What did you do to your pool today?

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Dirk said:
I decided to "loom" the entire length of hose, as it was only about $7 for 10'. That's about 25% of what that darn hose cost me, so it was worth protecting at those prices.
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What will you use to protect the Loom?

Maybe get a Loom Loom.

And, then Loom the Loom Loom.

I would do 100 layers of loom and then remove them as the outer loom fails.

Maybe use a UV protection spray on the Looms to protect from UV damage.

Maybe build some sort of roof over everything.
 
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It's getting to that time of the year where I'm constantly adjusting the SWG. We started covering the pool with the solar cover. This lowers the output needed from the SWG. Then this season, I have a different SWG so I have to learn where it needs to be set. Also the output percentages are not as adjustable as the previous SWG. I lowered the SWG from 60% to 40% this week after an FC reading of 9.5 ppm. Now 5 days later, the FC is 14.5 ppm so I lowered it again to 20%. If it doesn't decrease in the next few days, I'll be going to 10%.
 
Homebrewale said:
No, I run 24/7. I have no desire to run any less.
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You could run a separate timer for the SWG, to lower its runtime without lowering your pump's runtime, if you can't dial-in the correct chlorine output any other way. You'd want to make sure the SWG was still wired to the pump's circuit, so that the SWG couldn't run when the pump wasn't, regardless of what the SWG timer is calling for. The SWG timer's relay would go "in between" the pump's power source and the SWG.

Another alternative, though klugie, is to run some part of your 24 hour pump runtime at a lower RPM, one that is below the SWG's flow rate minimum threshold. Your pump would still run 24/7, but for X hours a day it would run at, say, 1200 RPM instead of it's "normal" speed. The SWG would detect a low-flow situation, and shut down chlorine production until the RPMs came back up.
 
One reason I don't want to turn off the pump is that I don't want it off between 9:00 pm and 8:00 am. Why? Because it sits 10 feet from my master bedroom window. Turning it back on during those hours could possibly wake my wife or I sleeping as it goes through a priming cycle. Then I don't want it off during the day when there is loss of FC from UV.

I also don't want to play with pump run times since it's just trading one problem for another. Instead of adjusting SWG output, you are adjusting the pump run time. With the SWG, it takes about 10 seconds to change the output. Changing the pump run time takes several mintues. In either case, you need to test FC to see what adjustments are needed.

I don't have automation. My pump is limited to three adjustments per day. I prefer to save those adjustments to low speed, then higher speed for skimming, and then low speed again. The pool solar cover is off around 8:00am which is when I want to running the higher speed for skimming since bugs, leaves and other debris may get in the pool as you roll up the cover onto the reel.

A separate timer for the SWG is also not the solution. I still have plenty of adjustments I can do with the output percentage. This isn't a dialing the correct chlorine output problem. It a variable FC useage by the pool on a day to day issue. Unlike summer months where I can set one chlorine output, September is similar to May. There are days when the solar cover is never removed. There are days when the cover is only removed when my wife swims laps in the morning. Then there are days like today when my wife floats in the pool for about 4 hours. Also each day is getting shorter and the sun is less direct overhead. This results in not being able to dial in the chlorine output since each day has wider difference in FC demand than say a week in July.

I'm not that anal where I need the FC to be in a tight range. As long as it's above 5 ppm and below 10 ppm, I'm happy. I just need to test more often to be sure it's in that range.
 
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Homebrewale said:
Lowered the SWG to 10% output since FC has not decreased from 14.5 ppm. Still dialing in SWG for fall with solar cover conditions.
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And that's fine, just be aware of the potential roller coaster effect. In order to use the SWG to lower your FC, you must set it to an output % that is lower than needed to maintain your daily FC use. So when your 10% setting gets your FC to drop, it might not stop dropping at your target, but rather continue to drop lower. So then, if you set your SWG to a percentage to bring the FC back up, that setting is now too high to maintain a stable FC, so it could shoot right past your target and go higher. The roller coaster effect.

When dialing in an SWG, it's usually faster to use a combination of SWG settings and liquid chlorine. So say you're low, you then achieve target FC using liquid chlorine, then adjust your SWG to maintain that level (not move the level). If that works by the next day, you're done. If you're still low, then you reestablish your FC using liquid chlorine again, and adjust your SWG output up a notch. Repeat until the FC is stable the next day. Again, you're not using the SWG to move the level, only to keep it from moving.

Similarly, if your FC is high, instead of just lowering your SWG output, you turn off the SWG. Let the FC reduce on its own to your target level, then turn the SWG back on, using a "best guess" output %. If the SWG is too low the next day, see above. If it goes too high again, then you repeat this step.

You'll get there eventually doing it the way you are, that's fine, but you might get their quicker if you stay off the coaster.
 
