Conversion to SWCG Complete

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Uncle Flappy

LifeTime Supporter
Jul 28, 2015
252
Tucson, AZ
The salt water chlorine generator install is complete. I redid the plumbing to accommodate, hooked the control box up to the Aqualink, and got everything working. All that is left to do is some cable management and painting of the PVC.

I fired the pool company but not before they doused my pool with high levels of chlorine gas. Here is where I stand today:

FC: 19.5
TC: 0
PHI: 7.4
TA: 50
CYA: 70
CH: 450
Salt: 3200

My question: At what percentage should I be running the SWCG? Should I go ahead and start at 50% to see how it impacts my FC or lower the run rate to speed up the chlorine burn off?

Thanks!

- Flappy
 
Is your SWG tied into your pump run? How long do you normally run your pump to filter per day now? I'd start small (perhaps 10%) since your FC is currently high, then as it drops you can bump it up slowly to meet and maintain your FC needs. You're in a great situation now since your pool is still being protected from algae via the chlorine gas.
 
Hey Flappy,

Wow, that was quick! Nice work.

How long has the salt been in the water? You typically wait 24-48hrs after salt to make sure it is fully dissolved. After that, you can start it up at anytime. Problem is, your FC is so high it's going to take a while to get back to "normal".

Is the SWG hooked up so that it only runs while the pump is on?

If so, what are your pump run times?


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YippeeSkippy said:
Is your SWG tied into your pump run? How long do you normally run your pump to filter per day now? I'd start small (perhaps 10%) since your FC is currently high, then as it drops you can bump it up slowly to meet and maintain your FC needs. You're in a great situation now since your pool is still being protected from algae via the chlorine gas.
Click to expand...

JoyfulNoise said:
How long has the salt been in the water? You typically wait 24-48hrs after salt to make sure it is fully dissolved. After that, you can start it up at anytime. Problem is, your FC is so high it's going to take a while to get back to "normal".
Click to expand...


I put 7 x 40# bags of salt Friday afternoon and late last night got a reading of 2900. I added one more bag about 3 hours ago and now show 3200. I realize that may change.

The SWG is on the same relay as the pump and is plumbed as the last piece of equipment in the water flow. It may be excessive but I run the pump for 13.5 hours a day in the summer. The first hour and a half is for the spa only and thanks to the Aqualink, the SWG won't run during that time.:cool:

Just to gloat, here are some before and after pictures. I had to do the PVC twice as the first time I developed a leak right after the flow indicator switch. The second time I was much more deliberate and went a little overboard with the purple primer and glue. Even got some on my shoes. :rolleyes:


Before:
before_zpsfgomlqi4.jpg

The previous owner had a SWG and the cell was a vertical mount. You can see that they patched the plumbing by using two 90 degree angles. I had to cut all that out.


After:
after_zps7xldwdpz.jpg

Because of the length of the cell, I had to extend the run out and around; I could not go straight to the return.
The Oxidizer on the wall was left from the previous owner and is not attached.

It's not very pretty but will look better once the PVC is painted and the wiring secure. Best part is that everything works and there are zero leaks. :D


So, back to my % question - any risk using the SWG only a small amount of the time? The logic behind my inquiry is in regard to the fact that high FC levels were needed (pre-SWG) due to the concentration of CYA. If I'm not running the SWG, aren't I at more risk for the green monster?

- Flappy
 
Nice job....you're now a plumbing professional with all that Blue Goop on your shoes :D

Honestly, I'd wait another day or so for the salt reading to settle down. I once screwed up my salt levels by being impatient and not waiting for the salt to register. It cost me a 25% partial drain. With your FC at 19.5ppm, you have nothing to worry about in terms of algae....or anything else in your radioactive pool water :cyclops:

13.5 hours/day seems like a lot to me. Do you really need to run your pool pump that much for cleanliness? I might suggest you start off with 50% but I think you're going to have to down adjust both the SWG % and the pump run time. Having the high FC to start is going to make it more difficult to dial that in. I would wait until your at least under 10ppm. One thing that is going to change a lot for you is acid demand. The SWG is going to make your pH rise so you need to be in a place where you can accurately measure pH and being at 19.5ppm FC means you can't measure pH.

