System and method for directly monitoring the conductivity of coolant used to regulate the temperature a fuel cell

A system comprising:

• a coolant loop acting as a conduit for a coolant for cooling a fuel cell, the coolant loop having a first portion having a terminal end with an opening and a second portion fluidly connected to the first portion;
• an ion exchanger configured to deionize the coolant;
• a conductivity sensor configured to output an electrical signal indicating a conductivity of the coolant, the conductivity sensor at least partially disposed within the opening;
• and
• a processor in communication with the conductivity sensor and a memory, the memory having a conductivity monitoring module having instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• determine the conductivity of the coolant based on the electrical signal from the conductivity sensor, and
• determine when the ion exchanger requires servicing based on the conductivity of the coolant.