Help with Getting the Correct Salt Amount

[plays10s]

I wonder if someone could tell me what to do regarding salt in the pool. I somehow found the calculations to help me add salt in the pool on here somewhere (I added 6 bags about 3 weeks ago). After that, the chlorine level was 10, so I decreased the percentage of salt to 25%. I'm now running my pump from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. I run on high because we have a waterfall and bubblers. Chlorine is now 6, but my salt test is 2400. Shouldn't it be 3200 to 3600. Do I need to up the percentage and to what? How do I get my salt level to be in the right range? Here's my test results as of yesterday:
FC - 6
pH - 8.2
TA - 60
CH - 300 (adding two bags of Calcium Hardiness tomorrow)
CYA - 70
Salt - 2400
Borates - None
Water Temp 81

Thank you!
LaDonna

 

[proavia]

How are you testing the salt level? If you don't already have a Taylor K-1766 salt test kit, get one.
Don't rely on the SWG salt reading or test strips as neither is accurate.

Upping the SWG percentage isn't going to affect your salt reading.
Use PoolMath to figure out how much salt to add to raise the salt level from 2400 to about 3000.

 

[plays10s]

How are you testing the salt level? If you don't already have a Taylor K-1766 salt test kit, get one.
Don't rely on the SWG salt reading or test strips as neither is accurate.

Upping the SWG percentage isn't going to affect your salt reading.
Use PoolMath to figure out how much salt to add to raise the salt level from 2400 to about 3000.

I'm using the Taylor Salt Kit already On Pool Math, what should I enter as my Minimum, Target and Max? Also, what does the percentage of salt do if it does not raise or lower it? Is that strictly for chlorine levels? Thanks for helping me.

 

[Jimrahbe]

After that, the chlorine level was 10, so I decreased the percentage of salt to 25%.

10s,

I am not sure you fully understand how a Saltwater Chlorine Generator works..

The output % does not adjust the amount of salt in the water, it adjusts that amount of chlorine the cell makes.

The cell just temporarily uses the saltwater to make chlorine and then it returns again as saltwater. The salt does not get used up.

If your FC is too high you should turn the output % down and if the FC is too low you should turn the output % up.. Or you can run the pump less or run the pump more..

Trying to micromanage your FC will drive you crazy, so I suggest that you mainly only worry about going too low. I suggest that you try to keep your FC at your Target level or higher. Too high of an FC is usually not a problem, while having too low of an FC is not a good plan.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[proavia]

The percentage on the SWG is to adjust how much the SWG runs while the pump is on.
So if the pump runs 10 hours per day and the SWG is set to 50%, the SWG will produce chlorine during 5 hours of the 10 hour pump run time (as long as the SWG flow switch is activated to allow production of chlorine).

You IC-40 salt range is 2800-4500 with an "optimal" of 3600 according to Pentair.
If you dose to get to about 3000 you should be good. Better a little lower than Pentair "Optimal" than too high.

If you're at 2400 ppm with your test, add about 600 ppm. In your 17k pool, that's just over 2 forty pound bags. Just add 2 forty pound bags and mix in with your pool brush until dissolved. Let the pump run continuously for 24 hours after the salt is completely dissolved. Do this with the SWG set to off or 0% for that 24 hours. Test the salt level again to see how close to 3000 ppm you are. You may or may not need to add a tiny bit more. In any case, with adding 2 forty pound bags, you should be close and can fire up the SWG.

As Jim suggested - don't chase the SWG percentage. Micromanaging the SWG will drive you crazy. Follow his advice on managing the SWG.