Hi,
My pool people set up my Hayward EcoStar and T-cell 15 to run at high speed (95%) for 5 hrs and low (50%) for 5 hrs at a chlorination rate of 95%. The last time the pool guy was here he tested with a strip and showed me everything was ok. Well he's been missing for the past two weeks and I just got my TF-100 today. A few days ago I stopped in the local pool store to get the water tested.
On Friday
Going from memory
ph 7.8
Chlorine 0
CH 200
TA 120
TDS 4000
CYA 20
Salt 2700
So he sold me some stabilizer and told me to add 6 lbs. I added half and figured I'd test it when I get my kit. I added a 40 lb bag of salt.
Today Wednesday I measured
pH - 8 or above, very red
Chlorine OTO 5 or above, very yellow
FC - 16ppm
CC - 1 ppm
CH - 170
TA - 160
CYA - 20 but hard to tell
Salt - 3000ppm
I flipped out at the chlorine level! I was shocked so went to the pool store and double-checked. They were using the Taylor reagents so I was interested to see how they compared and if I messed up the test.
ph - 8 or above, very red
Chlorine - their block is also red. Says 5 on the printout but that's probably because they don't do the drop test.
CH - Can't remember but theirs was nearly the same as mine 170
TA - mostly the same 160
CYA - They got 40
Salt - 3100
So he told me to add the rest of the CYA ~3.5 lbs and 6 cups of acid. I'm running the pool for 24hrs at 50% speed.
When I got home, I did the Chlorine drop test again and got the same number 16. This time I used two level spoons of reagent rather than I heaping spoon. And by the way, is the vial on the SpeedStir supposed to spin around itself? Sometimes I need to hold it down with my other hand.
I changed the swg chlorination level which was set at 95%. I dialed it down to 20%.
I also have some equipment questions.
How do I take advantage of the VSP and larger cell size (t-15 is for 40k, I have 15k gallons)? The way it was set up seems like there would hardly be any energy savings. What should my settings be? I've read that it's all trial and error, starting at 24hrs then working back. But can my equipment setup be ballparked? If the goal to turn over the water once a day, then why do we run the pump longer in the summer? As a test, I dialed in 35% for the speed and the flow meter said there was flow. However I kept it at 50% since I'm not really sure.
Also my VSP software is r1.02, Main revision is something like 2.65. I only have settings for a high speed (anywhere from 0 to 100%) and low (same). I thought there were more options like maybe 4 speeds (or more). The Hayward pump manual leaves alot to be desired. (I was reading the Pentair vsp manual for comparison and it seems better) The control panel manual says it's either an Aqua-Logic-P4 or PS4. Probably a P4 I think. The different models have something to do with 3 auto valves vs. 4. I think I have 3.
The EcoStar VSP at 95% is very loud. But there's also a high pitch vibration that I'm worried about. If I put my hand on the pump near the display it goes away. Is this expected since it's going at such a high rpm?
I'm also wondering if I need to install a check valve between the heater output and the salt cell. Something about chlorine backing up into the heater when the pump is off and corroding it. What kind (spring, flapper, etc.)? And should it be glued in or have what I think are called "headers" , plastic rings on each end so that it can be detached. I saw something called the Flowvis which is also a flow meter. Not sure if I need this though.
I'm also considering installing a zinc anode to protect the heater core. Pool tool 104-d seems to be a good choice. I've also read that one need only attach a zinc block to the bonding lug of the heater and put in moist soil but I'm not sure how this would work scientifically. I've only seen it mentioned on the boards here and cannot find an external reference. Though I do understand the process of a galvanic cell and can picture the electrochemical circuit of wet end of zinc anode to salt water to cathode of steel in heat exchanger (chemical part of reaction) to heater chassis to heater bonding lug to copper wire back to dry end of zinc anode (electrical part of reaction).
I also had alot of back and forth with a Raypak rep over email. He said he recommends the Pooltool, that a check valve is a must have, and the TDS max for salt water pools is 6000ppm. I've read on here that TDS doesn't really matter but it doesn't hurt to know what they think. I had a tough time interpreting their manual which says "In salt water chlorinated pools, the TDS may be as high a 6000ppm." I didn't know if it was a specification or a warning. I also read some Hayward and Pentair heater manuals which don't mention TDS.
I go on vacation in a week for a week so would like to get the chemistry and settings right asap. I'll need to worry about any installation issues afterward.
Thanks so much for your help. I enjoy the site very much. I'm looking forward to trouble free Nirvana.
My pool people set up my Hayward EcoStar and T-cell 15 to run at high speed (95%) for 5 hrs and low (50%) for 5 hrs at a chlorination rate of 95%. The last time the pool guy was here he tested with a strip and showed me everything was ok. Well he's been missing for the past two weeks and I just got my TF-100 today. A few days ago I stopped in the local pool store to get the water tested.
On Friday
Going from memory
ph 7.8
Chlorine 0
CH 200
TA 120
TDS 4000
CYA 20
Salt 2700
So he sold me some stabilizer and told me to add 6 lbs. I added half and figured I'd test it when I get my kit. I added a 40 lb bag of salt.
Today Wednesday I measured
pH - 8 or above, very red
Chlorine OTO 5 or above, very yellow
FC - 16ppm
CC - 1 ppm
CH - 170
TA - 160
CYA - 20 but hard to tell
Salt - 3000ppm
I flipped out at the chlorine level! I was shocked so went to the pool store and double-checked. They were using the Taylor reagents so I was interested to see how they compared and if I messed up the test.
ph - 8 or above, very red
Chlorine - their block is also red. Says 5 on the printout but that's probably because they don't do the drop test.
CH - Can't remember but theirs was nearly the same as mine 170
TA - mostly the same 160
CYA - They got 40
Salt - 3100
So he told me to add the rest of the CYA ~3.5 lbs and 6 cups of acid. I'm running the pool for 24hrs at 50% speed.
When I got home, I did the Chlorine drop test again and got the same number 16. This time I used two level spoons of reagent rather than I heaping spoon. And by the way, is the vial on the SpeedStir supposed to spin around itself? Sometimes I need to hold it down with my other hand.
I changed the swg chlorination level which was set at 95%. I dialed it down to 20%.
I also have some equipment questions.
How do I take advantage of the VSP and larger cell size (t-15 is for 40k, I have 15k gallons)? The way it was set up seems like there would hardly be any energy savings. What should my settings be? I've read that it's all trial and error, starting at 24hrs then working back. But can my equipment setup be ballparked? If the goal to turn over the water once a day, then why do we run the pump longer in the summer? As a test, I dialed in 35% for the speed and the flow meter said there was flow. However I kept it at 50% since I'm not really sure.
Also my VSP software is r1.02, Main revision is something like 2.65. I only have settings for a high speed (anywhere from 0 to 100%) and low (same). I thought there were more options like maybe 4 speeds (or more). The Hayward pump manual leaves alot to be desired. (I was reading the Pentair vsp manual for comparison and it seems better) The control panel manual says it's either an Aqua-Logic-P4 or PS4. Probably a P4 I think. The different models have something to do with 3 auto valves vs. 4. I think I have 3.
The EcoStar VSP at 95% is very loud. But there's also a high pitch vibration that I'm worried about. If I put my hand on the pump near the display it goes away. Is this expected since it's going at such a high rpm?
I'm also wondering if I need to install a check valve between the heater output and the salt cell. Something about chlorine backing up into the heater when the pump is off and corroding it. What kind (spring, flapper, etc.)? And should it be glued in or have what I think are called "headers" , plastic rings on each end so that it can be detached. I saw something called the Flowvis which is also a flow meter. Not sure if I need this though.
I'm also considering installing a zinc anode to protect the heater core. Pool tool 104-d seems to be a good choice. I've also read that one need only attach a zinc block to the bonding lug of the heater and put in moist soil but I'm not sure how this would work scientifically. I've only seen it mentioned on the boards here and cannot find an external reference. Though I do understand the process of a galvanic cell and can picture the electrochemical circuit of wet end of zinc anode to salt water to cathode of steel in heat exchanger (chemical part of reaction) to heater chassis to heater bonding lug to copper wire back to dry end of zinc anode (electrical part of reaction).
I also had alot of back and forth with a Raypak rep over email. He said he recommends the Pooltool, that a check valve is a must have, and the TDS max for salt water pools is 6000ppm. I've read on here that TDS doesn't really matter but it doesn't hurt to know what they think. I had a tough time interpreting their manual which says "In salt water chlorinated pools, the TDS may be as high a 6000ppm." I didn't know if it was a specification or a warning. I also read some Hayward and Pentair heater manuals which don't mention TDS.
I go on vacation in a week for a week so would like to get the chemistry and settings right asap. I'll need to worry about any installation issues afterward.
Thanks so much for your help. I enjoy the site very much. I'm looking forward to trouble free Nirvana.