IC40 Reports Communication Lost

[Ibolivarc]

Moved from here.
Can someone help. My IC40 sometimes connects and sometimes messages me that communication is lost with the Chlorinator. So really can control it. Any ideas how to fix it ?

 

[Jimrahbe]

I,

We will need a lot more info that that.. Tell us what you have as an automation system..

If you have an EasyTouch automation system, and if the system is wired correctly, you will shut the IC40 off any time you are in the Service mode, or if you are not in the Pool or Spa mode.

Tell us more about what you have and when the problem occurs.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Ibolivarc]

Jim.
thanks a lot.
I have a 30k gl Pool with a pentairSWG (intellichor IC40 system) FNS plus vertical grid DE filter, whisperflo 3 hp operated/automated by Easy touch.

I have acid clean the salt cell. Still getting flashing green/flashing red lights andNO green Leigh on “Cell” meaning no chlorine is being produced.
Having putting chlorine granules to the pool (staying between 3-4), algo acid con control ph (now at 7.3). Also salt (now at 3800 As seen on the Pentair easy touch app).

past Teo week everyday the pump starts I have to alert
1. Clean salt cell (did it yesterday and still getting the alert)
2. Chlorinator: communication lost
I have reset the IC40 (I think) and nothing. Still having two alerts and no chlorine production.

can you help ?

 

[Jimrahbe]

I,

The salt lights flashing Red and Green, like a railroad crossing, is normal for the first few minutes the cell is on, as it does its calibration...

A flashing "Cell" light means the cell is dirty or is dead... If you have cleaned it and the Cell light continues to flash it usually means the cell is no longer working.

I am puzzled, as this would not normally cause you to not have communication with the cell..

On the other hand, no communication would not cause the cell light to flash.

How old is the cell??

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Ibolivarc]

I’m puzzled as well. was working properly but the last two weeks.

I just came in to revise Directly into the cell and now everything is working properly. Cell light is green but turns off and on frequently.

But then I revise The app And is telling me otherwise (same Two alerts)

I’m sure when pump restarts again I will have the same problem.

Pretty confused Should I reset the app? reset the cell?

I,

The salt lights flashing Red and Green, like a railroad crossing, is normal for the first few minutes the cell is on, as it does its calibration...

A flashing "Cell" light means the cell is dirty or is dead... If you have cleaned it and the Cell light continues to flash it usually means the cell is no longer working.

I am puzzled, as this would not normally cause you to not have communication with the cell..

On the other hand, no communication would not cause the cell light to flash.

How old is the cell??

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Jimrahbe]

I,

The Cell light should turn on and off... At 50% output the cell light will be on for 2.5 minutes and off for 2.5 minutes. If is only on when the cell is actually producing chlorine.

The cell talking on the com port has zero to do with the cell making chlorine.. These are two different things..

I assume you have ScreenLogic... The Cell can only talk with the EasyTouch when in the Pool or Spa mode..

Go into your app and increase the SWCG output % to 90%.. Give it a couple of minutes and then go out to the cell and see what your % of output reads on the row of lights as the bottom of the cell. If already at 90%, turn it down to 20% and see if the EasyTouch is telling the cell to change..

Also.. is your pump working ok? Please double check by going out and making sure the pump's display says.. "Display Not Active"..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Ibolivarc]

Done both.
both ok. It changed the % and also the pump is display not active.

 

[Jimrahbe]

I,

If you can change the % from the EasyTouch, then salt cell is communicating with the EasyTouch. If the pump says "Display not Active" it tells me the com port is working..

Something may be wrong, but I suspect that your programming is sometimes not in the Pool or Spa mode.. When this happens the cell will shut off..

Show me, or tell me your exact schedule.. Like this...

Schedules1.JPG

• Jimrahbe
• May 27, 2019

ScreenLogic Heaters set up

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Ibolivarc]

This is the schedule. Do you think is ok? Any advice for a 30k gallon pool with a 3hp pump running at 2700 rpm?

 

[Jimrahbe]

I,

It appears that you are in the Pool mode from 9 pm until 9 am ... I would expect that your communications to the cell works just fine during this time.

It appears that you are not in the Pool mode or Spa mode from 9:30 am until 9 pm.. If you are not in the Pool mode or Spa mode the cell should be off and you will not have any communication with it...

As a test.. see if you ever get a no com alert between 9 pm and 9 am...

As far as a suggestion, unless you have a heater, I believe that you are running your pump faster than you need to.. I suggest that you reduce the speed to 2000 and see how everything works. If it works well there, you can drop it even further. I run my IntelliFlo at 1200 RPM..

