Unexplained SWG differences from pool to pool

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Re: Downsides of SWGs - fact or fiction?

Yes, you can set it up to control PH with the sensor and run the chlorine in simple percentage mode. In the Installer menu look for the Select System entry and then pick pH Control. That will restart the unit in PH automation mode. I think you can also get the same effect in Total Control mode by disabling the ORP sensor on the Maintenance menu, but I haven't tried that recently.

It is very common for SWG pools to have an acid demand, but it doesn't need to be that way. The recommendations given out by most pool stores and web sites are far from ideal for a SWG, and that is what is creating the acid demand. By lowering your TA level down to around 60, adding borates, and raising the CYA level, you can dramatically lower the frequency of acid additions.
 
Jason --

Thanks for the tip on automating the pH function while manually controlling the chlorine generator. I'll do that, get the CYA back up to 80, and hope for better times. With a higher CYA, I'm hopeful the acid demand will go down from 3 to 2 gallons or less per month. It will be nice to have acid automatically monitored. I'll still have to watch TA, but that moves more slowly, and the weekly chemical dosage to raise it is lightweight and easy to carry. I'd like to get back to testing my pool with my Taylor kit on a weekly instead of daily basis.

Regarding your experience of having to add no acid at all, the key must be borates. I've already tried TA at 60 or less with CYA at 80 with a manual SWG, and the acid demand still required at least 1 quart of acid a week, usually more. The problem of keeping pH anywhere near 7.5 was exasperating, because with TA levels so low, the pH would shoot up fast if not monitored slavishly every day. With a liquid chlorine pool, all I had to do was test weekly, with in most cases nothing more required than to add chlorine. TA and pH practically took care of themselves.

So I'll think about using borates. One question: After adding the correct calculated amount of borate material to the pool, how do I monitor the borate level so as to know when more is required? It rains a lot where I live during the summer, and any chemical added (like salt or CYA) must be replenished from time to time, due to overflow from the skimmer after a lot of rain. Thanks.
 
Warlord46 said:
Regarding your experience of having to add no acid at all, the key must be borates. I've already tried TA at 60 or less with CYA at 80 with a manual SWG, and the acid demand still required at least 1 quart of acid a week, usually more. The problem of keeping pH anywhere near 7.5 was exasperating, because with TA levels so low, the pH would shoot up fast if not monitored slavishly every day. With a liquid chlorine pool, all I had to do was test weekly, with in most cases nothing more required than to add chlorine. TA and pH practically took care of themselves.
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Don't be too disappointed if the borates don't pan out to be the magic bullet for your PH problem. While I don't doubt the veracity of the claims of some who say their PH is "rock solid" at 7.5 without additional acid, every pool is different.

I have borates and an acid demand of about a quart/week to maintain 7.5 in my non-SWG pool. From what I've read I think that is pretty close to normal, although I will say that even with a low TA of 60, my PH has never moved as erratically as you describe.

FWIW,
Dave
 
I have borates and an acid demand of about a quart/week to maintain 7.5 in my non-SWG pool. From what I've read I think that is pretty close to normal, although I will say that even with a low TA of 60, my PH has never moved as erratically as you describe.
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It's the SWG component of my TC system that constantly pushes the pH up whenever it is generating chlorine. And with low TA to reduce acid demand, the movement of the pH is much more rapid than it would be with TA at 120. Unless you have an automatic TC system, my experience indicates daily monitoring of pH is required with a basic SWG and low TA.

Before I installed my SWG and then TC, this very same pool had no acid demand at all. Just added chlorine weekly, with shocking as required. I think that is the norm with a liquid chlorine pool, although as you say every pool is different.
 
I have an AG pool with the TC system. It gave me tons of trouble, and is still not working perfectly, but I'll take it for now. Here is my take on it. 7500 gallon 18' round 52" deep. Bather load is mostly 3 or 4 people almost daily.

PH 7.5 but always goes down, not up. 7.42 - 7.5 range. Always there.
TA is down to 50 (oops)
CYA is 30
FC is anywhere from 2-11
salt 3000
size 48 Salt cell power set on "1"


I poured 1 gallon of muriatic acid into the tank in the beginning of the season, and it still hasn't run out yet in September. The gallon was mixed with water in the tank at 1-4 ratio.

PH is pretty constant. I did have to add borax quite often in the beginning per calculator instructions, but stopped doing so after a while.

I'm too afraid to let the numbers go anywhere from here because it's "working" as it is. I think I may need to raise TA but I don't know. Season is over, so it might have to be next year. I am looking to add borates next year to 50ppm as well.

The huge difference for me, thanks to jason and others, was simply directing my returns up, over the water line, so it would aerate. The orp sensor seems to work better this way because of hydrogen not dissolving in the water. Don't quote me on that please. I understood it when it was told to me, but I forget the exact terms now. It works! lol

So, all summer, I had no problems with anything like algea, discolored water, etc.. TC system seemed to finally work as it should. Yep, I still tested the water up to 10 times a day. Reordered some testing supplies a couple of times. It's a curiosity thing. I may still get that wireless camera to point at the TC system so I can view the numbers from inside my house.
 
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