I have replaced my solar water sensor but it still reads open and the red light is still on.
Solar sensor open
- Thread starter Harris4521
- Start date
I have a Pentair Solartouch and I’m getting a Solar water sensor open error. I have replaced the sensor but I’m still getting the same error.
Did you check all the connections at both ends of the cable?
Did you swap the water and solar to see if the readings swapped?
Did you swap the water and solar to see if the readings swapped?
I have checked the connections but I’ll check them again. I’ll see if I can swap the water and solar if that doesn’t work. Thanks for your help.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,260
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Manual is here —> https://customsolarandleisure.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Solartouch_Manual.pdf
See page 22 & 24.
Solar systems use 10K Ohm thermistor sensors. When the solar sensor is disconnected from the SolarTouch® Controller system, the sensor will read 10K Ohm at 77° F (25° C). Refer to the following table for the resistance at other temperatures. An accurate reading should give a temperature setting that is accurate to ±0.2° C from 0 to 70° C.
You can test the sensor using a multimeter.
See page 22 & 24.
Solar systems use 10K Ohm thermistor sensors. When the solar sensor is disconnected from the SolarTouch® Controller system, the sensor will read 10K Ohm at 77° F (25° C). Refer to the following table for the resistance at other temperatures. An accurate reading should give a temperature setting that is accurate to ±0.2° C from 0 to 70° C.
You can test the sensor using a multimeter.
Hi, I could be totally off here, but in my Jandy system with that exact error message, it was the sun sensor that was out on the roof, not any of the water temp sensors.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,260
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
What is the sun sensor? Isn't that just another 10K temperature thermistor measuring temperature on the roof?
The installation manual refers to Solar Temperature Sensor (P/N 522101) which is a temperature sensor.
The Solar Touch has one water temperature sensor and one roof solar temperature sensor.
The installation manual refers to Solar Temperature Sensor (P/N 522101) which is a temperature sensor.
The Solar Touch has one water temperature sensor and one roof solar temperature sensor.
What I'm proposing is very simple. It doesn't even require that you know where the sensors are located. At the top right of the board in the controller the 3-pole connector for the solar and water sensors, just swap the right and left most wires. If the error swaps from solar sensor to water sensor, you have a bad sensor or lead wire. If the error stays the same (bad solar sensor) the error is at the board.
I swapped them and nothing so I put them back and now the solar sensor is showing open instead of the water sensor. Are they the same sensor. If I replace the solar sensor the wires are a braided wire but everything thing I have been seeing is that the air,water and solar take the same sensor.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,260
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,260
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I would carefully check the way you put the sensor wires into the board terminal and that they make a good connection .
Did you test each sensor with a multimeter as described in post #8?
This is not caused by a programming problem.
Last edited:
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,133
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Harris,
As Allen pointed out most of these sensors are simply 10K thermistor's mounted in a plastic or metal housing. They seem to fail more frequently than the underlying component that's inside the housing. They typically fail with slight temp rise that accelerates then they read open circuit. You can get them from many sources including Amazon and Ebay with wide variety of price for what appears to be identical parts. I've found the reliability to be variable and not really related to price except that Hayward branded seem to last longer.
Chris
As Allen pointed out most of these sensors are simply 10K thermistor's mounted in a plastic or metal housing. They seem to fail more frequently than the underlying component that's inside the housing. They typically fail with slight temp rise that accelerates then they read open circuit. You can get them from many sources including Amazon and Ebay with wide variety of price for what appears to be identical parts. I've found the reliability to be variable and not really related to price except that Hayward branded seem to last longer.
Chris
Last edited:
When you swapped them did the error swap from one to the other?
If it did, then there's a problem with either the sensor or the cable going to the sensor.
Well I finally got it fixed. I bought a multimeter and checked the new water sensor that I had previously installed and it checked out good. The solar sensor on the roof tested bad. I replaced it and everything thing is working now. Thanks everyone I really appreciate it.
Thanks for coming back and letting us know that you got it fixed and what you found.
