SWG and Shocking

[newnick]

I've got a question about shocking the pool with a Swg. I've been shocking the pool for a few days now using bleach and running the pump 24/7 with the SWG set where it normally is (to maintain 3ppm FC). The FC stopped falling Sat. night, and held steady untill Sun. night. Sun. night I cut off the SWG and left the pump running and the FC dropped from 21ppm to 17ppm so I'm still killing algea.
Is this the proper way to determine your through shocking?

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

IMO, yes. I don't have an SWG but that makes sense to me, if the SWG is adding FC youre not getting an accurate result. So turn it off, to get accurate results.

 

[newnick]

That's my thinking.
I believe if I hadn't of turned it off the FC would've held through the night.

 

[DaveNJ]

In spring when I open the pool (no cover) its a mess. Turn off the SWCG and shock wiith bleach until I can keep CL over night with 0-.5 CC. Then I fire up the SWCG.

 

[JasonLion]

To get a meaningful measurement of FC loss overnight you need to turn off the SWG.

It is fine to leave the SWG on to help maintain the FC level except when you are doing the overnight test.

 

[newnick]

Thanks for the replies. I feel better about the way I'm approaching this now.

 

[Rockcrawler]

I guess depending on how excessive is excesive? its says in my SWG manual for the Auto Pilot that excessive chlorine levels can cause premature cell failure, I would leave it off

 

[Jenn_in_FL]

If the pump and filter is off, isn't the SWG off, too? We don't run the filter overnight so I test at night then in the AM before hte pump comes on. is this wrong?

 

[newnick]

The unit we have, Aquatrol, has a on off switch for the SWG. It will still allow the pump to run using the built in timer on the unit which the pump is plugged into. In addition to that there is a switch that allows the pump to be off, timed or on. What I've been doing is set the one switch for the pump to "run", leaving it in that position 24/7. Then after I check the FC in the morning I flip the other switch up to begin generating chlorine throughout the day, at night I simply move the switch back to the off position and it stops making chlorine but the pump remains on through the night.


The reason I'm doing this is because the pool has algea.

 

[JasonLion]

If the pump is off then the SWG is off. However you do want to run the pump a little before testing to mix the water and you want the SWG off for that.

When they say excessivle FC can damage an SWG they mean really really high levels, way a I've shock level.