How does my Rainbow Chrlorinator (Holds 10 x 3" Tabs) work??

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I

IPvFletch

0
Feb 24, 2008
79
Dripping Springs, TX
First off, no comments about BBB or Liquid Chlorine... :) I know Trichlor adds CYA but I need that right now - my CYA is low as this is a brand new pool.

ANYWAYS, how does this Rainbow thing work? I read the manual and it was no help. Fundamentally, what I'm trying to get my hands around is the flow of water... Water flows in and fills up the canister, right? So the trichlor tabs essentially just soak in water and slowly dissolve over time.

But is the rate at which this dissolved Trichlor gets into the water affected by the size of the puck and how quickly it dissolves in water and can squeeze out some kind of injection tube back into the system/pool?

OR

Is the rate at which this dissolved Trichlor gets into the water defined by the meter setting on the Rainbow unit. I would think this is how it works, but I can't seem to get my hands around this system..

My concern is how quickly will I use up 10 pucks, and also is like I have 10 pucks of Trichlor in my pool? Or does it slowly release say 1/10 of the pucks over a 24-hour period???

Thanks in advance!
Kevin
 
A small amount of water goes into the trichlor compartment and back out to the pool continuously while the pump is running. The rate at which water goes through depends on the setting on the unit. A more or less constant amount of trichlor dissolves for each fixed volume of water, so more water means more trichlor gets to the pool.

How much trichlor gets to the pool, and thus how often you need to refill the canister, depends on the dial setting, how long the pump runs each day, and the water temperature (warmer water dissolves trichlor slightly faster). In most situations a full canister will last a week or more but of course the actual length of time varies with the setting, pump run time, and water temperature.
 
Thanks Jason.

Is there a clear correlation between the # setting on the dial and the outputted FC PPM level?

Like, is a 3 on there going to be 1.5ppm or 3ppm?

Mine was at 3 and I moved it down to 1.5 the other day, but I still have just as much FC (Residual Chlorine)... ???
 
No, there is no particular correlation between the setting and the FC level in ppm. As with a SWG, you need to test the FC level occasionally and adjust the setting up or down as required.

Changes to the setting will take from one to several days to be reflected in the FC level in the pool. It is also important to keep in mind that the FC level in the pool will vary over the course of the day, depending on the amount of sunlight falling on the pool and when the pump runs. If you want to compare measurements at different settings it is important to do the tests at about the same time of day. I suggest testing right around sunset, as that is normally the time when FC is lowest.
 
Even though you need cyanurites as you say, you need to be careful about using so many tabs on new plaster. you're going to kill that rich layer of calcium and pay for it later with bad plaster. There are better ways to put CYA in your pool w/o the low pH factor of tabs.
 
Used appropriately, trichlor tabs are almost ideal for opening a new plaster pool. Trichlor add chlorine, lowers PH, and adds CYA. All three are needed in new plaster pools.

Careful management of the PH level is of course very important when opening a new plaster pool. When used at a rate that maintains reasonable FC levels it is likely that the plaster will increase the PH more quickly than the trichlor lowers it and acid will still need to be used to prevent the PH from getting too high. In the unlikely case that the PH actually goes down it will need to be increased by adding borax or soda ash.
 
Repair_guy,

Can you provide more info on that? I read many of your posts and you have a great deal more experience than I do but I do not understand how trichlor pucks will damage new plaster.
 

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I think what he was referring to is that a large amount of trichlor at once could 'eat up' the TA and cause the pH to drop. Low pH will definately damage new plaster. Also, high bicarbonate startup is one of the newer methods of starting new plaster and it seems to produce a smoother plaster finish thaneither acid or traditional startup methods. Also, there is some evidence linking use of trichlor to soft spot damage to plaster but nothing conclusive that I have been able to see.
 
Hi, Waterbear,

Low pH will definately damage new plaster.
Click to expand...
Evan, now I'm really mixed up. What's the deal with an acid start-up on new plaster? I know many builders use it but it seems to conflict with what you're saying.

We're kinda' hijacking the thread but is there a resource on the web where I could read up on this subject? I'd particularly like to learn more about an acid startup.
 
duraleigh said:
Hi, Waterbear,

Low pH will definately damage new plaster.
Click to expand...
Evan, now I'm really mixed up. What's the deal with an acid start-up on new plaster? I know many builders use it but it seems to conflict with what you're saying.

We're kinda' hijacking the thread but is there a resource on the web where I could read up on this subject? I'd particularly like to learn more about an acid startup.
Click to expand...
Acid start up is a procedure that is only done for a short time then the pH is raised. There has been some questions raised as to whether it actually does cause plaster damage or not. It is easier and less work than traditional startup because it does not require the constant brushing several times a day and is a faster startup procedure. An acid startup procedure is one of the ways to expose the aggragete in an exposed aggregate finish because you NEED to eat away some of the plaster to do this. According to the Diamond Brite info I posted below it is NOT the recommeded procedure unless the installer is not experienced! The call it the wet acidwash procedure

Here are some links for reference:
Standard Startup
Acid Startup
Exposed Aggregate
Bicarbonate Startup
 
Acid is to help remove the calcium bond from the plaster, so it is a smoother surface when it fully cures. Once there's plenty of acid in there (e.g. 8 gallons to 10,000 gallon pool) the pH will be like 7.0 but when you brush the walls and what not, it will become quite smooth and remove brush strokes, lines, calcium build-ups, etc.. Then after a few days (10?) you go back to normal pH levels..

At least this is what my PB told me...


As for Exposed Aggregate, as I understand it, it is just an acid wash, not a soak, although I don't know how different it is - you probably have a LOT more control if it's just a wash/rinse with acid than just filling the pool and tossing it later. But you're right, it is to remove the top layer of plaster so you can see the aggregate pieces. It is like cleaning tile right after you grout - you do it in such a way that the tile remains and grout fill remains, but nothing covers the tile when you wash the excess grout off.
 
IPvFletch said:
Acid is to help remove the calcium bond from the plaster, so it is a smoother surface when it fully cures. Once there's plenty of acid in there (e.g. 8 gallons to 10,000 gallon pool) the pH will be like 7.0 but when you brush the walls and what not, it will become quite smooth and remove brush strokes, lines, calcium build-ups, etc.. Then after a few days (10?) you go back to normal pH levels..

At least this is what my PB told me...

Acid start up is easier for the PB, that is the main reason many of them recommend it! Whether it produces a better finish has been a subject of debate for many years now!
As for Exposed Aggregate, as I understand it, it is just an acid wash, not a soak, although I don't know how different it is - you probably have a LOT more control if it's just a wash/rinse with acid than just filling the pool and tossing it later. But you're right, it is to remove the top layer of plaster so you can see the aggregate pieces. It is like cleaning tile right after you grout - you do it in such a way that the tile remains and grout fill remains, but nothing covers the tile when you wash the excess grout off.
Click to expand...

There are several methods to expose the aggregage, water washing and brush scrubbing (takes skill and a lot of workers!), acid washing, and wetacid washing (acid startup). Which method is used depends on the skill of the installer and also on the weather!
 
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