Green good salt level light not working

[jim-9975]

So, pools are fun! Lol, I have a pentair IC40 and my problem i’m having now is that the “good salt level” light doesnt work at all. Low light was red until i added salt to my pool for the very first time since i’ve lived in this house. It went away but the green good salt light didnt come on.

I ran diagnostics, all lights came on except that one. Not sure whats going on with it but hoping someone else has had this issue.

I did check water temp and it’s not reading correctly. Showing temp is 99+ but water is around 65. I know flow switch needs replacing to fix this issue, but will it make my light start working again as well? Just started this process like 2 days ago so still to early to tell if its actually producing chlorine or not. P.S i used chlorine from july last year until end of the season and had planned on starting to use salt when i opened the pool back up. New liner and steps got installed when i first moved in july of 2023. So all new fresh water was added and no salt was introduced to the system by ME until now. Cell shows 40% life has been used.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Jim,

When you power up an IC40, the Red and Green Salt light should flash back and forth, looks kind-of like a railroad crossing..

This is when the cell is actually measuring the salinity of the water. This should last about 2 to 5 minutes before the IC40 either reports a Red salt light or a green salt light. If the salt is below 2800, the red salt light will be on, but cell work still work, unless the salt level is below 2600, when the cell will no longer produce chlorine.

If the problem is just a bad LED, then the cell will still work with the green salt light off all together.

You can tell if the IC40 is working, by looking at the 'Cell' light.. When the Cell light is on the cell is making chlorine. If you set your output to 50%, the Cell light will be on for about 2.5 minutes, while it is making chlorine, and then it will be off for about 2.5 minutes, when the cell is at rest.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[wireform]

Another way to check if cell produces is put it up to 100%, go grab an empty water bottle flatten it out, stick it right in front of a working return and force the water in . Check that water for FC. It should be more or maybe alot more then the pool water measures.

 

[JamesW]

What is the date on the back of the cell?

What is the actual measured salinity?

 

[JamesW]

I did check water temp and it’s not reading correctly.

Checked how?

Do you have automation?

 

[jim-9975]

What is the date on the back of the cell?

What is the actual measured salinity?

2018 . But it does only have 40% life used.

 

[jim-9975]

Checked how?

Do you have automation?

Well I checked with salt cell in diagnostic mode. Also i stuck my hand in the water and it’s not 40 but definitely not 100 lol. So I said it’s probably around 60 roughly. It’s actually warmer today though.

 

[jim-9975]

Another way to check if cell produces is put it up to 100%, go grab an empty water bottle flatten it out, stick it right in front of a working return and force the water in . Check that water for FC. It should be more or maybe alot more then the pool water measures.

Thanks man I’ll definitely do that.

 

[JamesW]

 

[jim-9975]

Jim,

When you power up an IC40, the Red and Green Salt light should flash back and forth, looks kind-of like a railroad crossing..

This is when the cell is actually measuring the salinity of the water. This should last about 2 to 5 minutes before the IC40 either reports a Red salt light or a green salt light. If the salt is below 2800, the red salt light will be on, but cell work still work, unless the salt level is below 2600, when the cell will no longer produce chlorine.

If the problem is just a bad LED, then the cell will still work with the green salt light off all together.

You can tell if the IC40 is working, by looking at the 'Cell' light.. When the Cell light is on the cell is making chlorine. If you set your output to 50%, the Cell light will be on for about 2.5 minutes, while it is making chlorine, and then it will be off for about 2.5 minutes, when the cell is at rest.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Realistically, how much salt do you lose when backwashing filter? Just say over a month span backwashing 1 time a week. I appreciate the reply and If this thing is producing chlorine, I’m going to get all the life out of it that I can. The people that lived here before me just used chlorine I believe. The salt cell was installed before they bought the house. So yea it’s 6 years old but if it’s only been used to actually produce salt 2 out of the 6 years, I would think it should still be fine. Says only 40% life has been used.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Just say over a month span backwashing 1 time a week.

Jim,

Why do you do that????

I have cartridge filter at my house, and never backwash, and only clean the filter once or twice a year.

I have two rent house pools, that have DE filters and I never backwash them.. I just open and clean them twice a year.

All three pools are saltwater...

Backwashing once a week is insane!!! Why do you think you need to do that?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jim-9975]

Well I have a sand filter and now if the weather is nice and pool isn’t really getting a lot of debris blown in it, I’ll probably go much longer before backwashing. My pressure gauge reads 25 psi after a good backwash. So if I see it going over 30 getting close to 35-40 I backwash. Also I’m very new to the pool life and there is a lot I don’t know. Kinda flying by the seat of my pants here haha.

 

[jim-9975]

Also i have trees around my house and pollen season is whooping my pools butt. We have been having rough weather and high winds here in Vicksburg Mississippi, so when I get home the pool looks like a nightmare. Really deflates me and discourages me because there is a lot I don’t know. But one thing I do know for certain, pools are very very expensive to maintain when your first starting out. I have new liner and steps ($15,000) new pump motor and multi port valve and 3-way valve installed ($1,000). And from the looks of it, I probably have a lot more money to spend if I end up replacing salt cell and filter if needed soon.