I have a Hayward Aqua Rite salt generator system. It has worked well for 9 years. Suddenly last month the salt readings on the contol panel started acting odd. They should be in the range of 2700 to 3400 ppm. They jumped to 4200 so I added water to lower the reading. The next day they were 4400. The reading is staying up there regardless if I dump water and add new water. My T cell is 6 months old. The control panel is set right. I got a new mother board for the contol panel. Then it dawned on me that every time I add water I must be adding salt along with it. So I had the pool water and the water that I add tested with an eclectronic TDS meter and with LaMotte test strips.
Salt reading of pool water on Aqua Rite panel-4,400
" " " " " on TDS meter 2,830
" " " " " on test strips 4,000
TDS reading of the water I am adding to the pool-5,100. Is this high level affecting the salt reading on my Aqua Rite panel. Supposedly the Aqua Rite panel and the test strips are measuring salt whereas the TDS meter is reading all disssolve minerals. The water that I add to the pool comes from a well. Is that well suddenly getting saltier. What can I do?