Converting from ozone to SWG?

[ProgrammingGeek]

I've spent some time reading the Pool School as well as the general opinion of ozone on this board, and it makes me think that converting to an SWG might be a good idea. Our pool was built in 2009, and for the first four years we had very few problems. The water was great because our kids never had the "scaly" skin often associated with chlorine pools, and I didn't have to spend as much money on chlorine/salt as my friends. However, this summer has been a nightmare with algae. I've spent hundreds on YellowOut, shock, and even phosphate killers (which after reading on here I now realize is a waste).

Our builder has always stressed the importance of high alkalinity (around 240) and low chlorine (.5). I use 8oz of NoMorProblems every couple of weeks. Also, our pressure is always around 25-30. He says at 30, the filter needs to be cleaned. Again, this concept was successful until this summer. I suspect that our ozone generator has a leak, and that this combined with low chlorine levels is what has made the algae bloom out of control. I have to brush every day to avoid it getting completely out of control. And I mean getting in the water with a handheld wire brush scrubbing it.

I suppose the first question is should I have the ozone generator removed and have an SWG installed? What kind of ballpark costs could I expect? Can a successful balance be maintained if I keep the ozone generator?

I realize this only scratches the surface of questions, but it's a good start...

The Woodlands, TX (near Houston)
Pool size: 15000gal in-ground plaster
Ozone
Pentair WF-30 2.5hp pump
Pentair Clean & Clear Plus cartridge filter
Intermatic T104R Timer
The PoolCleaner

 

[Abigail K]

Welcome to TFP!

Ozone is not approved by the EPA as a primary sanitiser and therefore should not be used alone.
However, for a residential outdoor pool, we generally do not recommend the use of ozone in combination with chlorine/SWG as our experience shows that ozone increases the FC consumption compared to chlorine/SWG alone.

How have you been chlorinating your pool?

Unfortunately, your builder doesn't seem to understand pool water chemistry. A high TA would cause pH to tend to increase, and chlorine levels should be based on the CYA level.
Have a look at ABCs of pool water chemistry and the chlorine/CYA chart if you haven't done so already.

The main cause of algae is incorrect FC/CYA ratio, we would recommend that you get one of the recommended test kits and SLAM the pool.
I doubt that your ozone generator has a leak; even if it does, we would recommend SLAMming the pool before attempting to fix it.

The builder's recommendation to clean the filter at 30 is in line with our recommendations - we recommend cleaning filters when the pressure increases by 25% over the clean pressure.

The thing that jumps out at me is that you need to use a wire brush - does what you are brushing/scrubbing feel rough to the touch?