HELP with Flashing Green Light

[BigInAz]

Hello all,
I have a 16,000 salt water pool that is running on Pentair equipment (IC40). I emptied and refilled the pool last week, added chemicals, and salt 6 - 40# bags figured at 480 ppm that should at least get me going. I have not tested the salt levels yet since it's been only 4 days since I added the six bags.
I started up the chlorinator after initial salt add. High salt flashing light. Reset the breaker, still high salt reading, ran at 100%, still high salt reading. The cell is at 27% of life, all other lights are green and a go.
I cleaned the cell recently, haven't taken a look at it since than, next step...guessing.
Unplugged and replugged in the cell at power. Coms show chlorinator as OK.
The cell is less than 3 years old, replaced the year before we purchased the home.
I am perplexed. Couple of concerns I have:
1. am I generating chlorine?
2. Is it possible the cell is bad even though it is solid green and only at 27% of life expectancy?

HELP...hoping someone has a suggestion that will solve my problem.

 

[Newdude]

We can't tell you anything until you test.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Big,

I am confused... You added six 40 lb. bags of salt to a 16K pool... This would only put your salt level at about 1800 ppm.. Not even close enough to turn an IC40 on...

How / where did you add the salt???

Do you have a good green Flow light?

At 1800 ppm, the cell should have a solid red salt light???

Since you have an EasyTouch, what does it show as the reported salt level?

To see if the cell is working... At 50% output, the Cell light should be on for 2.5 minutes and then off for 2.5 minutes... In theory, high salt will not shut the cell off..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[BigInAz]

Big,

I am confused... You added six 40 lb. bags of salt to a 16K pool... This would only put your salt level at about 1800 ppm.. Not even close enough to turn an IC40 on...

How / where did you add the salt???

Do you have a good green Flow light?

At 1800 ppm, the cell should have a solid red salt light???

Since you have an EasyTouch, what does it show as the reported salt level?

To see if the cell is working... At 50% output, the Cell light should be on for 2.5 minutes and then off for 2.5 minutes... In theory, high salt will not shut the cell off..

Thanks,

Jim R.

Hello Jim
I hedged to low side on the inital salt, on a pool pro advice. I added the salt around the edges of the pool, mostly in the deep end, ran the system for 24 hours.
I have a green flow light.
The easytouch is reading zero salt level, water temps is in the high 60s right now.
I will try running at 50% to check the cell.
I figured six bags at 480ppm of salt should put me at 2880, if anything I should be getting a red low salt reading, which is what I would have expected.
Since all my indicators are green, except the salt level as a flashing green will the chlorinator still produce chlorine?

Thank you for your help. I am stumped at this point, hate to replace the cell if it's still good.

 

[BigInAz]

Jim
So I changed the settings to 50% and waited. I had a red flow light, that changed to green when I bumped up the pump to 2000, from 1970. Odd because I had a green light at the lower speed. Now I have an alternating red and green salt level light, before it was just alternating green.

I think I need to take the cell down, clean, and make sure the connectors are all in place.

My easy touch remote is showing a com error, while be mounted panel box is showing ok for the chlorinator.

I feel like I'm chasing my tail on this one.

Regards,

Big

 

[JamesW]

salt 6 - 40# bags figured at 480 lbs that should at least get me going.

6 x 40 = 240.

 

[JamesW]

240 lb in 16,000 gallons is 1,792 ppm salt.

What was the salinity reading before adding salt?

Note: ALWAYS check the salinity before adding salt, even on a new fill.

Most likely the salt is sitting on the bottom getting sucked into the main drain and causing a high salt level at the cell.

Always leave the cell off for at least 24 hours when adding a lot of salt and brush thoroughly at least 5 times before turning the cell back on.

 

[Newdude]

clean,

Do not clean the cell without finding visual scale buildup.

 

[BigInAz]

6 x 40 = 240.

Correct my mistake, 6 40# bags at 480PPM for each bag, should have got me to 2880.

 

[BigInAz]

240 lb in 16,000 gallons is 1,792 ppm salt.

What was the salinity reading before adding salt?

Note: ALWAYS check the salinity before adding salt, even on a new fill.

Most likely the salt is sitting on the bottom getting sucked into the main drain and causing a high salt level at the cell.

Always leave the cell off for at least 24 hours when adding a lot of salt and brush thoroughly at least 5 times before turning the cell back on.

