My son has a Pentair sun touch controller, IC40 SWG, manufacture date 8/09/22 with external power supply. The cell is producing chlorine and functioning normally with all lights steady green. The external power supply has a green light on the circuit board. The problem is the sun touch controller is not seeing any salt. In the swg menu #13 it shows swg enabled, pool 40%, spa 0%, then jumps to the super chlorinate screen bypassing the salt screen. Continue scrolling to the last display and it says salt 0 ppm (com link error). He uses k-1766 and it shows 3600 ppm and the k-2006 which shows chlorine is/has been good, 5-6 ppm. Probably not a big deal since everything else is working correctly but it just bugs me when something isn’t working. Is there a particular component that you could point me towards that might be the culprit?
Pentair IC40 Comm Link Error
- Thread starter Mlamb
- Start date
M,
If the cell's salt light is green, then the cell knows what the salt level is, it is just not sending the info the SunTouch
I doubt you have an actual com error or you would not be able to adjust the output % from the SunTouch.
I'm not up on the SunTouch, but the EasyTouch often has the problem of the salt reading being zero.
The fix 75% of the time is to replace the flow switch assembly. Keep in mind that new cells have 3-wire flow switches and old cells have 4-wire switches. You can't use an old 4-wire switch on the new 3-wire cell.
Thanks,
Jim R.
If the cell's salt light is green, then the cell knows what the salt level is, it is just not sending the info the SunTouch
I doubt you have an actual com error or you would not be able to adjust the output % from the SunTouch.
I'm not up on the SunTouch, but the EasyTouch often has the problem of the salt reading being zero.
The fix 75% of the time is to replace the flow switch assembly. Keep in mind that new cells have 3-wire flow switches and old cells have 4-wire switches. You can't use an old 4-wire switch on the new 3-wire cell.
Thanks,
Jim R.
Jim, relayed the info to my son and he told he cannot control the swg from the SunTouch. Appreciate any additional advice you can provide.
M,
That does sound as if the serial com link it bad. Logically it should be..
A bad RX-485 com chip in the Cell
A bad RX-485 com chip on the Surge card in the External Power Center
A bad 4 wire cable between the Cell and the External Power Center.
Poor connection at one end of the com cable between the Cell and the Power Center.
Does the SunTouch also control a VS pump via the RX-485 com port? If so, and the pump works as it should, then most likely the SunTouch is good.
Thanks,
Jim R.
That does sound as if the serial com link it bad. Logically it should be..
A bad RX-485 com chip in the Cell
A bad RX-485 com chip on the Surge card in the External Power Center
A bad 4 wire cable between the Cell and the External Power Center.
Poor connection at one end of the com cable between the Cell and the Power Center.
Does the SunTouch also control a VS pump via the RX-485 com port? If so, and the pump works as it should, then most likely the SunTouch is good.
Thanks,
Jim R.
Was at my son’s house on Sunday and got a chance to check out your suggestions. First, the SunTouch is able to control the pump. Second, the cable is good and the connections were sprayed with an electric cleaner and also appears good. So that would leave the two com chips. Since the SWG is only several months old, I would lean towards the surge card. Is there a way to pinpoint the bad chip? Again, the worst case scenario is just leave it be since the SWG is producing chlorine and he has the k-1766 kit. Is there any downside to that?
M,
If the cell is generating chlorine, then I see no problem just using it without RS-485 control.
The salt light will turn red if the salt drops below 2800, and control using the cell's More or Less buttons is just an inconvenience.
Thanks,
Jim R.
If the cell is generating chlorine, then I see no problem just using it without RS-485 control.
The salt light will turn red if the salt drops below 2800, and control using the cell's More or Less buttons is just an inconvenience.
Thanks,
Jim R.