Salt water generator/which one?

[A.O.]

With the saltron mini it states to only dilute if the salt level is over 4000 ppm
“Salt should not be removed from the spa water unless the salinity exceeds 4000 ppm or the salinity of the water is undesirable. The only way to remove salt is by draining the water and adding fresh water.”
My current salt level is just under 4k ppm - my unit is plugging away just fine.

https://www.spadepot.com/docs/Saltron-Mini-Manual.pdf

As for the iron problem -

Iron Fill Water Filter - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

The saltron unit is designed to be outdoors & screwed to the side of your tub right next to that outlet if you wish. Many people are happy with the built in saltron timer. My tub is kinda small (200 gal) so 1 hr isn’t quite enough in a 24hr period but 2 hrs all at once raises my fc a bit high for a while. With a larger tub this may not be an issue at all.
Alternatively, The timer I use for my pool has been in the weather for over 3 years all year round & has had no issues
NSi Industries TORK RHB32R Indoor/Outdoor 15-Amp Plug-in Heavy Duty Mechanical Timer 24-Hour Programming – GREEN & RED Trippers TWO Receptacles Black Cover https://a.co/d/4YbcVof

So your first statement above might be what pushes me to the Saltron mini, the other one sounds like it is not as lenient as far as salt content. I went back and read both manuals to compare things. And I put all my chlorine in in two instalments a day, normally when we get out of the tub so spreading the chlorine charge over the whole day probably makes no difference anyway.
Thanks for the link to the iron stuff, I just glanced at it but I'll go back tonight maybe and give it a thorough look over.

 

[Mdragger88]

I am currently considering using my pool water for my next exchange or at least 100 gals of it (my pool cya is 80’s) since I am about to drain several inches for closing & I am about due for an exchange before the weather gets too cold.

 

[A.O.]

I am currently considering using my pool water for my next exchange or at least 100 gals of it (my pool cya is 80’s) since I am about to drain several inches for closing & I am about due for an exchange before the weather gets too cold.

That sounds like a good plan.

 

[A.O.]

Well, rats! Just went to order the Saltron mini and the earliest I can get it is next Friday, and we are going out of town next Thursday! Took too long to decide I guess. Oh well..

 

[A.O.]

Ok UPDATE:
So I ordered the Saltron mini yesterday it should arrive next Wednesday a day after we get back from Texas, I did not want it sitting on my porch while we were gone. Also yesterday I got my Taylor salt testing kit, my hot tub was off the scale as I thought it might be. As you might know I fill my tub out of my pool due to iron problems in my water and the sand filter is the best thing I have found to eliminate it. BUT.. when my hot tub gets low on water due to evaporation or whatever I add from my pool... increasing the level of salt in the tub, I may have to come up with a new plan for that (I'm open to suggestions).
Anyway... when we get back I'm going to Awesome purge (my first ever) the tub, drain, rinse, and refill with fresh pool water and start back from scratch, well almost anyway.
Thanks for the advice.

 

[A.O.]

Ok, spent the morning draining/purging my hot tub to get it ready for my new Saltron Mini coming tomorrow. Did the purge ,drained and rinsed the tub out. of course wiped it all out. then refilled with pool water and checked all my chem levels.
Salt-3000 ppm
TA-50
FC-2 1/2
CYA 40
PH 7.4
Hardness.. I dont really care ;-)
So ready to go when my Saltron gets here tomorrow.

Purge ongoing


The gunk.. minimal as anticipated


And my little waterbug draining the tub, takes it down to about 1/4 inch or less

And the same Waterbug filling it back up from the pool

 

[Mdragger88]

Low ch - not an issue with a fiberglass tub, but high ch can be a problem & cause scaling
Bump that fc up a dab

 

[A.O.]

Low ch - not an issue with a fiberglass tub, but high ch can be a problem & cause scaling
Bump that fc up a dab

Yeah, my well water is very soft water, both my hot tub and pool are fiberglass/acrylic so I'm not concerned . If I had a gunnite pool I'd for sure have to up it some.

Yes I know my FC is low, should I bump it up before I put in the saltron? I was going to leave it and let the saltron do its job, no?

 

[Mdragger88]

Yeah, my well water is very soft water, both my hot tub and pool are fiberglass/acrylic so I'm not concerned . If I had a gunnite pool I'd for sure have to up it some.

