Trying to diagnose an on going issue with a zero salt level reading on Screenlogic. My pool temp is currently 51 degrees so my cell only has a cold water indicator. I recently replaced the flow switch on my IC40 after speaking to Pentair tech support about the zero salt reading when the water was well above 60 degrees. During the conversation I was advised that the switch would not send info back to the system as long as the water was below 60 degrees or so, so I would need to wait until the water was warmer to determine if replacing the switch was a fix. A couple of days ago I noticed that I had a low salt system alert on my ScreenLogic app as well as a salt reading of 2350. I added salt and then waited a day to revisit the app. Once I did I noticed that I was back to a zero reading. In years past I could have sworn that I was able to see salt level readings even in cold water situations using my Easy Touch wireless remote. My question - should the flow switch provide salt level info even in cold water? Or was their technician correct in advising that it won’t? Seems like I still have my old symptoms of bouncing between an actual number and a zero reading.
Pentair Zero Salt Level Reading
- Thread starter Roberd07
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,045
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The flow switch only measures water flow and water temperature. The salinity is calculated from the cell power used. So the cell needs to be running to calculate the salinity. Cold water or low flow shuts down the cell.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,045
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Only to the extent the flow switch turned off the cell due to NO FLOW or LOW TEMPERATURE.
Not a great feeling getting bad advice from a Pentair tech. I hate to keep throwing parts at the zero salt reading problem, especially given that the other things to replace would either be the surge board or even a main board.
Rob,
If the cold water light is on the cell will not report a salt level.. This time a year the water temp will often be below 52 degrees in the morning and above 52 degrees 12 hours later.. I never try to use the cell until the water temp constantly stays above 52 degrees.
A separate issue is when ScreenLogic shows zero salt but the cell is working just fine, and the low salt light is not on.. This issue can sometimes be fixed by replacing the flow switch assembly. But it is not an actual flow switch failure.
Another separate issue is when the "actual" salt level, measured by a salt test kit, like the K-1766, shows the salt level to be more than 600 ppm different than the salt level reported to ScreenLogic.. This failure is almost always a failed flow switch assembly.
I never add more than one bag of salt without testing with the K-1766 to ensure that I never drive my "actual" salt level above 3800 ppm...
In the big picture, as long as the cell is working and the low salt light is not on at the cell, there is no need to replace parts to fix the "problem", if the system is out of warranty.
Thanks,
Jim R.
If the cold water light is on the cell will not report a salt level.. This time a year the water temp will often be below 52 degrees in the morning and above 52 degrees 12 hours later.. I never try to use the cell until the water temp constantly stays above 52 degrees.
A separate issue is when ScreenLogic shows zero salt but the cell is working just fine, and the low salt light is not on.. This issue can sometimes be fixed by replacing the flow switch assembly. But it is not an actual flow switch failure.
Another separate issue is when the "actual" salt level, measured by a salt test kit, like the K-1766, shows the salt level to be more than 600 ppm different than the salt level reported to ScreenLogic.. This failure is almost always a failed flow switch assembly.
I never add more than one bag of salt without testing with the K-1766 to ensure that I never drive my "actual" salt level above 3800 ppm...
In the big picture, as long as the cell is working and the low salt light is not on at the cell, there is no need to replace parts to fix the "problem", if the system is out of warranty.
Thanks,
Jim R.