Connected Salt Level Sensor for Water Softener

There's a couple steps to it, but it was still very easy to install, though I had to wait until I needed to add salt because it needs to take a measurement before and after you add a known quantity of salt. I am on well water, and if I run out of salt, the hard water is terrible on my pipes and fixtures. Plus the water softener is in a back corner of the basement where I rarely go. I've been really looking forward to someone making this.

The Pentair Connected Salt Level Sensor is okay if you are technically motivated to spend your time setting it up to work over and over again. I would not recommend this product if you are not. I thought it would be great to get an alert on your phone whenever your salt is low. The instructions are not good. The hard copy instructions should give you a heads up that you have to have salt on hand when setting it up. Only after you finally get it to connect to the phone app and you start the installation process that you find out you have to add more salt to calibrate it. So I did this and it said everything was good but then the error messages and false readings started happening. For days I would get text messages and emails saying the salt was low and then it would go away and the softener hadn't even run yet to backwash. Then it statrted sending notifications that the device needed to be set up again so I did it again!! Well a few days later after the softener backwashed it started the same messaging about low salt and now it has to be set up again. So I set it up again and all is good for now but if it does it again I'm throwing it away and going back to the manual visual inspection that is always correct.

This was ordered online and shipped to my home without issue. If you have a water softener this is a must have. It will monitor your salt levels for you as well as trend out how much salt you are using and on which days. It gives some good granular detail and data. this will also help you better monitor your salt levels. If you're out at the store and wonder if you need salt, you can check the app to see if you are needing more. The installation process is pretty easy, but beware that you should have a bag of salt that you would normally add to your water softener so it can calibrate the size of your tank. This will connect to your phone via bluetooth to then connect to your home network. To install you just need to download the app and follow the onscreen instructions. It will use an internal system to measure the distance from the top the tank to the floor to measure the height of the tank, then it will use the same method to measure the inside of the tank to the top of the salt level. This will help to determine how much salt you currently have. Next you will need to add salt to your system and tell the app how much (40lbs bag etc.) so it can then measure the size of your tank to help determine the usage.

This review is for the Pentair Bluetooth Connected Salt Level Sensor for a Water Softener Brine Tank. Item number : 4005702. This sensor measures 4 1/2 inches long, 3 inches wide and 1 1/4 inches thick. It is constructed of plastic and the only control button is the blue one on the face to reset it when trying to sync to Bluetooth. Made in Mexico, it comes with a 1 year warranty. The idea behind this laser sensor is to connect it via Bluetooth to your smartphone and also to your Wi-Fi so you can check the salt status of your brine tank no matter where you are at. Place this sensor inside your brine tank as instructed and it will send you up to the minute information on the status of salt in your brine tank, your salt usage and battery condition so you never run out and then run hard water through out your home and appliances. Measurements are done with a light laser. Instructions are straight forward, setup videos are provided and it's easy to follow. This is a very new product to the market. You must actually read and follow the instructions. The initial step is to sync to your smart phones Bluetooth. I did this and it quickly synced. The next step is to sync with your Wi-Fi network so you will need your Wi-Fi password. Wi-Fi sync was also fast and connected. Further steps showing in the app on your phone will have you follow straight forward setup instructions as the sensor's laser then measures your tank, salt depth, etc. It's easy. The software worked perfectly. The setup was completed quickly. To view your brine tank status, just tap the app icon on your phone and a screen will appear that shows your salt level, salt usage and battery life. This is a cool option for your brine tank. I'm pretty good at always lifting that lid and looking inside, but admittingly get busy and to much time has gone by and I'm really low on salt. A well thought out product from Pentair, the leading name in pool and home products like this. A highly recommended sensor and reminder app. Good Job.

This was a learning experience! This is a pretty smart device! You set it up by clipping it to the outside of the salt tank, and it measures the height. Then you clip to the inside to measure the salt level, but it did not work. A quick call to Pentair solved the problem: The salt level starts ABOVE the water line! 120 pounds of salt later and it easily read the salt line. Then, you add more salt, tell it how much salt you added and it's all set up and working. Now that I have enough salt in there, soap comes off a lot easier in the shower!

