Aqualogic Help, please

[graffster]

Hi,
I'm still trying to get a handle on all this pool stuff! Our pool is 5 months old, and has been under the care of a "pool guy"...until this week...and now I'm the "pool gal".

I'm working on getting all of our numbers right, and so far, I think we're close.

My question: We have an Aqualogic SWG. I don't do anything to it...just go with what it's been set on. I believe it's showing that it's running at 55%. Do I need to be watching/changing that number? Also, every time I add salt, the handheld remote tells me 'Superchlorinator Off', without me doing anything.

It would help me if I understood the workings of this contraption, but it's kind of a mystery!

Thanks for any guidance you can provide!

 

[Guest]

A very good place to start is with the owner's manuals for the system and the handheld. If you never got them you can download them from http://www.goldlinecontrols.com/Support/Manuals.aspx

 

[waste]

Hi

If you have enough salt for it to operate, all should be fine!

You really don't want the 'super chlorinate' to ever come on - it's cheaper and better just to use bleach (rather than use that function) to up the cl quickly for a short period of time.

I'd love to go into more detail now, but I'm about an hour past my bedtime - if no one else gives more info on this, I'll be back tomorrow evening to fill in some of the gaps in what I've said

I'm certified to work on these units and will answer your questions so as to empower you to properly take care of your pool with this system :-D

Good night

 

[graffster]

Waste,
If you could give me some pointers on this thing, I'd REALLY appreciate it! I've read the manual over and over, but it's greek to me! I'm a pretty sharp gal, but having never owned a pool, (let alone maintained one!), I need the step by step basics!

This site has been a life saver to me!

I just added more salt tonite (we were down around 2600, according to the handheld.)

Tell me the best way to sit at your feet and learn...

:-D Kathy

 

[JasonLion]

The percentage setting, the 55% you referred to, controls how much chlorine is produced. Every couple of weeks you should measure the FC level in the late afternoon/early evening after a sunny day. If it is too high you can lower the percentage, if it is too low you can raise the percentage. Normally the percentage will be fairly stable, but it does change over the seasons as the water gets warmer or cooler. You normally need higher percentages when the water temperature is higher or when more people are swimming.

Super-chlorinate is the same as setting the percentage to 100% for 24 hours. As already mentioned, there is not usually any reason to do this.

Other than that, read the water balancing for a SWG article at pool school.

 

[graffster]

Thanks JasonLion. That's a great article on SWG. (I swear I read Pool School, but I keep finding things I didn't see before! I think it's like getting all your Bachelor's Degree education on the first day of college! Too much to take in!!! :!: )

I have one question about the CYA test. (And if this should be in 'testing the water', let me know.) Sounds stupid, but should the black dot at the bottom of the tube become COMPLETELY 'invisible'?? I had quite cloudy water last week, and as I added it to the tube, I could still see the dot (or so I thought!) It was very light gray, but I think it was still visible. I know that would make a big difference in the test #! So i want to get that right before I start messing with other things.

OK, so I added 40# of salt last week, brought my level up a bit (from 2500), added more last night and I'm at 2700 today. I guess I should add more, as the article said keep it on the high side rather than the low.

I know I'll get the hang of this, but it's scary right now!

thanks again,
Kathy

 

[duraleigh]

Hi, Kathy,

If you suspect your pool water is skewing the CYA test, simply test the pool water prior to adding the CYA reagent.

Fill the view tube with pool water only until the black dot disappears completely....record that result.

Then do the CYA test with the reagent and subtract your "pool water only" reading from that result.

 

[JasonLion]

Yes, completely invisible. These pictures from Taylor, scroll down, might be helpful in figuring out what it should look like.

 

[graffster]

JasonLion! That's why this place is so great!!! You guys not only have great knowledge...you have links to great stuff! And pictures!!! That's what I need! (In fact, I' had thought about photographing my test results for the CYA test to see if I was seeing (or not seeing!) the right thing!)

OK, so are you saying I the untouched pool water itself, when added to the CYA test tube, will cause the black dot to disappear? Then what? (Told you, I really need my hand held!)

Thanks again,
Kathy

 

[JasonLion]

If your pool water is currently quite murky it is possible for the CYA test to read incorrectly. You can compensate for this by pouring straight pool water slowly into the CYA view tube, if the dot disappears note the reading and then subtract that reading from your CYA test result.

 

[waste]

Kathy, Dave and Jason are doing a wonderful job of helping you!!!! I sincerely hope that you 'tame' this thing and get everything 'trouble free'

If you ever need my help, I'll be here (I was gone this past weekend on vacation )

THANK YOU!!! for signing up to be a lifetime member!! - I don't know what I'd do if this site disappeared for lack of funding :bowdown:

If you need any info from me - simply ask

 

[graffster]

JasonLion,
I don't mean to be 'dense', but I'm not 'getting' what you're saying about the CYA test!` I put plain pool water in the tube and it was as clear as can be. So I poured that out and did the test normally. I could still 'faintly' see the black dot at the bottom, even after adding the whole amount from the CYA squeeze bottle. Am i doing something wrong?

I tested everything tonite, and here are my numbers:

FC 3.5
CC 0
TC 3.5
pH 7.8
TA 60
CH 100
CYA 20
temp 94
Salt 3400

Here's my other question (and the reason i'm still posting in the SWG forum!) My Aqualogic is telling me my salt level is 2900 and the Salt strip says 3400. That seems like a big difference. I've heard talk about "calibrating" the SWG. Would that make the Aqualogic recognize the amount of salt closer to what the strips say?

The pool looks great right now. Got all the yuks out from Fay. Don't know if that matters or if 'looks are deceiving'!

Thanks,
kathy

 

[JasonLion]

Your water isn't murky enough to cause any problems, so you can ignore that part.

Your CYA test result means that there is less than 20 ppm of CYA in the water. Normally that is recorded as zero, even though it is presumably somewhere between zero and 20.

A SWG should have CYA somewhere around 70 to 80, so you have way too little CYA for the SWG. You should add some CYA. But don't add the full amount all at once. It is easy to raise CYA but difficult to lower it, so you want to work up to the final level slowly.

The Hayward units can sometimes read the salt level as lower than it actually is when the cell is dirty/scaled. Have you done a visual inspection of the cell recently? The plates should be silvery metallic or black, with no white chalky deposits.

 

[Guest]

Here is another article on SWGs that is a bit more in depth than the pool school one but basically the same (I wrote both of them). It might be helpful to you.
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=3663
As far as any qeustions you might have on the programming or use of the other features of the Aqualogic I do know a bit about them myself so if you post it I will try to answer. I also know how to reset the valve acutator cams if you want to change now much the valves open or close ( but your PB SHOULD have already taken care of all this).

 

[graffster]

Thanks, Waterbear...and I have LOTS of questions! (Hubby contracted the pool himself, so I guess he's the PB!!!) But I'm ending up on the maintenance end of it because I'm out with the kids in the pool a lot. Problem is, I've never given any thought to any of this before! I'm a "need to know how it works before I understand what to do to it" (That's why pool school was REALLY helpful!) Don't just add chems for the sake of adding chems, don't just change settings for the sake of changing settings, you know?

(In fact, those valve actuators REALLY confuse me! What are they? and what do they do? I know when I turn them, the water features change, and if you do one too far, the spa drains! :lol: )

If this is not the forum to get these basics understood, please tell me. Nothing like a newbie!!! (would pics of my pool equipment help? that I can do!!!)

Thank you all for your patience with me!!!

Kathy

 

[Guest]

(In fact, those valve actuators REALLY confuse me! What are they? and what do they do? I know when I turn them, the water features change, and if you do one too far, the spa drains! :lol: )


Kathy

You are in the right place to learn about your system. There are plenty of people here who can help. The acutators are electric 'valve turners' that allow you to turn the plumping valves by pressing a button on your remote or control panal. They have cams inside them that can be adjusted to either open and close a valve all the way or just part way, depending on your specific need and there is a 3 position switch on the bottom of each one that turns the actuator off in the middle position so it does not turn automatically and the other two positions turn the valve to the two positions set by the cams. If the switch is in the wrong position it means the valve will turn the wrong way (for example, if you have a valve that turns a water feature on and off if the switch on the actualtor is in the wrong position swetting the water feature on in the remote will shut it off and vice versa.)
The actuators are really pretty simple to understand. They are just remote controlled motors that turn your valves for you. Understanding what your valves in your particular system do and where they need to be set is a different story. You need to really understand that first before you can set up the actuators properly. That would be what I would start with. If your husband contracted the pool either he or the subcontractor that plumbed it should understand.

Pics are always helpful, btw!

 

[graffster]

Thanks for the great replies, and sorry for the lag time in responding! We're in SWFLa, dodging hurricanes...and my OCD makes me be GLUED to Wunderground.com for constant storm tracking...

Waterbear, I would love to ask a whole lot more questions, but don't want to bog you (or this site!) down with my ignorance. If I take a whole bunch of pictures of what I've got, can I post them to Shutterfly or PhotoBucket or something and have you look at what's there? (Let's just pretend I just moved into this house and the pool came with it so I legitimatly don't know anything about it! )

I'd also love to inspect the cell on my SWG, but even after looking at the manuals, can't figure out just how to do that (or even where it is!!)

My pool is looking great, and I have you all to thank for that! I just want to keep it that way, and not be lulled into a false sense of security just cuz it looks good now!

thanks a bunch!!!

Kathy

 

[waste]

Hey Kathy

You've still got questions and we're still here to answer them :-D

The cell is the 'bent' tube on the pipe after the filter with the white wire going to the salt panel. It should have 2 unions (knobby looking pipe) 1 on either end. Those unscrew to allow you to inspect the cell (if you do this watch out for the o-rings (black rubber "O's") in them, you don't want to loose one or have it get pinched when you reinstall the cell).

I hope you weathered the storm well and all is good with the pool, you and yours :sun: