Decreasing SWG output??

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F

firstbase

0
Feb 6, 2013
110
Jupiter, Florida
Latest numbers below, about as good as I can get it with one exception, Total Chlorine. When I went by pool store numbers I had the SWG set at 70%. When I started adjusting numbers to TFP levels it was way high, 14-15. So I turned it all the way off and over a few days it dropped to 4. Didn't want it to go any lower so I turned to 60% and Total Chlorine started climbing. Down to 50%, still climbing. Now that I have gotten my numbers in pretty good balance and stable for a few days I apparently need to lower it more (or run pool less). Going to go down to 30% today and see what happens.

Is this a normal occurrence when adjusting? Less need for cholrine output or addition? I have read Pool School through and through but can't really see what would drive it. A good thing to have happen though as my SWG is 10 years old and needs a rest.

FAC - 10
CC - 0
TAC - 10
CH 370
CYA 78
TA - 70
pH - 7.5
Borates - 50
Salt - 3200
Temp - 81
 
There are a number of factors that drive FC use. Most are related to the time of year. As it gets colder, the sun will burn off less, the colder water slows down algae growth and other effects like that. Plus as your water is getting better balanced, it is possible that there was some scaling on the cell, that has started to clear off. It is normal to need to adjust the % over the course of the year. A thing to note is that, for most SWGs, the % is based on run time/on time per hour. So, in your case for example, if the unit is on for 1 hour 30% of the time, it will be generating chlorine.
 
Your FC is going up because you're either putting more chlorine into the pool, or the demand for chlorine of the pool has decreased.

Things that will increase chlorine output from SWG are:
Lowering pH
increasing NaCl
increasing temperature


Chlorine use will be decreased by

Having nothing growing in the pool (SLAM, getting chemistry right)
Fewer swimmers, particularly children who urinate and do other things in the water
Less sun
More CYA
Lower temperature

Have any of these changed?

Edit: previous post while I was writing mine said mostly the same, sorry.
 
Thanks guys. Looks like a combination of things. I have had all of those:

Gotten the chemistry right
Fewer swimmers
Less sun
More CYA
Lower temperature

CYA was low so it got a lot of adjustment, temps are beginning to go lower, first time I have seen under 80 degreesin the morning, etc. The reality is that I didn't have much control over the pool and it has probably been real high for quite a while. Now that I have the tools I can adjust to what I should have been adjusting for 3 years ago. Adjusted to 30%, will check it agian this weekend and see whats up. Or down hopefully.
 
With most residential pools most of the FC depletion is from the sun. At this time of year the sun is not nearly as intense, even if there are hot days, so the FC does not get consumed as fast.

The SWG will likely need to be adjusted every month or turned off in most pools as winter sets in.
 
Summer time I run it 8 hours a day. About this time I dial it back some. I think I will give 6 hours a day a try and see what my numbers are.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm in south Florida so..odd as it may seem to some..we tend to use the pool less in the summer. Water is so warm it s not much more than a big bath tub. In the winter is when the family and friends come down from up north. While it may seem cool or cold to us it feels great to them because they left sub freezing temps up there and want to swim...
 

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