I assume you run at night to save on the electrical bill.. if so, reducing the RPM will also save you some cash.

My guess is that you are getting the no com alerts, when the system shuts off at 9 am in the morning. Keep in mind the system does not continuously monitor this.. It may take half an hour or more for the fault to show up.

Thanks,

Jim R

 

[Ibolivarc]

Jim. Your absolutely the best. Will lower the rpm. Check system at 9 pm and will let you know.
you think by running it 12hrs per day is fine ?

 

[Ibolivarc]

Jim. Look at the pictures. Program running but still Ruth the alerts

 

[Ibolivarc]

It’s really strange how it’s behaving

 

[Ibolivarc]

Went out to see it directly and look it’s working fine. And the app still with alerts.

questions. Having it at 8% and 12hrs runs is fine ?

 

[Flying Tivo]

Check the swg board on the ET you might have a lose com connection.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Having it at 8% and 12hrs runs is fine ?

It's at 80% in your pic.. What was it running before you initially posted?

Your IC40 will generate 5.6 ppm of chlorine when run for 24 hours at 100%.. So, 12 hours at 100% = 2.8 ppm and 12 hours at 80% = 2.24 ppm...

If your pool only uses about 2 ppm of chlorine each day, then 12 hours run time is fine..

The speed of the pump has zero effect on the amount of chlorine made, as long as it is fast enough to close the flow switch..

How old is the salt cell?

Keep in mind that the alerts could be old.. If I shut off my salt cell, it sometimes takes 30 minutes for the alert to show up..

I did notice something else that has nothing to do with your salt cell... You have the Cleaner and Pool mode scheduled to be on from 9 pm until 9 am.. You have the pool set to run at 2700 and the Cleaner set to run at 2900.. This means the pump will run at 2900 all the time.. The pump will run at the highest speed that it is told to run.. When tell it to run at two speeds (2700 and 2900) then it will always run at the highest speed, or in this case 2900 RPM..

What kind of "Cleaner" do you have?

Who programmed your system? How old is the automation system?

As long as the cell is working I would not worry about the alerts.. Has it always worked and you are just now getting the alerts? Did anyone make any recent changes to the program?

Something is not right, but I can't put my finger on it..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Ibolivarc]

per prior advise I have lowered to 2000 rpm all.
is 2.24 a good number for a 30k gallon pool ?

bought the house couple of months ago. But seems like The salt cell is 4 yr old at least. Don’t have exact date.

And for sure something is wrong. Just turn the pool pump on and still Both alerts appear. checked the com cables and looks fine. All to weird

 

[Jimrahbe]

I,

No one here can tell if adding 2.24 ppm of chlorine to your pool each day is too low, too high, or just right.. Only you can tell that.

This whole site's main purpose in life is to show other pool owners how to test the chemicals in there own pools and then decide if they are correct or not..

Besides testing, the key to the whole process is keeping your FC (Chlorine) and CYA (Stabilizer) levels in relationship with one another, per the saltwater portion of this chart. FC/CYA Levels

I assume that you do not test your own pool water, and currently have no clue how much chlorine your pool uses each day.

Back to the faulty readings.. As a test, I suggest that you change your Pool schedule from 9 pm to 9 am... to 9 am until 9 am.. That will run the pump in the pool mode 24 hour straight.. During that time, see if you get any alerts.... If so, how often, and at what time do you get them. You only need to do it for one 24 hour period.. This will tell us if the problem is your schedule or the cell..

Cells generally last about 5 to 7 years, but the harder you run the cell the more of it you use.. Who normally adjusts the cell's output? Do you use a "pool guy"?

If you can stick your phone under the cell and take a pic or two, there should be a label with a S/N which will tell us how old the cell is.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Ibolivarc]

Jim
I do test it. Manually. Trying to maintain the chlorine level to its ideal range 2-3. Adding granule cholorine because of the alerts.
For example. Cycle started now at 9 pm. Now the message from Ic40 is that salt is low at 2400. Yesterday reading was 3900. Something is wrong definitely. Don’t you think. Not producing chlorine now.
look at the pics

 

[Flying Tivo]

What you are showing right now is definitely the thermistor(temp sensor) going bad if, and only if your test result does not match the ic reading. The communication lost is another problem. Let me clarify something: When the ic-40 is going through the start up sequence you can get a com lost alarm that should go away immediately after the cycle is done. If the alarm persist after that then is a com problem either with the cell to SWG control board or SWG control board to main board. Just as a test you can get a new flow switch sensor and change to see if it fixes the problem.