What does the Percentage setting actually mean?

[mikemass]

With these automated systems, when you set your %'age setting for your SWG what exactly is happening?

Let's use a 50% setting example:

If I am running my pump for 8 hours does this mean that the SWG is producing chlorine for 4 hours? Or does it mean it produces the entire 8 hour run, but only at 50% capacity?

Depending on the answer to that question, I am going to have a follow up question. (See sig below for my exact equipment.)

 

[Jimrahbe]

The percentage is the amount of time the SWG will be producing chlorine over whatever time it is on. So, if you turn the SWG on for an hour at 50%, it will only produce chlorine for half an hour.

Jim R.

 

[mikemass]

Ok. So the follow up question is: If my system is set up to run from 10am - 6pm, which 4 hours is the SWG running? The first 4? The last 4? Somewhere in between?

And say for whatever reason I want to manually kick on the pump. i.e. I have some friends over and it's nighttime and going for a swim. So I kick on pump at 7:00 pm when it normally would be off. Then we are done using pool at 9:00 and I turn off pump. The system didn't know I was going to be running it for 2 hours. So was the SWG producing during this time?

 

[Silver_2000]

AFAIK
the SWG will produce any time the pump is on

 

[atttech-2]

I am not sure anyone has done test on the actual timing of how frequently power gets applied to the cell at 50% but I know it is fairly frequently any where from seconds on/off to minutes on/off certainly not hours. Many recommend running the cell at or near 100% and reducing pump time because there does not seem to be much if any impact on the useful life of a cell at say 8hrs @ 50% vs 4 hours at 100% per day but you do save energy running the pump 1/2 the time.

The SWG will generate any time you have it on but you don't have to set it to be on if you have reached the FC level you are shooting for.

 

[mikemass]

So you are saying that it is constantly cycling on/off based on the %'age it is set at? I would not be comfortable running the pump only 4 hours a day on a pool my size. I don't think the water would be recirculated enough.

 

[atttech-2]

Yes it cycles on/off 50% would half time on half off. 25% would quarter time on three quarter off and so on. 4 hours might be a little on the low side depending on many factors on the other hand 8 hours is probably overkill. I run my pump 4 to 5 hours at 1100RPM to filter depending on how much we are using the pool and an and additional 30 min at high speed with the Polaris for sweeping and the pool looks great. Truthfully I was just using 4 hours vs. 8 for demonstration purposes not suggesting a course of action.

 

[Silver_2000]

There is an article linked here somewhere on a study dine in CA for pool electric use and effiecency

The net net was that most people who dont have SWG run the filter way too long

You need to run the filter just long enough to exchange the water 1 or 2 x and keep the water clear ...

Ill see if can find the link

 

[atttech-2]

Are you referring to the study posted by mas985? It is located here and the conclusion was that turning over the water every day is not needed.

 

[pooldv]

Each SWG/mfg has a different cycle time. i.e., 90 minute cycle time or 2 hour cycle time. So, it would produce chlorine half of the time in the 2 hour cycle time. I've seen posts listing the cycle times but I don't remember what they are.

 

[Silver_2000]

Are you referring to the study posted by mas985? It is located here and the conclusion was that turning over the water every day is not needed.

Yes - thanks for link

sorry to mis remember the state and the details - My take away was that as long as my water is clear I dont need to run the pumps for 12 hours a day
Of course all that changes when the replaster is done and salt its put back in ...

 

[outdoorsgal]

this leads me to ask if the SWG produces only when the pump is on high or on low for a variable speed pump. if turned up to super chlorinate does the pump run on high for 24 hrs? thanks for allowing me to piggy back!

 

[mikemass]

I don't have a variable speed pump. But as long as you have enough flow for the SWG to operate, the chlorine production is the same. Speed of pump is not going to increase or decrease the amount of chlorine produced.

 

[jblizzle]

Each SWG/mfg has a different cycle time. i.e., 90 minute cycle time or 2 hour cycle time. So, it would produce chlorine half of the time in the 2 hour cycle time. I've seen posts listing the cycle times but I don't remember what they are.

Just going to reiterate this post. There are cycle times over which the % on/off is determined ... the SWG does not know how long you will have it set to be on.

Assuming a 2 hour cycle and 50% setting. If you run the pump/SWG for 1 hour, it will generate the entire time. If your run the pump/SWG for 2 hours, it will generate the first hour and be off the 2nd hour. If you run the pump/SWG for 3 hours, it will generate for an hour, be off an hour, and then be back on for an hour. Etc

 

[mikemass]

So the post above about it cycling from seconds on/off to minutes on/off certainly not hours is wrong? Cause now I am really confused.

JBlizz - Any idea of the cycle time of a Hayward T-Cell-15?

 

[jblizzle]

Yeah, that seconds/minutes is not correct.

I don't recall for the T-15. I think it actually changed at some point. There are some threads around that mention it.
There are some manufacturers that are 90, 120, and 180 minutes.

 

[mikemass]

Cool. TY.

 

[jblizzle]

This says the Hayward is 180 minutes:
Hayward Aquarite SWCG cycle times

 

[chawkins99]

Just going to reiterate this post. There are cycle times over which the % on/off is determined ... the SWG does not know how long you will have it set to be on.



Assuming a 2 hour cycle and 50% setting. If you run the pump/SWG for 1 hour, it will generate the entire time. If your run the pump/SWG for 2 hours, it will generate the first hour and be off the 2nd hour. If you run the pump/SWG for 3 hours, it will generate for an hour, be off an hour, and then be back on for an hour. Etc

On my Hayward, the SWG runs on a 3-hour cycle (from Hayward support). Therefore, if it runs for 3 hours, it will generate for 90 minutes and idle for 90 minutes. If run for 2 hours, it will generate for 90 minutes and idle 30 minutes. on a 6-hour cycle, 90 mins on, 90 mins off, 90 on, 90 off.

 

[mikemass]

Perfect guys. Between the last post and the thread Jbliz attached, you guys have answered a question that has haunted me for years.

As a side note, the reason I am so inquisitive about this is because anyone who has run long pump times at 100% knows that the SWG will spike the heck out of your pH because of the aeration caused by the production of chlorine gas. I am trying to achieve the lowest possible %'age in order to avoid these wild pH bounces I have experienced in the past.