Perfect solution for a water softener brine tank. I installed the app on my phone and followed the instructions. That was it. The app walks you through the few steps and once you have that sorted out, you are on your way. Now I get notifications when the salt level starts to run low. It works on WIFI and should be maintenance free. Just an FYI, you have to set it up with a known quantity of salt for the first time. I waited till the salt got a little low and then just before I added the salt I performed the setup procedure.

I really want this salt level sensor to work as advertised as I'm a big fan of IoT devices that make life easier by performing mundane tasks but the jury is still out on this one. At this time, I want to give this device 3.5 stars as setup didn't make me believe it's 4-star worthy but it does seem to be better than average. The device appears to be well made, although only time will tell if the electronics can withstand the constant exposure to what I assume is a slightly humid and salty environment. There's no seal on the battery compartment which worries me. The setup process, while seemingly straight forward based on the instructions, was a little troublesome between the app timing-out/losing connection, and the device not projecting the light onto the floor when attached to the outside of the brine tank during the initial setup step and required me to hand-hold it at the top edge and tip it so that the red light was projected on the floor. The instructions also state that you need at 10lbs of salt, or you can remove 10lbs from the brine tank, in order to perform the calibration but my recommendation would be to have a 40lbs bag ready and to only perform the setup when the brine tank is at least half empty. In my brine tank, adding 10lbs only change the level by a couple of inches and repeated measurements with the device during calibration clearly showed that the sensor isn't that accurate (repeated measurements gave readings of +/- 2 inches). Also, because this device has to connect to your home WiFi, you better ensure that you have a decent WiFi signal in the area where your softener is located.

I just got a water softener installed by a plumber because our water is very hard. Not having had a water softener for years, I thought having something to remind me to refill it when needed. Cruising through Home Depot I found the Pentair salt sensor that will watch the level and alert me to the need to add salt. It was easy to install except the hook that Pentair has is for a side wall that doesn’t have a lip. I didn’t want to return it, so I made a loop to hold it and taped the loop ends to the outside. The monitor is very light weight so this should hold it in place. Following the instructions it was easy to get it started.

If you are technically inclined I recommend this product. Its pretty sweet to just get an alert on your phone whenever your salt is low. For those who aren't I'd say get someone technologically inclined to help you or dont get it. The instructions are absolute garbage. The paper says to follow the steps in the app but then the app doesn't tell you what to do. Plus you have to have salt on hand when setting it up which I didn't have so I had to wait a couple of days before I could actually get it set up correctly. I checked on the box and no where does it say you need to have salt on hand outside of your water softener.

Do you have a water softener but have to guess when it’s time to add salt? The guessing can finally be over! The Pentair Connected Salt Level Sensor is a smart solution to this issue. I’m expecting fluffy towels and sheets in our closet from now on! Here’s what I found when installing my unit. First, you need to know that your smart device (phone or tablet) needs to download the Pentair Home App from the Google Play store or the Apple Store – depending on the kind of device you have. Once you’ve installed the app, you’re ready to continue the installation. The instructions that come with the unit aren’t the greatest but you can get through this! The first problem I had – believe it or not – was getting the back off of the unit so I could install the batteries that came with the unit. Once I managed to get it open and installed the batteries, I was able to pair the unit with my tablet. You are now directed to use the app to finish the installation. You need to connect the device to your 2.4 MHz band of your Local Area Network. Then you are asked about the other kinds of water systems you have and the name of the manufacturer of your softener manufacturer. You’re told to have at least 10 lbs. of salt to add and then told that you need to measure the height of the container that you place the salt in as well as the distance to the water level inside. Not to worry, the unit will do all the measuring for you. Don’t run for the tape measure like I did! After that, relax - you’re ready to enjoy electronic salt level monitoring! I am very impressed with this product and recommend it highly! Take a look at the photo of the initial report I received - I need to add more salt! That surprised my wife and told me why my towels are not as fluffy as they used to be. :-)