New to SWG pool

[93ls1rx7]

Hey guys, just moved into a new house with an inground pool and it is a SWG pool.

We have been here for 2 days and I got around to testing the water today. The previous owner said she "Got the pool ready to swim". I had been smelling a cholrine smell and figured it was high.

My results were using the TK-100 test kit:

PH 7.2
FC- I got to 40 drops (20 chorline level) and it still hadnt turned the solution clear
TA- I got to 20 drops and still hadnt turned the solution pink

At this point I stopped testing.

I turned off the generator completely (it was operating at 40%).

Does a salt water pool cause "different" test results or should it all be the same as a traditional pool?

Any recommendations on getting the cholrine levels down? I dont want them so high because we cant use the pool and I dont want it to destroy the equipment. The previous owner said she "Added 40lbs of salt last week".

With the PH in balance and no algae etc, should the cholrine level be the first I need to get under control before worrying about TA, CH etc?

Also any way to figure out the pool volume? The previous owner had no clue.....

I appreciate any help.

Mike

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

Nothing about a SWG causes any problems for the test kit.

What color(s) did the TA test show? Sometimes it goes from blue to yellow instead of green to red.

Do you know what your CYA level is? The higher the CYA level, the longer it will take for the FC level to come down. ALso, at higher CYA levels very high FC levels are much less likely to cause any problems.

If you tell us the size, shape, and depth of your pool we can probably figure out how much water it holds.

 

[93ls1rx7]

The TA test did go to a yellow....Just on the old pool (non SWG) it went red so that is what I was expecting.

CYA level is: 80

The water smells very "Cholriney", which I didnt think SWG pool were supposed to smell.

The pool shape is:
Kidney Bean Shape
12' "wide"
30' "long"
Shallow end is about 3-4 ft
Deep end is 6'

Thanks for the quick response...for some reason my old old posts disappeared but I used you guys EXTENSIVELY when I converted from Bacquacil.

 

[JasonLion]

Your pool is probably about 10,000 gallons, maybe a little less if you have a vinyl liner. You can refine that guess over time by watching how the various chemical levels change when you make adjustments. If the levels are consistently high after a chemical addition then your pool is a little smaller, if they are consistently low then you pool is a little larger.

With CYA around 80, it is going to take a while for the FC level to come down.

 

[93ls1rx7]

Jason thanks for the help. I guess I will keep testing the chlorine levels until the come down.

 

[ivyleager]

You can always drain some water, and refill. I don't know where you live and if you are under water restrictions. But, with a SWG a CYA of 80 is high. So by draining, you'd be killing 2 birds with one stone: lowering both chlorine and CYA.

 

[duraleigh]

I guess I will keep testing the chlorine levels until the come down.

That's what I would do as well.

YOu can save some reagent (and time) by using the chlorine test in the blue plastic box (OTO).

I know it only goes to 5ppm so it will show up orange or very dark yellow for a while. Once your Chlorine in the pool get's to around 5ppm, it will start to match up with the colors on the testing block. That'll be time to turn the SWG back on.

 

[93ls1rx7]

Well it was finally down to 6 PPM on Saturday...looks like I have to run the SWG at 20% for about 12 hours per day to get the chlorine levels to stay around 4 ppm with my current CYA level. Todays goal is to get the rest of the chemicals correct now that the chlorine is under control.

 

[93ls1rx7]

Update:

I got everything under control Chlorine wise (Took almost a week of no SWG and some good sun) but the levels finally came down. Got everything balanced and it seems like with my CYA levels around 100, that I only have to run the SWG about every other night to keep the chlorine levels in the 3-5 range.

I am still running the filter about 14 hours a day for cleaning etc but it is wonderful getting in the pool with no chlorine smell and such a nice water feel.