New SWG system

[swhimsey]

Ok, last year you guys helped me convert from baqucil, which was such a help! When I opened this year we decided to go with a SWG. It was installed on Friday evening in a pool that looked terrible! However by Saturday morning it was already crystal clear! WOW! I hope this is how it stays all year, because last year was the year from heck! Anyway, here is what I need to know. My installer is from another town approximatley 3 hours away, so I am hoping I can get answers on here faster than from him.

On Saturday my pool readings were this:
FC - .5
CC - .5
total TC - 1

TA - 130
CH - 120
PH - 7.5
CYA - 0
I have a 17500 gallon fiberglass pool.
Sunday I was gone most of the day so was unable to check water balance, however the cell still showed everything good.

This morning got up things were fine. Went to check again about and hour ago and the cell says low salt. So I retested my water and here are the readings now.
FC -0
CC - 0
TC -0
TA -150
CH - 160
CYA - 0

So my questions is, how much salt do I add! And what is the most important thing to do next. I want to get this thing going right at the beginning and know what I'm doing.

the system I have is the IntelliChlor Electronic Chorine Generator,

Also it tells me to test to see how much salt I need to add? What test do I use and where do I get it? My installer left nothing for this!
Your wonderful help in this matter is greatly apprecitaed.

Thanks, Sondra

 

[tagprod]

what kind of SWG did you get? I would start getting your CYA up to 80 ppm.

 

[JasonLion]

Try the AquaChek salt test strips, available from many places. Be sure to measure the current salt level before adding any so you don't add too much.

As tagprod said, you should also get your CYA level up to the 60 to 80 range. Do that in two or three steps so you don't overshoot. It is much simpler to raise the CYA level than to lower it.

You many well need to manually add chlorine to supplement the SWG until the salt and CYA levels are right.

 

[swhimsey]

IntelliChlorElectronic Chorine Generator IC40.

Also, how do I get my CYA up?

Do I add salt right now?

I forgot to tell you the water temp is around 65 if that makes a difference.

 

[swhimsey]

OK I just read about the CYA in your what to test for and what it means. Ok is there any paticualar kind of stabilizer that is better and does it make any difference with the SWG? Sorry for all the questions, but I guess that's the only way to learn.
Sondra

 

[JasonLion]

CYA is raised with products called either stabilizer or conditioner, in either case you want something that contain cyanuric acid. You probably have to go to a pool store to find it, though places like WalMart/Home Depot/Lowes sometimes have it.

If the SWG isn't complaining about a low salt level then wait for the test strips before adding salt. If the SWG is complaining, try adding half as much salt as recommended and see what happens. Give the salt several hours with the pump running to mix in before testing again.

 

[EskimoPie]

I'd give it another day or two to really let all the salt dissolve and evenly distribute... I know on mine I had the same issue in the couple of days after startup, then it straightened itself out... Don't add salt blindly since the only way to lower it is to drain and re-fill.

 

[swhimsey]

Thanks for the help. I will get started with the stabilizer first.

Sondra

 

[swhimsey]

CYA results

I started adding stablizer on Mon. as you suggested to bring up the CYA. Here are my numbers as of today, Saturday.
FC - 2.5
CC - .5
TC - 3
PH - 7.8
TA 130
CH - 130
CYA - 0
Salt - 5.8 (3550 ppm)

I started adding the Stabilizer by placing it in a sock in front of the skimmer. The sock is almost empty as of this morning. Should I go ahead and add more? I started off adding approximately 1 pd.

Also, you can see my salt reading above, but my cell says low salt again. After it did this the first time (Mon) it was suggested to wait a couple days and see if it would go back to normal, which after I brushed the pool it did that same day. However the low salt issue started again yesterday, I have brushed the pool again. My question is if I understand right the salt test shows I am ok, and do I need to just keep concentrating right now on the CYA? Also what about my PH, should I be concerned about it right now?

Last but not least I do appear to have some kind of staining I think. It's not really a brown, just kind of different appearance on certain areas of the fiberglass. Should I be concerned about this. I live in the country and have well water which I do have lots of metals in water. I have purchased SaltTreat for removal or prevention of stains in salt water pools. I have not added any yet. Let me know what my next steps are. Sorry for so many questions.

Sondra

 

[duraleigh]

Sondra,

I don't thinking you're using the pool calculator....you need at least 7 more lbs of stabilizer (CYA)

 

[swhimsey]

Thanks Dave....forgot about the calculator. It's been since last year since I was on here. I went to it and now will add the proper amounts. I'm a doofus!


Sondra