Salt level above manufacturers specs???

[Julius]

I saw this in the Pool School:

Salt 200-400 ppm ABOVE recommended optimum level

I have an Aqua Trol for an above ground.

"Ideal" level in the manual is listed as 3200 PPM.

My unit is showing 2800 PPM ( I have read that they do under-report)

Via Aqua Check strips and the Taylor test I am currently at 3200 PPM.

Should I bump it up???

Thanks.

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

It doesn't make a huge difference or anything, but many SWGs seem to work a little better if you have the salt level just a little above their "ideal" number. You don't want to go way over, just that little bit.

If it is easy to do, I would go ahead and raise the salt level a little.

Most of the electronic salt meters in SWGs are +-400, and even the Taylor kit is +-200, so you are the same within the error of the measurement.

 

[Strannik]

if it's above but still within min-max - it's ok
However if it's close to/over maximum, there is a high possibility that transformer will burn out if the unit doesn't have overload protection. If it does, then it will just turn off production and display alarm of some sort.

 

[Julius]

Welcome to TFP!

It doesn't make a huge difference or anything, but many SWGs seem to work a little better if you have the salt level just a little above their "ideal" number. You don't want to go way over, just that little bit.

If it is easy to do, I would go ahead and raise the salt level a little.

Most of the electronic salt meters in SWGs are +-400, and even the Taylor kit is +-200, so you are the same within the error of the measurement.

I'll bump it up another 200. It's very easy...I use the Pool Calculator :-D

Thanks again.

 

[Guest]

Rational for bumping it up is to keep the salt level from dropping too much during a heavy rain storm and leaving you at the low salt cut off level and no chlorine being generated (It happens more than you think!). Many people run their salt near the minimum and this is more likely to cause problem than running it a bit high.)It's just a safety factor to figure in. It also gives you a bit of leeway against splashout, backwashing, etc. for how often you need to add salt. Just about every SWG that has a high salt shut off set this about 1000 ppm or so above their recommended level so bumping up the salt by a few hunderd ppm is not a problem.

 

[fofa]

So what is the problem with a too high salt level?
How does it affect the SWG?

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

So what is the problem with a too high salt level?
How does it affect the SWG?

if it's above but still within min-max - it's ok
However if it's close to/over maximum, there is a high possibility that transformer will burn out if the unit doesn't have overload protection. If it does, then it will just turn off production and display alarm of some sort.

This post was above....

 

[fofa]

No, I saw that, but how does the salt level cause it to burn out the transformer?

I could see to low a salt level affecting it's performance, but too high?

 

[JasonLion]

High salt levels make the water more conductive. As the salt level increases the SWG will usually lower the voltage to keep the current constant. Some units can't lower the voltage, and other units have a limit to how far they can lower the voltage. With either of those two kinds, eventually you get to a point where the water is so conductive that the can't lower the voltage any further and the current continues to increase. At a high enough salt level and a high enough current the SWG will either shut down or overheat and destroy it's self.

There are a few brands that work at any salt level.