Help - need guidance with Pentair ic40 low salt light

[AngelaKelly]

Hello! Any help would be appreciated. Our Pentair ic40 low salt light has been on for a week. Our water is balanced (see image for reading) and we ran a diagnostic today. I cannot upload the video to this forum but it read as follows (if I’m reading correctly):

- Hit more button, all buttons lit up green, except for the low salt light which was red.
- Hit more button again, green lights on 60% and 80%
- Hit more button again, green lights on 20% and 40%
- At end, cold water, cell, and flow lights all flashed green

My questions:
- Can the cell still produce chlorine with the low salt light on?
- I ordered a new flow switch, could this be the problem?
- Any general advice, suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Jimrahbe]

A,

What is the actual salt level in the water??? And how did you measure it.

The thermistor inside your flow switch may be bad, or it could be that the salt level in your pool is just low.

Either way, when the cell "thinks" the salt level is low it may or may not work at all, depending on how low it thinks the salt level is.

If the cell thinks the salt is less than 2600 ppm, it will not make any chlorine. If above 2600 and below 2800, it will make chlorine at a reduced rate.

If the cell is making chlorine at all, the "Cell" light will be on. At 50% output, the cell light will be on for about 2.5 minutes and then off for about 2.5 minutes.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[AngelaKelly]

A,

What is the actual salt level in the water??? And how did you measure it.

The thermistor inside your flow switch may be bad, or it could be that the salt level in your pool is just low.

Either way, when the cell "thinks" the salt level is low it may or may not work at all, depending on how low it thinks the salt level is.

If the cell thinks the salt is less than 2600 ppm, it will not make any chlorine. If above 2600 and below 2800, it will make chlorine at a reduced rate.

If the cell is making chlorine at all, the "Cell" light will be on. At 50% output, the cell light will be on for about 2.5 minutes and then off for about 2.5 minutes.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks Jim! We just tested salt too, it is low (around 2500ppm) so that in fact may be the simple answer. We are going to add more salt now. I’m hopeful that we perhaps we did not add enough salt when we opened a couple of weeks ago.

 

[NCVA]

I’ve had the same issue. I guess to the cell it’s what it think he salt level is, not what you might test it as. I thought my cell was bad, but it was new. I talked to my pool guy and he said just add more salt, I did and it worked.

 

[AngelaKelly]

I’ve had the same issue. I guess to the cell it’s what it think he salt level is, not what you might test it as. I thought my cell was bad, but it was new. I talked to my pool guy and he said just add more salt, I did and it worked.

Thanks! Same here - phew! Glad it worked out. Happy swimming!

 

[AngelaKelly]

Thanks Jim! We just tested salt too, it is low (around 2500ppm) so that in fact may be the simple answer. We are going to add more salt now. I’m hopeful that we perhaps we did not add enough salt when we opened a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks for your help! All it needed was 6 bags of salt - phew!