Salt reading low, Cell wont turn on.

[nikolausp]

My "Low Salt" light has been on the last few days, and no other lights other than the salt % of 60% on the intellichlor IC-60. No FLOW light, nothing else. I tested it twice with the Taylor K-1766 kit, and my salt level is 3600. The Pentair thinks the level is 1550. I did the thing where I hold down the MORE button, and then hit More a 2nd time, and it thinks my pool is 99+ degree temp, as it has the flashing 100% green light on that test. In actuality, my pool temp is 62 degrees here in Houston, TX.

I think my issue might be similar to the one in this thread: Pentair INTELLICHLOR Flow Switch Replacement

As a workaround to try and get it to ignore my Pool Temp, etc, and instead use a default of 77F.... I followed the suggestion in this YouTube video

, and snipped the White Wire of my Flow Switch, and turned everything back on, but nothing changed. It still thought my pool was 99F+ degrees. So then I went ahead and snipped the Black Wire of my Flow Switch, since that YouTube said you can snip the white or black or both wires, and turned everything back on. Now, the IC-60 Intellichlor seems like it's just stuck in the startup phase of alternating Red & Green flashing lights, as if it's trying to read the Salt Level in the water.... and it's been doing that for an hour now, instead of the typical ~5 minutes or so.

**NOTE, if it matters, my existing Flow Switch is a 3 wire one.... Red, White & Black.

So, my cell still isn't working and generating salt, since I can't get it to think my salt level is sufficiently high enough, it appears.

Any thoughts?

Additionally, I just ordered this 3rd party Flow Switch kit on Amazon, and it will arrive tomorrow I think. Amazon.com

 

[nikolausp]

Just an update, the IC-60 Intellichlor is still just flashing the alternating red & green lights. Must have been snipping the black wire that did that, I guess?

Any thoughts from anybody?

Is the diagnosis, just replace the Flow Switch and hope for the best, of just buy a new IC-60 for like $1,700?

 

[ajw22]

Black wire is common wire shared by the flow switch and thermistor. Splice the black wire back together.

White wire goes to the thermistor.

Red wire goes to the flow switch.

Read Pentair Intellichlor ICXX SWG - Further Reading

 

[nikolausp]

Black wire is common wire shared by the flow switch and thermistor. Splice the black wire back together.

White wire goes to the thermistor.

Red wire goes to the flow switch.

Read Pentair Intellichlor ICXX SWG - Further Reading

When I snipped the White Wire, and ran the Pool Temp reading thing on the IC-60..... it went from Blinking 100% before to Solid 100% light after..... so my problem wasn't solved. It seems the flow thing isn't working at all, because my FLOW light on the IC-60 is completely off no matter what, even if I put the pool into service mode and there is no flow.

I'm gonna try and put in that 3rd Party replacement Flow Switch today if it arrives from Amazon in time. Also gonna go to Lowes and buy some jugs of Pool Chlorine lol.

Last night I ordered a new IC-60 Intellichlor just to have a backup ready to pop in, if all else fails. $1,700+ after tax on Amazon..... ugh.

 

[Newdude]

Last night I ordered a new IC-60 Intellichlor just to have a backup ready to pop in, if all else fails. $1,700+ after tax on Amazon

The IC60 makes about 1000 jugs of 10% worth of FC. If said jugs were purchased at Walmart, they'd be $6100something depending on local sales tax. (Or $8100 something at Lowes. Don't even TRY homedepot at $9+ each. )

While you might not need those FC yet, you stole it.

Here's to hoping you squeeze more life from the old one and bank those savings even further.

 

[nikolausp]

The IC60 makes about 1000 jugs of 10% worth of FC. If said jugs were purchased at Walmart, they'd be $6100something depending on local sales tax. (Or $8100 something at Lowes. Don't even TRY homedepot at $9+ each. )

While you might not need those FC yet, you stole it.

Here's to hoping you squeeze more life from the old one and bank those savings even further.

Haha thanks for the positive spin on it, I appreciate it! I wish I would have bought a couple backup IC-60's back when I first got into the swimming pool thing 4 years ago. I think they were almost 1/2 the cost that they are today, give or take.

 

[Newdude]

I think they were almost 1/2 the cost that they are today, give or take.

My end of life IC60 that brought me here in 2019 cost $770 out the door. As much as the increase sucks, i would have rather bought 5 spare bitcoins at the time if i was to stock up on something. .

 

[nikolausp]

Ok, an update.

An hour ago, I replaced the Flow Switch on the IC-60. The swap went flawless. Wires all feel snug and solid. Flow switch facing in the correct direction. I put the IC-60 back in and turned everything on. It's run for a while now, and the only lights that come up are these. (See pic). In my phone's ScreenLogic app, it says that the Salt Level is 1,900. (Just tested salt again, and it's actually 3,600).

So I guess my Flow Switch swap was a fail?

On the long "MORE" button hold on the IC-60, the initial reading says I have 20% remaining life on the Cell (the 80% light is lit up). When I hit "MORE" once more, the 100% light is flashing green, indicating that the IC-60 thinks my pool is 99F+ degrees. (actual pool temp is currently 66F degrees).

I also looked inside the IC-60, and the blades inside seem clear. I've always stayed very serious and on top of my pool chemistry, so I didn't see scale in there.

Any thoughts?

Here is what my IC-60 looks like, currently:

 

[ajw22]

How old is your IC60.

Cells rarely go to 100% usage. At 80% or over 8,000 hours of usage the cell is likely depleted and needs replacement.

 

[nikolausp]

How old is your IC60.

Cells rarely go to 100% usage. At 80% or over 8,000 hours of usage the cell is likely depleted and needs replacement.

Is mine behaving like an old cell, in need of replacing? I guess I don't know how an Intellichlor behaves when they're at the end of their road.

My IC-60 was new, when My pool was built. We turned on the pool New Years Eve, Dec 31, 2020. So it has been in use for roughly 4 years and 36 days.

A side question I have is.... hypothetically, is there any less wear & tear on say, an IC-60 running at 50%, and an IC-40 running at 100%, over a span of a few years? Or is it the same overall degradation, regardless what salt % output the Cell is running at? I don't have that big of a pool, but I feel safer owning the IC-60, since we have such brutal hot & sunny summers here in Texas.

 

[nikolausp]

I have no idea how many hours of usage my Cell has..... but I leave my pool pump on 24/7, since Dec. 31, 2020.

 

[Newdude]

but I leave my pool pump on 24/7, since Dec. 31, 2020.

Thats 8 of my NY 24/7 seasons.

Is mine behaving like an old cell, in need of replacing?

Typically they stop producing and the check cell light is the only one on when they reach end of life. I'd swap the cells and if the new one works, it's either the cell or a faulty out of the box flow switch.

 

[ajw22]

Is mine behaving like an old cell, in need of replacing? I guess I don't know how an Intellichlor behaves when they're at the end of their road.

They behave weirdly and have no one way they rollover and die. Sort of what yours is doing.

My IC-60 was new, when My pool was built. We turned on the pool New Years Eve, Dec 31, 2020. So it has been in use for roughly 4 years and 36 days.

4 Years in the South is about what I expect.

Cells are claimed to be good for 10,000 hours of generating capacity.

4 years is 2,500 hours per year. There are 8,760 hours in a year. So your cell on average ran about 22% of the time. I think your cell % was around that or more. So not surprised the cell is depleted.

A side question I have is.... hypothetically, is there any less wear & tear on say, an IC-60 running at 50%, and an IC-40 running at 100%, over a span of a few years? Or is it the same overall degradation, regardless what salt % output the Cell is running at? I don't have that big of a pool, but I feel safer owning the IC-60, since we have such brutal hot & sunny summers here in Texas.

You run an IC60 at a lower % then the IC40 and it will last longer.

If you had an IC40 it would have died a year ago.

 

[nikolausp]

Ok, an update...... I just popped in a brand new Intellichlor IC-60, and we are All Systems Go!!!

Side note.... unfortunately, the IC-60 thinks my Salt Level is 3150, which is a tad low, and exactly what my prior IC-60 would always do as well. Is this normal? (actually salt is 3400-3,600 range)

 

[nikolausp]

Pool is currently 69 degrees, and the MORE button test on the IC-60 has the 60% and 80% lights showing , which indicates it thinks my pool is 66F to 75F, so that's perfect!

 

[Newdude]

The cell isn't accurate and is proof why you should never dose per the cell. Unfortunately you can't argue with it, even when you know better, so as long as the cell is happy, don't look a gift FC production in the mouth.

 

[ajw22]

Side note.... unfortunately, the IC-60 thinks my Salt Level is 3150, which is a tad low, and exactly what my prior IC-60 would always do as well. Is this normal? (actually salt is 3400-3,600 range)

That is within the margin of errors for the cell and salt kit measurements.

 

[Turbo1Ton]

Cell margin of error is +/- 500 ppm, FYI.

Mine always seems to read low when the temps are colder, and as they get closer to the 80 degree mark, they get closer to matching between my actual and what the cell reports.

--Jeff

 

[nikolausp]

I realize it can't be exactly precise.... what's lame is when my Salt is in a perfectly good level, and the CELL decides it's borderline ready to shut off because it thinks it's drastically low when it's not.

I guess that's how they want to program it though.

 

[Turbo1Ton]

I realize it can't be exactly precise.... what's lame is when my Salt is in a perfectly good level, and the CELL decides it's borderline ready to shut off because it thinks it's drastically low when it's not.

I guess that's how they want to program it though.

Super frustrating! I've ran a little high on salt just because of this.

More annoying that they won't program in a way to add a correction factor.

--Jeff