Algae Help!

[mknauss]

At CYA of 70, your SWCG range is 3-5. Non-SWCG range is 8-10. Why so high for your SWCG pool?

The target is 5 ppm FC. It is not advised to use Minimum FC as part of a range.

For those with past issues with algae and more susceptible to water chemistry issues, keeping the FC close to 10% of CYA is advised.

 

[poolmom21]

There is one other item I will add to your VS pump schedule. There is no reason to stop and then restart your VS pump in the middle of the day. You don't state the specific model of Hayward but must VS pumps will run at the highest rpm that is scheduled. So If you would set your normal speed - lets use 1725rpms - from 8am to 6pm so that is 10 hrs. Then set another schedule from 8am to 2pm at 3105rpm. The pump will understand that it must run at the higher rpm from 8am to 2pm then turn it self down to the lower rpm from 2pm to 6pm. It will not switch off and restart.

Now saying that - it was stated by Marty that you should run your pump & swcg 14 hrs a day to generate the 4ppm of FC. This is to replenish the lost of that amount of FC each day due to bather load and UV sunshine. So if you are maintaining your FC at 8ppm it will slowly decline due to UV and bather load but the SWCG will generate FC to keep it up near 8ppm. So the stated 4ppm is compensate for the daily lost of FC.
So a possible schedule would be
6am to 8pm (14hrs) at 1725rpms. This should allow your SWCG to continue to produce FC throughout the day.
Then set a higher rpm to facilitate skimming such as from 5pm to 7pm (or pick any 2-3 hours that you wish) and set that for a higher rpm - say 3000 rpm.

Now if you want to reduce your SWCG from 100% to lets say 80%, then you need to run your pump for 17hrs to produce the 4ppm of FC.

Hope all of this makes sense and does not overwhelm you. The goal is to let your pump run as much as you wish for a full time without start and stopping throughout the day.

So what % would be recommended for FC 5 ppm a day at 14 hrs?

 

[mknauss]

The SWCG creates the chlorine for your pool. Regardless what level of FC you wish to keep in the pool water, you must create what is lost each day. In your climate, at this time of year, I suggest you start with 4 ppm FC added per day. Which is 100% generation for 14 hours per day.

 

[pb4uswim]

So what % would be recommended for FC 5 ppm a day at 14 hrs?

I would just decide on a pump schedule and then set my percentage at your best guess. Then monitor it for a few days and you’ll have it dialed in. I’d start high just to be safe. I started at 50% but I run the pump 24/7. If not 24/7, I’d probably start at 75% and monitor it from there.

 

[Oly]

Your daily FC loss will be the same if you target 6ppm or 10ppm for your pool water. The job of your SWG is to match and replace your daily FC loss. You decide how much FC buffer you want / need to keep your pool clean based on how much it is used and where you live.
Be aware daily FC loss is a moving target throughout the year.

 

[HermanTX]

So what % would be recommended for FC 5 ppm a day at 14 hrs?

Do you have PoolMath app? It may be easier for you to understand. What Marty and others have said is that based on your SWCG model if you only want to run at 14 hrs, you have to put output at 100% and will only generate 4ppm throughout that 14 hrs time period.
If you want 5ppm then you have to increase your runtime to 17hrs because you cannot increase your output above 100%.
If you want a lower output %, then you have to increase runtime even more - so 90% output will required 19 hrs to generate 5ppm over that 19 hrs.
The Pool Math app can provide you all the different settings based on what you want.

Also, the amount of PPM you want to generate is the estimated amount you will lose daily. So if you want a 5ppm FC target and you may lose 4ppm per day, then you want to understand what the you need to set your pump time and % output to handle 4ppm (not 5ppm).

 

[mariane]

The target is 5 ppm FC. It is not advised to use Minimum FC as part of a range.

Thanks for correcting my FC note. (I never like to run mine at the minimum either)

 

[red-beard]

Has your system ever failed for running it 24/7?

It has been running for a year this way. Most people run it like this if they have a variable speed pump. The people that run 100% for some "X" number of hours typically have a single speed pump. It is more energy efficient.

Remember, when the SWG is running, it is running 100%. It is like an older microwave oven. For 30%, it runs 30% of the hour it is on. If you set the SWG to 25%, it runs 15 minutes in a 1 hour period. 50% means it runs 30 minutes in a 1 hour period, etc.

EDIT: My pool pump has been running 24/7 for over 5 years. I have only had the SWG installed for a year. Install was on Aug 29th, 2020

Today is the Day - SWCG install

One Conference call around 930AM and then on to installing the salt cell. Need to swing by the hardware store and get some PVC glue (mine has dried out) and some masonry anchors.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Newdude]

+1. I had 7.5 years running 24/7. I had 2 ‘times’. Summertime and wintertime. When we moved the pump was a little faded from the sun but as quiet as the day it was new.

I promptly bought the new version for my new pool, and will never turn this one off either.

 

[red-beard]

Your SWG will produce 1.47 lbs of chlorine per day at 100% running 24 hours. This translates to 7 ppm FC for 25,000 gallon pool.

25000 gallons * 8.34 lbs/gallon = 208,500 lbs. ---> 1.47 lbs Chlorine /208,500 lbs water = 0.00000705 --> 7.05 ppm

You can adjust how much is produced by decreasing the % on the SWG, reducing run time or a combination of both.

