Pentair SWCG No Lights

Jump to latest Follow Reply
J

jgill

Member
Apr 16, 2023
14
Texas
I’m EXTREMELY new to all of this. I just bought a house with a Pentair IC40. The sanitizer output lights are on but every other light is off. I did have my salt levels checked and they were very low, so I’m adding salt now to the pool. I just don’t know what I’m doing and I know this is not normal.

Thanks in advance!

image.jpg
 
j,

Well, that is a new one on me...

Normally, when you apply power to the cell, several lights come and cycle through an initial start up routine.

Tell us more.. Do you have a standalone salt system, or is it connected to an automation system such as an EasyTouch?

Did it work when you first bought the house?

Salt cells last 5 to 7 years. How old is the cell? Look at the bottom of the cell or take a pic with your phone. The date of MFG is on the serial number label.

My gut says the cell is bad, as I can't think of anyway to get just the sanitize lights to come on by themselves.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Thank you both for the quick responses yesterday. Jim I do believe your gut feeling was right. I got the salt level where it needed to be and acid cleaned the cell and no good still.

I did learn that the previous own left the pool running 24hr a day, 7 days a week, all year. In Texas that mean this cell was producing for a good 6-7 months straight for 3 years in a row. The previous owner literally (and I mean that literally) never shut down his pool. Which explains why the cell only lasted 3 years.

I replaced it today and the new one is working just fine, no problems.

I look forward to being a part of this community with all of its knowledge.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GregMorris
jgill said:
Thank you both for the quick responses yesterday. Jim I do believe your gut feeling was right. I got the salt level where it needed to be and acid cleaned the cell and no good still.

I did learn that the previous own left the pool running 24hr a day, 7 days a week, all year. In Texas that mean this cell was producing for a good 6-7 months straight for 3 years in a row. The previous owner literally (and I mean that literally) never shut down his pool. Which explains why the cell only lasted 3 years.

I replaced it today and the new one is working just fine, no problems.

I look forward to being a part of this community with all of its knowledge.
Click to expand...
Most of us run 24/7, low rpm. That’s not what killed the cell.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jimrahbe and Newdude
I'm glad it's working but the cell needs to be installed with flow in the upwards direction. Gravity could close the flow switch while the pump isn't running, leading to a possible explosion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Turbo1Ton
j,

I have three saltwater pools here in the DFW area. All my pools run 24/7. They never close in the winter, although the cell is off for 3 to 4 months due to the cold water.

So far I have used up three cells. One lasted about 9 years, one almost 8 years and the one over 7 years.

If you use the TFP pool care process it helps the cell to last longer.

We always recommend a cell that is at least 2 x the volume of the pool.

We recommend a CYA of 70% so that more the chlorine is protected from the sun

We actually know how to care for our pools so that we do not get algae.

There is a lot more to cell life than the clock hours..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
  • Like
Reactions: reggiehammond

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Jimrahbe said:
j,

I have three saltwater pools here in the DFW area. All my pools run 24/7. They never close in the winter, although the cell is off for 3 to 4 months due to the cold water.

So far I have used up three cells. One lasted about 9 years, one almost 8 years and the one over 7 years.

If you use the TFP pool care process it helps the cell to last longer.

We always recommend a cell that is at least 2 x the volume of the pool.

We recommend a CYA of 70% so that more the chlorine is protected from the sun

We actually know how to care for our pools so that we do not get algae.

There is a lot more to cell life than the clock hours..

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
Great info Jim! Thank you!
 
Jimrahbe said:
j,

I have three saltwater pools here in the DFW area. All my pools run 24/7. They never close in the winter, although the cell is off for 3 to 4 months due to the cold water.

So far I have used up three cells. One lasted about 9 years, one almost 8 years and the one over 7 years.

If you use the TFP pool care process it helps the cell to last longer.

We always recommend a cell that is at least 2 x the volume of the pool.

We recommend a CYA of 70% so that more the chlorine is protected from the sun

We actually know how to care for our pools so that we do not get algae.

There is a lot more to cell life than the clock hours..

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure about the maintenance that was done on the system. I get the impression is was not much. I definitely want to get as much life out of the equipment as possible.
 
Jimrahbe said:
j,

I have three saltwater pools here in the DFW area. All my pools run 24/7. They never close in the winter, although the cell is off for 3 to 4 months due to the cold water.

So far I have used up three cells. One lasted about 9 years, one almost 8 years and the one over 7 years.

If you use the TFP pool care process it helps the cell to last longer.

We always recommend a cell that is at least 2 x the volume of the pool.

We recommend a CYA of 70% so that more the chlorine is protected from the sun

We actually know how to care for our pools so that we do not get algae.

There is a lot more to cell life than the clock hours..

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
Also, if I get the CYA to %70 what should I be running the sanitation level at? The previous own said the pool is 35,000 gallons. But I have not verified.
 
jgill said:
Also, if I get the CYA to %70 what should I be running the sanitation level at? The previous own said the pool is 35,000 gallons. But I have not verified.
Click to expand...
Your answer is here...Link-->FC/CYA Levels

Then use pool math "effects of adding" use SWG, configure your cell, and how much FC you need to generate to keep your pool an even FC within target range. You can play with cell output and pump runtime to figure out how to set the output of the SWG.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jgill
jgill said:
What do you clean it with?
Click to expand...
vinegar is a good happy medium to try when water won't cut it.

Also, when the cell is set to 40% like the 1st pic, it turns on 40% of the time. It wasn't set to run 24/7. It was only producing 9.6 hours a day and the cell doesn't care if you set it to 9.6 hours @100%, or 24 hours at 40%. Either way, 9.6 hours came off its expected 10k hour lifespan. (Give or take).

Pumps can run decades when they are never shut off, so no worries there either.
 
jgill said:
What do you clean it with?
Click to expand...
You can keep a cell clean and clear by tracking and managing CSI to 0 to -6.

If you do get scale, it can be removed manually using popsicle sticks, zip ties, etc. Acid is a last resort, but I can tell you from my own experience that you can clean a fully scaled-up cell without acid. Acid removes the rare earth metals that make the SWCG work - so every time you "clean" it, you're actually shortening its life.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jgill

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply