Can't keep the FC from going too high and other questions

[Deb04]

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a newbie.

Here are our numbers:

FC = 8
pH = 7.2
TA = 225
CYA = 45
CH= 120

As instructed by the builder, we kept the filter running 24 hours for two weeks. Actually, he said longer, but after reading this board we decided that was silly and we were reducing it. We were running the SWG at 20% because the FC was too high if we set it at 40%. The FC had been running around 3.

We decided to run the filter for "only" 12 hours yesterday and increased the SWG to 40%. Since we were going from about 20 hours to 12 and since we finally got our CYA up to a measurable level (it had been less than 30 for the 4 weeks we've had the pool), it seemed 40% might be good. Now the FC is 8!

From what I read, our target FC should be 1 or 2. Correct? There is no setting on our swg less than 20%. Do we just run fewer hours?

Re the pH and the TA, we are working on reducing the TA with acid and then aerating. When we started the TA was 300. The pH seems to go up rather easily. Is that a factor of the swg?

Am I right that the CH being low isn't a problem since we have a vinyl pool?

Thanks

 

[duraleigh]

Hi, Deb,

Welcome to the forum. Every assumption in your post is correct and it seems you have a really good grasp of your issues.

You didn't ask, but most SWG's like a CYA of 60-80ppm which will cut your chlorine loss even further and cause you to reduce pump time perhaps even more than you want to.

Having the capacity to produce that much chlorine, tho, is a real benefit. 90% of the posts on this forum are because of not enough chlorine..... :lol: :lol:

 

[Rockcrawler]

You are right when you say

Am I right that the CH being low isn't a problem since we have a vinyl pool?

I was wondering what product you use to bring up your CYA?

My manual for the Autopilot SWG says keep clorine beween 1-3ppm, I keep mine at 3, and sometimes goes to 4, but my CYA is 70

What size is your pool, depending on your size you could cut down your run time, I have a 13000gal pool and run my filter 8 hrs a day.

The SWG does raise the PH slighty, but your PH is rising because you are aerating to lower your TA that is a good thing, the faster it rises to 7.8 the faster you can drop some more acid and lower your TA, keep it up its working

Rob

 

[Deb04]

We've been using Omni Pool Stabilizer which is 100% CYA.