Need Help with Intex SWG

[RognJen]

I've got almost the same problem. Mine is the 18'x48", with the cs8110. I had the water tested a week ago, and was told I had no CYA, 0 FC, and needed salt (I put the 5 bags in when I first set up the pool 2 weeks ago). I put in the CYA and salt, ran pump for 3 days. Still was cloudy and now the water was burning our eyes. I had it tested today, and attached are the results. I am becoming very frustrated with this system. I cleaned the copper plates and metal bars with the 4:1 mix of Mu Acid twice, and ran it in boost mode the last two days, and I'm still at 0 FC. What gives?? It seems they don't want to be too helpful there if you aren't using them to maintain your pool. I do buy stuff there, but not enough to catch there interest.

Any help you can give would be great.

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

You almost certainly need to shock the pool, which requires manual chlorine additions to get things started.

You should also take a look at this article in chemical balance for use with a SWG.

 

[RognJen]

Well, I've shocked the pool about every 3 days, and the water never clears up. I'll test it again tomorrow, but I don't think this SWG is doing what it's supposed to. I may take it back before it gets too late. Everyone I talk to at Leslie's says it won't keep up with the Texas heat and sun.

 

[fsteve65]

You say you have been shocking every 3 days ! Have you read pool school on how to properly shock ..shocking is a process not a product also what are you using to test with besides using the pool store.

 

[BBBliever]

I think your intex swcg will do fine if you provide the proper water chemistry for it. Your first difficulty is relying on pool store testing to ballance your water. My pool store tested my CYA at 30 ppm when I know it was 60 ppm.

In your Texas heat/sun you need to bump your CYA up to 80 ppm for your SWCG. Also, shocking is a process not a product that you dump in the pool every three days.

All you info you need for a clear pool with minimum maintanece/expense is on this site. We are all here to help after you help yourself by reading up a bit and getting a good test kit.

If the money for the test kit seems a high expense you could always take back the intex SWCG and become a good customer for leslies. I don't recommend that route as it is much more expensive.

Really we want to help but without accurate test results from you there is little we can do.

 

[1sewinmom]

Please read up on how to shock your pool here. By putting a shock product in the pool every 3 days it gives the algae time to use it up and grow again. If you raise your chlorine level to shock level and hold it there it will clear up. It's sort of like treating an illness. You have to treat the pool like it needs antibiotics. The salt water generator can't make enough chlorine to clear it. Pool School explains all of this very well.

From what I see, if the store's numbers are correct, you really need more CYA in your pool. The CYA acts sort of like sunscreen for the chlorine. Too much makes it ineffective, too little and your chlorine gets used up way too fast. Read "Pool School". I wouldn't increase it until you finish shocking your pool.

The water is probably burning your eyes because the PH is too high.

You really do need to get a good test kit. It will save you money if you know what it needs and how to keep it clear. Our local pool store results vary depending on who does the testing and how it's done. Test strips are notoriously inaccurate. How are you testing?

 

[zea3]

SWG are designed to add chlorine slowly over an extended period of time, and in general are not effective for shocking the pool. You should supplement your chlorine using liquid chlorine until the SWG is able to maintain the recommended level independently.
Please post a current set of test results so we may advise you better.

 

[RognJen]

Please point me to a good test kit online and I'll order it. I don't like counting on Leslies, but I have no knowledge of pools. I've looked at test kits, but don't know which one would be best.

I found this one: http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Deluxe-Poo ... B001DNXK78

Or expensive: http://www.globalscientificsupply.com/c ... 7AodlnvFXg

Thanks

 

[Bama Rambler]

TF Testkits has the TF-100 which is the best kit available. They also have great customer service and very fast shipping.

 

[RobbieH]

The TF-100 is going to be a WHOLE lot more accurate than that ColorQ too.

 

[frogabog]

Note that the Amazon kit is NOT a FAS-DPD kit.

That's the old style Taylor K-2005 DPD kit. It can only test up to 5ppm chlorine and it has the older style CH and ALK reagents with demand reagents that you do not need (pool calculator does all that for you).

It's not useless, but it is inadequate and you will still need to purchase a FAS-DPD chlorine test to complete it. It'll cost you the same as if you simply buy the TF100 from www.TFTestkits.net plus there's WAY more CYA reagent in the TF100 and I think the bottle sizes are larger as well for all the other reagents. A better deal for more stuff. Can't beat that.