SWG Install and Opening Help

Except for possible loss of sleep, no downside to doing an OCLT.

The flow switch does cut power to the cell, so essentially the same as turning it off. But flow switches are meant to be a backup safety, and not a primary on/off control. They do fail (mine did, after a year!) Better to bump up the low to allow the SWCG to generate all day, and dial it down in the settings, so you still meet your CL needs. Turn down your high speed setting (rpm or time) a bit, if you want to balance the energy savings.

As long as there is the minimum flow, the SWCG will generate the same amount when getting power, no matter the amount of water through it. The % setting on it is not a real "strength or concentration" setting, it is a timer - so while getting power, turn on for 50% of the time, turn off for 50%, etc. Therefore the same effect over time as if it actually could directly increase/decrease the amount generated. Let the box control the on/off cycle, and keep your pump up just enough to allow it to do so at any time in the day. Then the flow switch can fill its real role as a backup safety.

Likely a combination - dead algae and dirt. Brushing alone gets it kicked back up into suspension in the water. Then taken out by your filter. But depending on a host of factors, the filter only gets some percentage. The rest resettles. Along with any new dead things and dirt. A manual vacuum or a robot gets a lot more of the "stuff" directly to the filter, and far less to resettle out. The OCLT and CC reading, with having very little settle out, will tell the tale. Especially at the start of a SLAM, it can be very surprising how much you see on the bottom each day - a lot more suspended and now killed than the clarity of the water might suggest.

Especially rain, but also wind, can bring in more dirt. Sometimes a lot. So don't assume you have algae again right away after the SLAM. The CC will give a flag, and then the OCLT can confirm. Once you get into the swing of what is normal for your pool, you'll get pretty good at judging how concerned to be. If you always keep your CL at the high end of the recommended range (or even join #teamrunhot by being a bit above!), the odds of growing algae go way, way down. I normally don't think about algae, as long as my CC is <= 1, pool is TFP clear, and if there is an environmental reason (wind/rain) for the "stuff". Then I just assume dirt and brush or vac to make it pretty again.

BTW - update your signature with details about your pool. It helps a lot for us to tailor the information specifically to you. Create Your Signature - Further Reading

If you pay the outrageous (grin!) $8/yr for the PoolMath app subscription, you can link your logs by using the same username as here. Then we can easily see your history of readings and chem adds, to further refine answers to problems. Click on my user name to see the logs for how I am lurching toward a balanced pool.