- May 3, 2014
- 62,696
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
IC-40 SWG Reads Low Salt at 3200 ppm?
- Thread starter mmcwhorter
- Start date
I think I am still in diagnosis mode. See the temperature plot from last night's test in the pic.
I powered the pump on around 6:45 PM last night, closed off the SPA to circulate, and set the heater to +65F from the +56 starting point. When the pump turns on, FLOW indicates good within a few seconds....The SALT/COLD LED indicators blink alternatively for 5 minutes RED/GREEN before stopping on one or the other, so I went inside, it was cold...misty and wet. Set the IC-40 to BOOST mode. Came back 30 minutes later after it got to +65 and SALT light was Green. Stayed GREEN till 10 PM, when I changed the valves to get the colder pool water circulating through the Spa...went to bed. It's definitely making CL as it's visible in the returns and the FC is up 4 PPM. The pump is set to go off around midnight....and set to run again around 5 AM to 8 AM...
This morning at 0730: we hit +38F overnight, pump running and SALT light RED.
Forgot to check for CL gas. A bit too cold out at that time.
I'll run this test again today, we should hit +55F outside later. A heat wave by relative terms of late...
I like the idea of changing out the FLOW METER. I can put that 5-year MSEE degree to work, and change a lightbulb at the same time LOL.
Drilling holes in pipes for me is a bit scary.
Here is a good YOUTUBE on replacing the IC-40 FLOW SALT/TEMP assembly
I powered the pump on around 6:45 PM last night, closed off the SPA to circulate, and set the heater to +65F from the +56 starting point. When the pump turns on, FLOW indicates good within a few seconds....The SALT/COLD LED indicators blink alternatively for 5 minutes RED/GREEN before stopping on one or the other, so I went inside, it was cold...misty and wet. Set the IC-40 to BOOST mode. Came back 30 minutes later after it got to +65 and SALT light was Green. Stayed GREEN till 10 PM, when I changed the valves to get the colder pool water circulating through the Spa...went to bed. It's definitely making CL as it's visible in the returns and the FC is up 4 PPM. The pump is set to go off around midnight....and set to run again around 5 AM to 8 AM...
This morning at 0730: we hit +38F overnight, pump running and SALT light RED.
Forgot to check for CL gas. A bit too cold out at that time.
I'll run this test again today, we should hit +55F outside later. A heat wave by relative terms of late...
I like the idea of changing out the FLOW METER. I can put that 5-year MSEE degree to work, and change a lightbulb at the same time LOL.
Drilling holes in pipes for me is a bit scary.
Here is a good YOUTUBE on replacing the IC-40 FLOW SALT/TEMP assembly
Attachments
11 AM: Ran the spa closed loop from +54 up to +74. SALT light stayed red. Powered off the entire system, and removed the 4-pin connector from the power center. Put it back in after 10-15 seconds. Turned the system back on. Water temp at +74F. After a couple of minutes, SALT light GREEN. I opened up the valves to flow colder water from the main pool back into the pump/filter system. An hour later, with the water temp down to +55F, the SALT light is still GREEN and it's clearly producing FC. Water temp is measured accurately by the Raypack propane heater display.
I think this points to the issue is likely the lower-than-normal temps I have ever used the IC-40 with. I will monitor FC production. A slow warming trend is predicted here over the next couple of weeks.
By the way, I went online just in case needed....looking at Flow Switch replacement parts for the IC-40...why are there a bunch of "after-market" switches in the $25 range (It looks as if they have 4 wires), and the Pentair three-wire replacement is more than $200. Would the "after-market" with 4 wires work? They say it will, and there is a wiring diagram that connects two of the four wires together. Also, since my original IC-40 was replaced under warranty in 2017 (I do not remember why)...I still have the original unit here. Might be able to use that if it wasn't the original problem. Nothing like having a few junkyard parts lying around (old pump motor too)....
I think this points to the issue is likely the lower-than-normal temps I have ever used the IC-40 with. I will monitor FC production. A slow warming trend is predicted here over the next couple of weeks.
By the way, I went online just in case needed....looking at Flow Switch replacement parts for the IC-40...why are there a bunch of "after-market" switches in the $25 range (It looks as if they have 4 wires), and the Pentair three-wire replacement is more than $200. Would the "after-market" with 4 wires work? They say it will, and there is a wiring diagram that connects two of the four wires together. Also, since my original IC-40 was replaced under warranty in 2017 (I do not remember why)...I still have the original unit here. Might be able to use that if it wasn't the original problem. Nothing like having a few junkyard parts lying around (old pump motor too)....
- May 27, 2021
- 1,303
- Pool Size
- 17000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
The IC 40 checks salinity after the initial power up and then every 12 hours thereafter. If you didn’t power cycle the unit to force a salinity check after the water temp change, it may not kick out again until it re-runs the check at the 12 hour mark.
Some of the cheaper aftermarket switches are junk. If you can find a cheaper one that is indeed Harwil - that is the same mfgr pentair uses. I’ve seen them for about $60-$90 online instead of the cost of the Pentair packaged ones. A four wire cell will accept a 3 or 4 wire switch. A 3 wire cell will only accept a 3 wire switch. If you have a 4 wire cell with a 3 wire switch the green wire on the cell side will be unused IIRC. You could try the switch from your old cell, but it seems that you’re unclear that it may be a properly working switch.
well, I decided to do something "wild and crazy": I added salt to take it from 3200 to 3600. Why? The manual said salt reading was accurate to +/- 500 ppm, that's a lot of potential error. So I figured if the water was at 3200 ppm and it was reading minus 500, that's too low. Cold water or not.
And with 400 ppm added and measured with the Chromate Indicator test (yellow to salmon color), salt at 3600 and the green SALT light on the IC-40 is rock solid.....24/7. Even at +55F. The SWG is working great, and FC is measured at 14 ppm in BOOST. I'll back it down to 60% and all is good.
Thanks for the support and comments. I had never before run the SWG at such a low water temp....but it works at +55F for sure.
And with 400 ppm added and measured with the Chromate Indicator test (yellow to salmon color), salt at 3600 and the green SALT light on the IC-40 is rock solid.....24/7. Even at +55F. The SWG is working great, and FC is measured at 14 ppm in BOOST. I'll back it down to 60% and all is good.
Thanks for the support and comments. I had never before run the SWG at such a low water temp....but it works at +55F for sure.
As an update, all is good. Pool water up to +70F since we finally got a little warmer weather...most mornings had been in the +43-45 range till 2-3 days ago. IC-40 has been working perfectly at 3600 PPM and any water temp +60F and above.
Running IC-40 at 40% for about 7-8 hours/day:
FC= 8-9
CC=0 (and I mean absolutely zero, perfectly clear water after adding the 5 drops of reagent to test for CC)
pH around 7.6.-.7.8.....this year no high bounce yet, thankfully because of the drastic price increases on MA I am pleased.
TA=90 (I'll let if fall slowly, naturally to around 70-80)
CH=325-350 (I plan to add some more, to 400, my fill water is only 150.)
CYA: at 60 now up from 45.
Al good...I am now in the TroubleFreePool Zone of Happiness.
Running IC-40 at 40% for about 7-8 hours/day:
FC= 8-9
CC=0 (and I mean absolutely zero, perfectly clear water after adding the 5 drops of reagent to test for CC)
pH around 7.6.-.7.8.....this year no high bounce yet, thankfully because of the drastic price increases on MA I am pleased.
TA=90 (I'll let if fall slowly, naturally to around 70-80)
CH=325-350 (I plan to add some more, to 400, my fill water is only 150.)
CYA: at 60 now up from 45.
Al good...I am now in the TroubleFreePool Zone of Happiness.