear of the headlights. If your head lamp
lights up with the diode connected in series and goes out when
the diode connection is reversed, I would say your diode(s) are
fine.
Regards,
John Crighton
Hornsby Heights.

 

[#HISH]

Hi Clifford,
Thanks for your reply
I have carefully inspected and tested and I have the full voltage right to
the input (AC)terminals of the bridge regardless of the load, the output
terminal voltage (DC) measures OK untill the load is attached, it then drops
off to under 1V -I'm pretty sure its the rectifier but the failure seems
weird.
All the testing was done with about a 40W load.
Again, Thanks for your help
Wayne

 

[#HISH]

Hi again John,
I did get a globe out to load up the circuit at different points (50W) and
found that the drop in volts is directly across the rectifier and so I cant
see how it could be anything else. the voltages were measured on the
terminals of the rectifier. I can load it up to ~4 amps with negligble AC
voltage drop but the DC side just dies.
Im about to head off and get a newie so I will let you know how successful I
was.
QWayne

 

[#HISH]

The chlorinator problem is solved.
The rectifier was KaPuT.
$4.95 for a newie and 20 mins to fit.
The chlorinator company handing out the dodgy advise was clear-water.com.au
Thanks to those who contributed and those that were intending to - but just
didn't get round to it
Wayne

 

[David Sauer]

The chlorinator company handing out the dodgy advise was clear-water.com.au

I wouldn't call it dodgy, no-one has the time to deal with out of
warrantly repairs unless they're making money out of it.

 

[#HISH]

considering they are the only manufacturer of the part in question I reckon
that they stood to make a profit -
If information is incorrect, it is certainly dodgy regardless of how much
effort goes into it.
A shit paint job is still shit, even if you wern't trying.
regards
Wayne

 

[#HISH]

Further to my problems.
i have recieved an email from the service manager of clearwater and he has
been most helpful.
His approach has been 110% and he has offered to perform any repairs for the
next 12 months.
Wayne