Salt test reads fine but SWG is saying low salt?

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mguzzy said:
I was just trying to ask what was painful with dealing with your pool as you said? We all just want to help

So it sounds like you don't have any kind of separate timer for the SWG? Can you post some pics of your setup and we can make some suggestions. I just use a basic Intermatic timer for my SWG and and pump, so it comes on when the pumps turn on. Can you explain your setup?
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My apologies. I've gotten attacked here at times for asking questions. I appreciate your help and everyone who tries to help me.


ajw22 said:
CBs are not built to go through many cycles as an on/off switch. Best way to "turn off" your IC40 is to use the LESS button and lower the SWG % to 0. When you want to turn it on use the MORE button and raise the SWG %.

From page 8 in https://www.pentair.com/content/dam...al_Version_3_units_after_Nov_2011_English.pdf

More and Less Output Buttons
The More and Less buttons control the percentage of the total output capacity that the IntelliChlor SCG is producing while the pump is on (see Sanitizer Output LED indicators above). The lights act as a bar graph: the more lights that are on, the more chlorine is produced. Blinking LEDs represent 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% & 10% while solid LEDs represent 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%. Slide the panel cover up to access the More, Less and Boost On/Off buttons.
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I was told by someone else here on the forum that simply using less button doesn't shut it off and it could still cause issues with possible explosion? So I don't know. I'm confused now what the best course of action is.

Jim/AJ/mguzzy - Here's pics of my equipment. Its 220 single phase and 110. I appreciate the help. I'm still fairly lost on some things with regards to best practices (like shutting the salt cell off via circuit breaker or just going Less until its 0%). Having a timer that you guys spoke of would be great. Then I could have the salt cell (and heater too, since its connected) shut off safely, right?
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ajup2it said:
I was told by someone else here on the forum that simply using less button doesn't shut it off and it could still cause issues with possible explosion? So I don't know. I'm confused now what the best course of action is.
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How long before you close your pool for the winter?

Right now your SWG is powered while your pump is off. The risk of an explosion is there but it is small. If you are going to go out every night and turn off your SWG I would just lower the % to 0. That effectively turns off the generation.

Turning the CB on and off every night will wear it out.

These are short term solutions until you install a timer. If you don't turn the SWG off I would not be overly concerned. The risk is small for a few weeks.

ajup2it said:
Jim/AJ/mguzzy - Here's pics of my equipment. Its 220 single phase and 110. I appreciate the help. I'm still fairly lost on some things with regards to best practices (like shutting the salt cell off via circuit breaker or just going Less until its 0%). Having a timer that you guys spoke of would be great. Then I could have the salt cell (and heater too, since its connected) shut off safely, right?
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Your receptacle, SWG and heater are 120V.

You need to connect an Intermatic T101P201 timer that has pool heater protection. The timer will shutdown the heater 20 minutes before it will shut power to give the heater time to cool.


Or you can connect only the SWG to the timer using a T101P3

 
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Jim and AJ - Thank you both. I will be closing the pool Nov 6th, or rather the pool company will. That's the soonest they can get to us, which, given our weather temperatures, might be fine. So, I appreciate your input for options on timers. I'll give this to my husband for review and we'll get something sorted out when we open. For now, I guess, I'll just stay at 20% for 24/7. FC will be around 6-8 depending on sunshine when I have my pool open to breathe. The next few days its supposed to be cooler and rainy so I won't have it open. That's when the FC climbs of course. Not really sure how to manage that or manage when we will be gone for a week, coming up. If you have any thoughts there, I'd appreciate it as well!
 
At CYA 80 your FC can go up to 31 without a problem. Monitor your FC and adjust the SWG output between 6 and 31. When it is getting high turn it down one light and when getting low turn it up one light.
 
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ajw22 said:
CBs are not built to go through many cycles as an on/off switch.
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This is a common misconception. It's a regular discussion on the RV forums. See the small 'SWD' in the lower right corner? That stands for 'Switch Duty'. If your breakers have that SWD on them then they're designed to be used to switch loads. A lot of breakers are SWD rated.

square-d-1-pole-breakers-hom120cp8-64_1000.jpg
 
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Bama Rambler said:
This is a common misconception. It's a regular discussion on the RV forums. See the small 'SWD' in the lower right corner? That stands for 'Switch Duty'. If your breakers have that SWD on them then they're designed to be used to switch loads. A lot of breakers are SWD rated.

square-d-1-pole-breakers-hom120cp8-64_1000.jpg
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Thanks. Didn’t know about the SWD rating.

I don’t see SWD on the Siemens 15A GFCI breaker in post #21 that controls the SWG.
 
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good to know about the SWD.. I'll have to look at mine.

That's the type of Intermatic timer I have as well. You will set the timer to run during the time that your VSP is running at a high enough setting to open the flow switch.. then start tweaking the % to give you the amount of FC you require for that run time. that's pretty much it. After realizing your setup I would go crazy too having to go out everyday and turn off the SWG.
 
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mguzzy said:
good to know about the SWD.. I'll have to look at mine.

That's the type of Intermatic timer I have as well. You will set the timer to run during the time that your VSP is running at a high enough setting to open the flow switch.. then start tweaking the % to give you the amount of FC you require for that run time. that's pretty much it. After realizing your setup I would go crazy too having to go out everyday and turn off the SWG.
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Exactly! I'm going to install one of these timers in the spring!

Thanks everyone, for your help. Adding salt did "cure" the low salt indicator. I must have been in that awkward range where the error was just right in testing that it read "ok" but was really low.

Lots to think about for spring:
borates...
timers...
God help me am I ever going to get this sorted where I'm not fighting so hard to maintain a pool? :drown:
 
I just had this issue the other day. My salt reading when last week using my Taylor kit as well as the reading on my IC60 was 3600. 4 days ago I got the ol’ low salt warning. I turned my pump off (power to swc off), disconnected the swg from my IntelliCenter waited 5 min. Plugged it back in and fired it up. It works properly now and my SWG reads 3600. Good luck
 
It righted itself when I added salt two weeks ago but now that the weather is cold its reading low again. I need to close the pool now that the temperature has dropped, but I don't have time myself. The pool company will do it in two weeks. Meanwhile, what really do I need to do to keep things going ok? My FC is high on its own, even after setting the SWG to 0% for a day and a half (presently FC is at 12.5) and salt is reading low on the SWG but I suspect its due to it being cold? Any tips would be great while I limp along until the pool company can close my pool for the season!
 
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