My advice is - wait. I really think you need that FC below 10ppm or else you could be shooting in the dark with all your other levels.

Oh, and 70ppm for CYA is PERFECT for an SWG. Exactly where you want it to be.
 
JoyfulNoise, thanks again for all your help. I'll just keep checking the salt levels over the next couple days. Hopefully I didn't overdo it.

I may be able to cut back on runtime. My pool faces southeast and gets a significant amount of sunlight. Its blue plaster also helps retain heat. Right now the water is 86F.

I'm gong to insist the kids get wet this afternoon to circulate the water. Hopefully we can beat the storms. My weather station reports just under an inch of rain in the last few days.

Thanks again for showing me the path.

- Flappy
 
Glad to help. Post up results when you turn the SWG on and let us know how it goes. Hopefully you'll get the consistent FC you need to keep the pool happy as opposed to the roller coaster you were on with the chlorine gas company. Chlorine gas injection is a great idea in principle (adds nothing but chlorine to your water), but it doesn't really work well with residential pools. Have fun with the SWG!!
 
As others have said it is way to easy to oversalt your pool, and a wasteful hassle to remove it since you throw everything else out of whack.

Personally, I'd leave it off or maybe 10% for a day or two until your chlorine drops to around 6-8, then try 50% checking it daily. Also, pay attention to your PH. SWG's drive the PH up, so you have to get used to that.
 
OMG!!! Pima Chemical came out AGAIN and blasted my pool with chlorine gas. Levels are again off the charts - FC 28, TC0, CYA 80, PH 7.0
I called them for the third time and spoke with the manager. I also put a padlock on my gate.

Edit: Salt is 3400ppm.
 

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Uncle Flappy said:
OMG!!! Pima Chemical came out AGAIN and blasted my pool with chlorine gas. Levels are again off the charts - FC 28, TC0, CYA 80, PH 7.0
I called them for the third time and spoke with the manager. I also put a padlock on my gate.
Click to expand...

WOW! Just think of how much free "service" you could have gotten.

Don't worry, it's not dangerous. Your water is at shock level. If you can live with it, just let it come down naturally. If not, there are other methods to reduce FC but waiting is best.


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After having a chat with the manager, I doubt they will return and the padlock will keep things in-check if they do. I was promised not to be charged but I'll be watching my statement. Closely.

I can wait longer for the levels to drop but with a shiny new SWG, I am anxious to play with it (dial it in). :)
 
Numbers for the day:
FC 20.5
TC 0
PH 7.0
TA 50
CH 450
CYA 85
NaCl 2800

I think that the pool company added more CYA during their last dousing of chlorine since I was previously at 70. I may have to drain some of the pool again.
Question about the PH and TA - should I hold off adjusting knowing the SWG will cause the alkalinity to rise?

Thanks again.

- Flappy
 
You're FC is too high to reliably test pH. Remember you really only check pH when FC is below 10ppm. I'm not sure how sensitive the TA test is to chlorine because the first step is to add drops of sodium thiosulfate to dechlorinate the sample. Still, I would wait until you get below 10ppm FC to check. 15ppm off on the CYA test is a little concerning but not totally outside the margin of error for that test.

No, the SWG will not raise alkalinity. It tends to raise pH. Don't worry too much about the TA as your fill water is likely to increase it over time. And it's super easy to increase TA (baking soda) harder to decrease.

I think you have to wait. Sorry :(


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Uncle Flappy said:
Thanks for your help. No big deal on waiting so long as I am on the right path...
Click to expand...

A CYA of 85ppm isn't horrible for an SWG. The recommended range is 70-90ppm so you're still good. As well, starting off with 50ppm TA will help a lot to keep your pH rise down.

The only number that looks odd to me is the salt level at 2800ppm. I think most SWG will complain at that level. Which unit did you get? But here's the deal - don't add anymore until you turn in the SWG. The SWG's can be off from the K-1766 salt test by as much as 400-600ppm. So if you turn it on and the SWG is happy, just leave it.


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I second (or third maybe) waiting to turn on the SWCG until you get the FC down to 6 to 8. So that you can reliably monitor pH. Once I turned my aqua rite on my pH rise was pretty dramatic and if you are above FC 10, you might have inconsistent results on the pH test.
 

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