Yes I know my FC is low, should I bump it up before I put in the saltron? I was going to leave it and let the saltron do its job, no?

Just like with any other swg - it’s better to have it maintain fc than to have it try to play catch up.

 

[rootusrootus]

Sure is nice to have a fresh new tub of water, after watching what ahhsome cleans out. I've got incredibly soft water, so I've been adding calcium to get up to ~450ppm. Just for anti-foaming. Maybe not really necessary, but I've had foaming in the past so I figured why not. Hopefully it's not enough to cause scaling.

 

[A.O.]

Just like with any other swg - it’s better to have it maintain fc than to have it try to play catch up.

Ok, done... and another question.
My basic Taylor K2005 (?) kit, not sure of the number off hand, I have a Leslies version says my fc is 3, my FAS-DPD says 6.. why the big discrepancy?

 

[A.O.]

Sure is nice to have a fresh new tub of water, after watching what ahhsome cleans out. I've got incredibly soft water, so I've been adding calcium to get up to ~450ppm. Just for anti-foaming. Maybe not really necessary, but I've had foaming in the past so I figured why not. Hopefully it's not enough to cause scaling.

Agreed, although I have a fresh new tub of pool water. My well water is very soft as well and I just leave it that way, never any problems.

 

[Mdragger88]

Ok, done... and another question.
My basic Taylor K2005 (?) kit, not sure of the number off hand, I have a Leslies version says my fc is 3, my FAS-DPD says 6.. why the big discrepancy?

DPD vs OTO vs FAS-DPD

So the TF-100 has both the FAS-DPD and the OTO chlorine tests. The pool shop sold me a Taylor K1001 DPD test kit before I found this forum. I'm getting my new SWCG dialed in so I'm carefully testing FC daily to figure out where to set it. Out of curiosity only, I've been running all three...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[A.O.]

Thanks..

 

[A.O.]

Ok, installed , fired up, and running, I have it set on 4 to start.
QUESTIONS FOR SALTRON USERS: The instructions say, as I read them... to unplug the unit from power source and remove generator from water when using the tub. do you do this every time you get in? seems it would reset the internal timer doing that as well.

 

[Mdragger88]

Ok, installed , fired up, and running, I have it set on 4 to start.
QUESTIONS FOR SALTRON USERS: The instructions say, as I read them... to unplug the unit from power source and remove generator from water when using the tub. do you do this every time you get in? seems it would reset the internal timer doing that as well.
View attachment 459802

I don’t do any of that.
I don’t remove the cell unless I am purging/refilling.
If you wanna remove the cell you can place it in the little stick on basket but it will throw a light if it comes on & it’s not in the water so timing is important.
I swim in my pool with the swg running so I feel it’s the same idea.
I don’t play with the cell when it’s on.
Your risk tolerance may be different than mine .

 

[A.O.]

I don’t do any of that.
I don’t remove the cell unless I am purging/refilling.
If you wanna remove the cell you can place it in the little stick on basket but it will throw a light if it comes on & it’s not in the water so timing is important.
I swim in my pool with the swg running so I feel it’s the same idea.
I don’t play with the cell when it’s on.
Your risk tolerance may be different than mine .

I agree with your thinking but was wondering what others do, thanks for the reply.

 

[A.O.]

I don’t do any of that.
I don’t remove the cell unless I am purging/refilling.
If you wanna remove the cell you can place it in the little stick on basket but it will throw a light if it comes on & it’s not in the water so timing is important.
I swim in my pool with the swg running so I feel it’s the same idea.
I don’t play with the cell when it’s on.
Your risk tolerance may be different than mine .

Well we sat in it last night and again this morning, both times with the cell in the water, last night it was running this morning it was in rest mode. No deaths or ill effects so seems like it will be ok! thanks.

 

[rootusrootus]

I've left it in, I've taken it out, I've had it out when it wanted to start a new daily cycle. So far, it's been perfectly fine. It just alternates -- with the hour count if it tries to start while the cell is in the basket, as soon as I put it back in the water it begins generating. If it's just me in the tub, I usually leave it in. Otherwise I usually take it out.

 

[Mdragger88]

Well we sat in it last night and again this morning, both times with the cell in the water, last night it was running this morning it was in rest mode. No deaths or ill effects so seems like it will be ok! thanks.

Just don’t go licking the cell !