My FC is 8.2ppm and CC is .2ppm. Cell generator is set to 20% output. The pool store tells me to boost weekly. Is this necessary?
When to boost salt cell generator?
- Thread starter lafonte98
- Start date
Boost is the equivalent of a weekly "shock." If you maintain adequate FC for your CYA level, no, it's not necessary. Ever. What is your CYA level?
100% agree, no boost required. I do add a gallon of bleach from time to time. Like before and after a swim party. A gallon adds 4 ppm of FC to my pool instantly.
- Jan 4, 2016
- 5,288
- Pool Size
- 44000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
If we're going to have a bunch of kids swimming, sometimes I put boost on in the morning and turn it off after swimming, adding to the normal chlorine production. For example, turning it on at 10 am and off at 6 pm adds 3 ppm to the 2.5 ppm the SWC would normally make per day. If I forgot to do this, I'd pour in a quart (litre) of bleach which does about the same.
If I just hit the button on mine and let it reset on its own, it runs at 100% for 24 hours, making an extra 1.1 lbs (500 g) and delivering 11 ppm extra. If I did that weekly, assuming cell life of 440 lbs (200 kg), it would use up the cell in ~3 years instead of ~5 years. So for me, that's a reason not to do it! I've heard the weekly shock recommendation several times, but not backed up with any real reason for it.
If I just hit the button on mine and let it reset on its own, it runs at 100% for 24 hours, making an extra 1.1 lbs (500 g) and delivering 11 ppm extra. If I did that weekly, assuming cell life of 440 lbs (200 kg), it would use up the cell in ~3 years instead of ~5 years. So for me, that's a reason not to do it! I've heard the weekly shock recommendation several times, but not backed up with any real reason for it.
Hello Richard,
First of all thank you for the information. I did not see a good reason to boost weekly and didn't even think that it would shorten the life of my cell generator. Below are my pool test results.
Test results from 5/7/2016 K-2006 test kit used
Water temp 68 degrees
FC = 8.2ppm on a 25ml sample
CC = .2ppm
PH = 7.4
ALK = 50ppm
CH = 825
CYA = 55ppm
Please let me know what you think.
You can dial back the SWG% or lower the amount of time the filter runs, because with 55 CYA, you only need to maintain about 4 FC.
55 is also a bit low for the CYA with a SWG.
If you test FC with a 10 ml sample where each drop equals .5 FC, you'll use less of the reagents and still be precise enough. For the powder, one scoop is generally enough. As long as you can see one or two undissolved bits of the powder before you start counting drops, you have enough.
My generator is set to 20% output currently and I haven't boosted in a week and a half now. I am currently running my filter for 23 hours a day. How many hours would you recommend?
I get by with less than 3.
For you, start with 6 hours of filtering and set the SWG to 40% and see what happens. Pool School - Determine Pump Run Time
If the water stays clear, you reduce pump time some more. You'll just need to juggle the SWG% a little to find the right setting to keep up with demand. That's why you have your own test kit.
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