I did not check the salinity before adding, I had a drain and clean done and the pool guy did the initial chemical adjustment. I will try cleaning again. I never thought about the possiblity of salt still setting at the bottom of the pool. I would have thought the floor cleaners would have move it around enough to fully dissolve by now.

 

[Newdude]

I did not check the salinity before adding

Nor did you check it after, before messing with things. Thats 2 critical mistakes. You were about to harmfully acid wash your cell, also on a hunch, for a 3rd strike.

the pool guy did the initial chemical adjustment.

Involving a 3rd party muddies the water further.

Please test the salinity and report back.

I would have thought

*noticing a theme here ?

Less thinking, more knowing.

 

[JamesW]

I had a drain and clean done and the pool guy did the initial chemical adjustment.

What did he add?

Correct my mistake, 6 40# bags at 480PPM for each bag, should have got me to 2880.

How are you getting 480 ppm for each bag?

6 x 300 = 1,800 ppm salinity.

 

[JamesW]

What salt test do you have?

What salinity reading are you getting from your test kit?

You need a K-1766 and/or a good calibrated salt meter.

Test strips are not adequate.

Shut off the SWG and brush the pool multiple times.

Test the salinity with a K-1766 and/or a good calibrated meter to ensure the correct salinity before turning the SWG back on.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Now I have an alternating red and green salt level light, before it was just alternating green.

Big,

So.. When the cell starts up, it must run a salt test before moving on.. When it runs this salt test, it flashes the Red and Green salt lights, like at a railroad crossing... Once it completes the salt test, it should either show a solid Red or Green salt light.. Maybe the green flashing salt light was what was happening when the cell was testing the salt level..

In any case... I learned a long time ago if you are going to troubleshoot a problem, pick one problem, fix it before moving on to another problem.. Often as not, fixing the first one, will fix them all... If this were my pool, I would...

1. Test my current salt level, and then add enough salt to get up to 2900 to 3200 ppm using an accurate salt test kit like the Taylor 1766. All saltwater pool owners should be able to test the "Actual" salt level in their water, so they can compare it to the "Reported" level that the cell shows.
2. After completing step 1, turn the cell on and make sure the flow light is green... Nothing will work if the cell thinks it has no flow.
3. At the initial start up, make sure the cell's salt lights flash red and green for about 5 minutes while the cell tests the salt level. Turing the cell's power off and on will reset this..
4. Once it stops flashing, ensure the sold green salt light is on.. If the salt light is red, since you know the Actual salt level is say 3200, but the cell reports the salt is too low, or too high, the the problem is most likely the thermistor in the flow switch.

Run those 4 steps and let us know what you find.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[BigInAz]

Big,

So.. When the cell starts up, it must run a salt test before moving on.. When it runs this salt test, it flashes the Red and Green salt lights, like at a railroad crossing... Once it completes the salt test, it should either show a solid Red or Green salt light.. Maybe the green flashing salt light was what was happening when the cell was testing the salt level..

In any case... I learned a long time ago if you are going to troubleshoot a problem, pick one problem, fix it before moving on to another problem.. Often as not, fixing the first one, will fix them all... If this were my pool, I would...

1. Test my current salt level, and then add enough salt to get up to 2900 to 3200 ppm using an accurate salt test kit like the Taylor 1766. All saltwater pool owners should be able to test the "Actual" salt level in their water, so they can compare it to the "Reported" level that the cell shows.
2. After completing step 1, turn the cell on and make sure the flow light is green... Nothing will work if the cell thinks it has no flow.
3. At the initial start up, make sure the cell's salt lights flash red and green for about 5 minutes while the cell tests the salt level. Turing the cell's power off and on will reset this..
4. Once it stops flashing, ensure the sold green salt light is on.. If the salt light is red, since you know the Actual salt level is say 3200, but the cell reports the salt is too low, or too high, the the problem is most likely the thermistor in the flow switch.

Run those 4 steps and let us know what you find.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks Jim, and all others who contributed. I have a kit on order. I had been using a digital and found it is not very accurate. Once I get the Taylor kit I will follow your instructions and see where I land. Unfortunately we are leaving town for a few days so my testing will have to wait until we get back.
I'll share my findings.
When I get to step four and find it is the thermistor in the flow switch, it probably means a new flow switch?
This forum is great, so many knowledgeable folks willing to help out.

Thank you all, and many blessing to you.

Big

 

[Newdude]

I had been using a digital and found it is not very accurate

Its not, but it should be in the general ballpark within 1000. (Probably even half that) At this point, we are expecting high1000s and the cell is saying 4k+

Its another data point until the test kit comes.