How long does SWG build up take typically?

NancyGreeneJeans · Mar 25, 2024

Prepping for our 4th pool season and just did annual SWG inspection. It looks clean (see photo) to us and compared to photos online. Is this unusual? Not complaining, just want to be careful. Have read the TRP primer on SWGs. Run ours according to water temp, about Apr-Nov, then unplug and shift to bleach. Also try to avoid running at 100% output in summer and follow FC/CYA tables posted for TFP

Newdude · Mar 25, 2024

Using TFP recommended levels for SWG, you should never have calcium buildup with your parameters :

Modern fiberglass pool which doesn't need calcium
No heater which would need a little
Tons of rain
Low CH fill water.

Bperry · Mar 25, 2024

NancyGreeneJeans said:
Prepping for our 4th pool season and just did annual SWG inspection. It looks clean (see photo) to us and compared to photos online. Is this unusual? Not complaining, just want to be careful. Have read the TRP primer on SWGs. Run ours according to water temp, about Apr-Nov, then unplug and shift to bleach. Also try to avoid running at 100% output in summer and follow FC/CYA tables posted for TFP

View attachment 560602

It’s normal if you’ve been doing things right.

reggiehammond · Mar 25, 2024

NancyGreeneJeans said:
Prepping for our 4th pool season and just did annual SWG inspection. It looks clean (see photo) to us and compared to photos online. Is this unusual? Not complaining, just want to be careful. Have read the TRP primer on SWGs. Run ours according to water temp, about Apr-Nov, then unplug and shift to bleach. Also try to avoid running at 100% output in summer and follow FC/CYA tables posted for TFP

Nothing to worry about on those plates - those are exceptionally clean.
Why are you avoiding 100% run time in summer? A SWCG is on or off, it doesn't care.
If you need to run 100%, go for it. The only caveat is don't use it to make a bunch of FC you don't need.
Salt cells are a consumable, but if you need to run it, by all means run it.

wireform · Mar 25, 2024

Nancy,
Just glanced at your poolmath log from 4 days ago. With a CYA of 80 you're at minimum FC with a "4". The target for FC for your CYA level is 6-11 and would recommend running it on the hot side like 8. Where you're at now is a risk in the event something consumes the FC quicker without noticing it you can have an algae outbreak and not know it till it's too late and then need to slam with a difficult high CYA level.

Dirk · Mar 26, 2024

Just wrote elsewhere today that my SWG plates are clean as a whistle. Well, cleaner, because they soak in chorine all day!!

Haven't cleaned them in years, and may not have even looked at them last year. The TFP recommendations for keeping plates clean works. That's all that's going on with yours.

wireform · Mar 26, 2024

To the contrary I took over a pool last season which the IC60 wasn't putting out, can you guess why.

It's all in the chemistry. Cell was replaced, fast forward same pool 12 months later and the new cell looks like it was installed "1" hour ago. It's all because of the TFP way.

Dirk · Mar 26, 2024

Wow! I had no idea they could get that bad. When you say "fast forward..." do you mean you were able to clean that off and get it running again?

wireform · Mar 26, 2024

Dirk said:
Wow! I had no idea they could get that bad. When you say "fast forward..." do you mean you were able to clean that off and get it running again?

No, it was saved for proof of bad maintenance and a new cell was installed. This pool runs all year long and was checked 2 weeks ago, found to be clean as a whistle.