18' x 33' x 54" New Pool, Adding Salt

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T

ThaChad

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Sep 28, 2016
73
Central, Illinois
Hey all,

I have a Hayward Aquatrol RJ SWG. The pool was setup last Sept but I never set up the SWG because I wanted to wait until this year when I had more time to get the water levels all squared away and properly set up the SWG.

I am now adding salt, I added 6x 40lb bags and according to the Aqua Chek test strip I had ~1050ppm. I do not yet have a liquid test for salt and these test strips came with my order when I ordered the pool and SWG. By calculation the pool has Aprox 15,770 gallons of water.

Question 1: Does that sound right for the amount of salt that was added?

Question 2: The Hayward Aqua Trol control box, still shows 0 ppm. Any Ideas?

Thanks,

-ThaChad
 
Chad, all I can tell you is that if your salt target was somewhere around 3,000 ppm, the Poolmath calculator indicates you would need a little over NINE 40lb bags. You might want to confirm with your SWG owner's manual the recommended ppm. You can confirm yourself on the calculator as well. In fact, I would encourage it just to be safe and so you feel comfortable with that result. But that's what I got. As soon as you are able, ditch the test strips and get the Taylor 1766 salt test kit. Much better results that way, and always better than relying on the SWG or control boxes. :)
 
Yes, I started with 6 bags, because I didn't want to put too much. I had the water tested from my local pool store after over 24 hours of adding the salt, they tested it to be 2,200ppm.

I added 3 more bags today. I found out I guess the control box doesn't read the salt level unless it's generating. Which I thought to be weird, as it gives real time Temp readings. But anyway, it showed 2400ppm after 9 total bags of salt. But I may need to calibrate the reading on the control box as it's new.

I've read on this forum and many others that for Salt, the Test strips are accurate and very close (within 5%) of the liquid test strip.


-ThaChad
 
I don't know about 5% but the Aquachek salt test strips are close enough. I'm starting my 6th season with them and it has been fine. You just need to be in the ballpark and if the SWG is happy and making chlorine then life is good. My SWG will make chlorine with the salt level anywhere from 2800 ppm to 4500 ppm. So, it isn't too hard to stay in that range. :)
 
So I expected that with a SWG, I would be able to set it to a PPM of chlorine and it would maintain, obviously, that is not infact how it works, So how do I know how much chlorine it generates at each % running for X amount of time?

My plan: I was going to run the SWG 12 hours a day, 6p to 6a, at 50% and check FC levels daily, adjust % based off test results.

Is 3ppm (what the directions recommend) a realistic number? Seems low to me, but maybe reasonable if the SWG maintains it so the level is always there.

Thanks,

-ThaChad
 
One of the best ways is to use your test kit with daily testing using the FAS DPD test. You will then see the patterns for current daily FC usage- note that this will change as the temperature increases so you need to make the necessary adjustments by dialling up your SWG.

You should also be able to reduce the pump run time and increase the output on the SWG. This will help to reduce your electricity bill. Check out this link
Determining Pump Run Time

The manuals that come with a SWG generally recommend a way too low level of FC for a TFP pool. The important thing is to maintain the target FC level for your CYA level as per this chart Chlorine CYA Chart
 
Thank you for the great information!

I test my PH and FC daily.

My Pump currently is running 24/7 as I just opened the pool last week and am still working on getting the SWG running and getting all the water parameters right. Also because I have a Suction cleaner (Hayward Aquabug), But that will be changing very quickly to a robot.

I do have a 2 stage pump and will plan on running it from 12p-9p on the 2nd stage, as I figure that should help heating the pool from the Solar cover and of course will run the pump if we are swiming outside those hours.. Currently the Timer is set on the SWG to run from 6P to 6A, only because the pump is running 24/7.

How much variation should I expect in the PPM of salt? I assume that as the geberatir generates chlorine, the ppm of salt goes down?

Thanks,

-ThaChad
 

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The beauty of the SWG is that once the salt is converted to chlorine through electrolysis and then subsequently returned to the pool it turns back into salt as the chlorine is used up. And the cycle continues.

So the only time you need to add more salt is when you lose it through splashout, backwash in or overflow from rain.
 
Jezza said:
The beauty of the SWG is that once the salt is converted to chlorine through electrolysis and then subsequently returned to the pool it turns back into salt as the chlorine is used up. And the cycle continues.

So the only time you need to add more salt is when you lose it through splashout, backwash in or overflow from rain.
Click to expand...

Understood.

But I guess I was thinking a little deeper into it than that..

As in, Say I start with 3200ppm of salt, after 6 hours of generation, maybe I only have 2400ppm of salt, which would be a low salt condition for the generator. I guess in theory, before the generator turned back on, the salt level should have returned back to the 3200ppm, but what if it didn't, Maybe I didn't use up as much chlorine and I only have 2600ppm of salt, which is still a low salt condition..

I know, It's a "What If" senerio. I'm analyitical, sorry.

-ThaChad
 
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