Useless from Texas

Jump to latest Follow Reply
crabtrp

crabtrp

Member
Aug 8, 2024
9
Lavon, N Texas
Pool Size
25000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Hi. I am a 22 year pool owner. I’ve basically been doing it wrong all of this time. I did some testing but as long as the pool looked fine I was OK. I got black algae in 2019 and had to have a re-surface done. Lesson not learned.

All great again until a month ago, started to get some black algae again. I decided it is time to start taking this seriously. I got rid of any sign of algae using recommendations from our local pool shop but wanted to start taking things into my own hands.

I got a proper testing kit and am trying to get things in order. My CYA was at 170 and I decided to get that taken care of first. I have pumped a lot out and got it down to 80. I am going to try and get it to below 70 today and then I am going to try this SLAM process. I have stopped using chlorine tabs which has been basically all I have used up until now.

I have got so much info from here and I intend on asking for more assistance as needed. I have subscribed into the Pool Math app and am following what it says.

Thanks for having me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jark87
C,

A saltwater pool is a chlorine pool... It just makes its own chlorine from the slightly salty water.

It is not like the Ocean which is about 35,000 ppm of salt.. Your tears have about the same amount of salt as a saltwater pool. Usually about 3,500 ppm.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
C,

A saltwater pool is a chlorine pool... It just makes its own chlorine from the slightly salty water.

It is not like the Ocean which is about 35,000 ppm of salt.. Your tears have about the same amount of salt as a saltwater pool. Usually about 3,500 ppm.

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
Don't you need to run your pump a lot for the transition from salt to chlorine to take place?
 
crabtrp said:
Don't you need to run your pump a lot for the transition from salt to chlorine to take place?
Click to expand...
With a large VS pump, so what ? :ROFLMAO:

With a 60k cell, you'd need to run 8 to 10 hours in the peak season, at low RPM. (Less in the early/late season) Most of us draw 100W or so running with enough flow to trigger the cell on.

With a simple system, mine kicks on at 35W (700 RPM). I'd never even know I used that power while the ACs are running all summer.

It does triple duty skimming and filtering while you are producing chlorine, and you'd have to run at least 4 hours anyway without the SWG.
 
crabtrp said:
Don't you need to run your pump a lot for the transition from salt to chlorine to take place?
Click to expand...
C,

I run my 3 HP IntelliFlo 24/7, mostly at 1200 RPM... This costs me less than $20 a month.. That is a rounding error on my electrical bill.. :mrgreen:

I love making a little chlorine all the time and skimming all the time. I also like the look of my water when it has a little motion, instead of looking dead..

Not at all required, but it makes more sense to me than turning the pump on and off each day. I personally believe that running 24/7 is better on the pump..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
I run my pump 18 hours a day at speeds of 3000 for 2 hrs, 1500 for 10 hrs, 2500 for 2, and finally 1000 for 4hrs. It gets to sleep between 1 am and 7 am. I am becoming intrigued at the idea of converting to salt.
 
20 of your 24 existing runtime hours will satisfy the SWG flow switch. Maybe all 24.

What you said is technically true, you'd need to run more than the bare min your pool requires, but it's a non starter here as you're already way over bare minimum. :)
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
C,

We always suggest that you run your pump for a reason..

Please tell me why you run your pump the way you do.. Just curious.. :scratch:

What are you trying to accomplish with each speed??

Why 3000 RPM for 2 hours?
Why 1500 RPM for 10 hours?
Why 2500 RPM for 2 hours?
Why 1000 RPM for 4 hours?

My "pull it out of my rear guess", is that you could run 24/7 at 1500 and you'd never notice any difference. :mrgreen:

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Another one like you - got the pool with the house 28 years ago. It sucked up a major part of my life and money most of that time. Green by June, with only a week here and there where I wasn't seeing at least some green. I bought all the pool store stuff. I was so happy when winter came - I could shut it down and forget about it for my frozen months. LOTS of talk about selling the house just because of it. Last spring, at the same time I needed a filter replacement, I converted to a Salt Water Chlorine Generator. Now I still marvel at it, day after day. Cleaner than it has ever been. At most a 1/2 hr per week of pool maintenance. I'll be disappointed if I break $150 in chem costs this year (that includes the 2 cases of Cl I bought, just in case, that are getting weaker as they sit unopened). And there is that major electrical savings running on low speed. AND much less water waste since backwashing/going to waste is far less.
Sure, there can be startup costs, especially if you aren't DIY with plumbing and mild electrical. But just do it. Few things really are - but it is a life changer.
 
Jimrahbe said:
C,

We always suggest that you run your pump for a reason..

Please tell me why you run your pump the way you do.. Just curious.. :scratch:

What are you trying to accomplish with each speed??

Why 3000 RPM for 2 hours?
Why 1500 RPM for 10 hours?
Why 2500 RPM for 2 hours?
Why 1000 RPM for 4 hours?

My "pull it out of my rear guess", is that you could run 24/7 at 1500 and you'd never notice any difference. :mrgreen:

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
It is how it was programmed out of the box. Never felt the need to change it :)

I am certainly open to run it differently if it makes more sense. It is my first VS pump, I had a 1 speed pump previously that came when the pool was built, it lasted until 2022.
 
crabtrp said:
to at least explore converting to salt.
Click to expand...
So I had a SWG for 8.5 years and moved. For pool #2, I had the new SWG on-site before I signed the build contract.

It was *that* high on the priority list. 😁

The covid shortages had a lot to do with the sense of urgency, but still. I technically had a SWG and nobody to actually build my pool.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jimrahbe
Newdude said:
I technically had a SWG and nobody to actually build my pool.
Click to expand...
Dude,

I find it interesting that many new pool owners will spend weeks trying to find the right color tile to go with the color of their plaster... But, literally don't spend 5 minutes thinking about how they are going to sanitize their pools... :mrgreen:

Sigh!!

Jim R.
 
  • Like
Reactions: .ben and Newdude
Jimrahbe said:
But, literally don't spend 5 minutes thinking about how they are going to sanitize their pools... :mrgreen:
Click to expand...
Or getting a properly oversized filter and pump that's economic to run. (VS).

No sir. It's looking at $1200 loungers all day long, which have 'libation notches' instead of drink holders. :roll:

They won't be enjoying those loungers when they're cleaning the small filter all the time, working OT to pay the electric bill or lugging jug after jug from the store.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jimrahbe
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply