IC40 stays on for 15 min and then all lights go out.

[dcrisler]

So I have had the thing for several years... the 1st year and last year were the only times I would say everything worked as expected. In between we had a leak in the pool and left it not running. So now the issue is. If I unplug the cable to the power unit it for 5 min, and then plug it back in and power up the pool, it comes on and says good salt and good flow, 15-20 min later all lights go out and I have to unplug everything for a period of time to get it back on. The salt cell looks perfectly clean and when it is running for those 15 min all seems well. I took the cover off the power box and noticed the light was out... when the lights on the ic40 go out. Having read there could be a fuse issue, I checked the fuse and while the fuse was good, the connections to the fuse holder looked suspect, I checked it with my vom and found it to be a questionable if not downright bad fuse holder. I replaced it thinking... wow this is an easy fix. Well so I was wrong... while I am sure the fuse holder needed replacing ... 15 min later it turned back off! Pool company that installed it has been no help. Any ideas?

 

[Philo]

Could it be that it's not as clean as you think?

 

[drharris]

Sometimes those fuses don't visually look broken. I'd replace it anyway. I believe there have been other people who had similar problems to this and replacing the fuse typically works.

The power supply inside is very simple - just a giant transformer, rectifier, and a bit of circuitry for interfacing with automation systems. Overpriced since it has a Pentair logo, but what are you gonna do? The DC voltage supplied by the system should be 36V or so, maybe down to 22 if it's acting up. You might put a multimeter on where the circuit board sits inside to supply the DC-side voltage. If it just goes away altogether, it's probably the fuse. A bad transformer would have different symptoms.

 

[dcrisler]

Thanks for the replies, fuse was replaced when I changed out the fuse holder... I will do someone investigating with my volt-meter.

 

[dcrisler]

so... the symptom changed... it would never turn on which prompted me to look again at the fuse holder... turns out I took out the intermittent fuse and put in a bad one... replaced one more time and it now stays on! it ran all day yesterday and was on again this am ! Salt level and flow show green.