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Dirk said:
And that's fine, just be aware of the potential roller coaster effect. In order to use the SWG to lower your FC, you must set it to an output % that is lower than needed to maintain your daily FC use. So when your 10% setting gets your FC to drop, it might not stop dropping at your target, but rather continue to drop lower. So then, if you set your SWG to a percentage to bring the FC back up, that setting is now too high to maintain a stable FC, so it could shoot right past your target and go higher. The roller coaster effect.

When dialing in an SWG, it's usually faster to use a combination of SWG settings and liquid chlorine. So say you're low, you then achieve target FC using liquid chlorine, then adjust your SWG to maintain that level (not move the level). If that works by the next day, you're done. If you're still low, then you reestablish your FC using liquid chlorine again, and adjust your SWG output up a notch. Repeat until the FC is stable the next day. Again, you're not using the SWG to move the level, only to keep it from moving.

Similarly, if your FC is high, instead of just lowering your SWG output, you turn off the SWG. Let the FC reduce on its own to your target level, then turn the SWG back on, using a "best guess" output %. If the SWG is too low the next day, see above. If it goes too high again, then you repeat this step.

You'll get there eventually doing it the way you are, that's fine, but you might get their quicker if you stay off the coaster.
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I've had a SWG since 2006 so I'm aware of how it works. It's always a rollercoaster during the fall. The days are getting shorter and the sun is getting lower in the sky. The solar cover is back on. The solar cover is on some days all day, one hour other days and 6 hours another day because pool usage is highly dependent on swimming conditions for that day. Therefore, the chlorine usage is highly variable from day to day.

The main thing that has changed is the SWG cell itself. On my previous pool, I had a Hayward cell that's adjustable by 1% increments. The previous cell for the current pool was a Pentair iChlor 30 which was adjustable by 1% increments. I replaced that cell this summer with a Pentair Intellichlor IC40 which has 2% increments up to 10% and then outputs at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%. So it really can't be fine turned as my previous SWG cells and I will just have to test more frequently. This isn't just a fall issue now. Even in the middle of the summer, I sometimes need to adjust between 40% and 60%.
 
Homebrewale said:
I sometimes need to adjust between 40% and 60%.
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This was a wild year by me and you probably saw similar. The first 2 years at the new place was rock solid getting 12 weeks on the summer adjustment. This year was 3 days at 60%, 2 days at 40%, 4 days at 60%, 3 days ar 40%......

Dunno if the clouds were denser or what but within a weeks in I was adjusting the cell by looking at my weather forcast from the equipment pad and looking up to confirm. :ROFLMAO:

For 8.5 years at the old place the adjustments were like clockwork. 20/40/60/40/20. the only question was did any setting last 4 or 6 weeks.
 
Homebrewale said:
I've had a SWG since 2006 so I'm aware of how it works. It's always a rollercoaster during the fall. The days are getting shorter and the sun is getting lower in the sky. The solar cover is back on. The solar cover is on some days all day, one hour other days and 6 hours another day because pool usage is highly dependent on swimming conditions for that day. Therefore, the chlorine usage is highly variable from day to day.

The main thing that has changed is the SWG cell itself. On my previous pool, I had a Hayward cell that's adjustable by 1% increments. The previous cell for the current pool was a Pentair iChlor 30 which was adjustable by 1% increments. I replaced that cell this summer with a Pentair Intellichlor IC40 which has 2% increments up to 10% and then outputs at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%. So it really can't be fine turned as my previous SWG cells and I will just have to test more frequently. This isn't just a fall issue now. Even in the middle of the summer, I sometimes need to adjust between 40% and 60%.
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Ah, my bad. I misread your SWG experience.

The IC40 is capable of 1% adjustments, but only through their other automation interfaces, like the EasyTouch and IntelliTouch, etc. But little known: also via the IntellipH. So if a full automation system isn't in your future, but maybe automating acid dosing is, you can run the IntelliChlor/IntellipH combo without full automation. When the IntellipH is in the mix, the IC output is set with the IntellipH, not its front panel. And the IntellipH offers the 1% increments you're after. And 1% acid dosing increments as well. The IpH is a simple DIY install, and just plugs into the IC's power supply, and then the IC plugs into the IpH. No other wiring. Then it's just drilling a hole in you pad's PVC plumbing for the injector installation.

If that's any sort of consideration, check back in for the IpH's known bug, and the simple DIY workaround for it, just so you have the full story.

I love my combo, and only have to handle chlorine and acid a few times a year.
 
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TinFoilHat said:
Wow, exponential sales. You obviously don't need a promotion team for your company. I wonder how you even have the time to hang out here. How is your Ferrari doing?
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He doesn't have the time. This is his ghost writer. He does claim to have a Ferrari, but apparently it's always in the shop. I've never seen it.
 
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