Pool Math has a calculator in the "Effects of Adding" function. Select "SWG" for the chemical you are adding. Use the magnifying glass to select your salt cell (Hayward Aqua Rite T-15). Choose "What would you like to calculate?" and then it will solve for the run hours, FC or SWG percent based on your inputs.

 

[poolmom21]

I need to convince my husband to let the pump run 24-7 on low speed. But for now I set it to 14 hours. 4 hours on high speed and 10 hours on low speed. I’ll change it when weather cools down as we don’t use it during winter months.

 

[poolmom21]

Do you have PoolMath app? It may be easier for you to understand. What Marty and others have said is that based on your SWCG model if you only want to run at 14 hrs, you have to put output at 100% and will only generate 4ppm throughout that 14 hrs time period.
If you want 5ppm then you have to increase your runtime to 17hrs because you cannot increase your output above 100%.
If you want a lower output %, then you have to increase runtime even more - so 90% output will required 19 hrs to generate 5ppm over that 19 hrs.
The Pool Math app can provide you all the different settings based on what you want.

Also, the amount of PPM you want to generate is the estimated amount you will lose daily. So if you want a 5ppm FC target and you may lose 4ppm per day, then you want to understand what the you need to set your pump time and % output to handle 4ppm (not 5ppm).

Yes, I do use the app. I am learning the other features in the app. Glad I know how to use it for SLAM, now I just need to figure out how to maintain the FC at 5 ppm. Thank you for everyone’s advice.

 

[red-beard]

Go are going from Poolmom to PoolMaster! Or would it be PoolMistress? I don't know. But you're moving up to SOMETHING! Doing great!

 

[Newdude]

I need to convince my husband to let the pump run 24-7 on low speed.

The pump should have a power consumption readout that lets you know what each RPM range is drawing in real time. It helps to see 120W (?) and relate that to 1.5 light bulbs. Welllllllll shooooooooooot !!!! Let that Lil fella run all day !!! Lol.

Pick the more important battles for now and when the time comes we will die on that hill together !!!!

 

[poolmom21]

The pump should have a power consumption readout that lets you know what each RPM range is drawing in real time. It helps to see 120W (?) and relate that to 1.5 light bulbs. Welllllllll shooooooooooot !!!! Let that Lil fella run all day !!! Lol.

Pick the more important battles for now and when the time comes we will die on that hill together !!!!

Ha! I’ll have to check the consumption.

 

[HermanTX]

Ha! I’ll have to check the consumption.

This is a very important step. You say you will run 10hrs at low speed and 4 hrs at a higher speed. Just check those 2 speeds for energy consumption. You will see they are not linear, The higher the speed the more energy so the whole benefit of a variable speed pump is to run as much as you can at a lower speed to accomplish tasks such as chlorine generation and use higher speeds when needed to power a cleaner (if you have one) or need more skimming action, etc.

If you can post your model type of the Hayward pump, someone may have more data to share that owns that same pump.

 

[wireform]

Poolmom,
One bit of advice here. You're getting all the answers you've could have wanted but the simple answer is don't flirt with minimum or even target as you just won "enemy algae" and saw firsthand what that's all about. That being said nothing wrong with being ahead of the fight by keeping the FC perhaps at 8ppm. The SWCG won't know the difference and neither will anybody using the pool. At that setting you'll always be ahead of the fight. My suggestion would be get the water up to 8ppm with LC and just maintain the new target of 8 by replacing your daily loss so that at any given time you check you'd find it at or very close to that. If your daily loss is 4 ppm then that's what you need to calculate for. For now pick whatever you figured on and check it the same time every day. If it drops from the magic #8 then you know to increase percent or the hours the pump runs. If it's gets higher leave it and watch a few days and then make only a slight adjustment. Important for you to also understand the SWCG is to maintain a chlorine level but not to overcome a big drop therefore, if you have an unusual heavy bather load like a pool party you can add a half jug of chlorine before the party and after it another half. This way you wouldn't set yourself up for disaster.

 

[jark87]

My suggestion would be get the water up to 8ppm with LC and just maintain the new target of 8 by replacing your daily loss so that at any given time you check you'd find it at or very close to that.

+1 on a higher than “target” target. I was maintaining FC of 5ppm and had an algae outbreak that took quite awhile to get under control. After guidance from this forum, I now manage FC in a range of 7-9ppm. We had heavy rains last week and quite a bit of organic debris was dropped into the pool. Even after cleaning up the pool, my FC dropped from 8 to 6 to 5 over 3 days, so I knew I had a problem. Sure enough, I was dropping 3ppm based on the overnight chlorine loss test. I was able to get through the SLAM in 2 days with an OCLT of .5 after day 2. Water is back to crystal clear! Had I still been maintaining FC of 5ppm, I suspect the situation would have been worse and the SLAM would have taken much longer.

 

[poolmom21]

Info on pump

 

[poolmom21]

Poolmom,
One bit of advice here. You're getting all the answers you've could have wanted but the simple answer is don't flirt with minimum or even target as you just won "enemy algae" and saw firsthand what that's all about. That being said nothing wrong with being ahead of the fight by keeping the FC perhaps at 8ppm. The SWCG won't know the difference and neither will anybody using the pool. At that setting you'll always be ahead of the fight. My suggestion would be get the water up to 8ppm with LC and just maintain the new target of 8 by replacing your daily loss so that at any given time you check you'd find it at or very close to that. If your daily loss is 4 ppm then that's what you need to calculate for. For now pick whatever you figured on and check it the same time every day. If it drops from the magic #8 then you know to increase percent or the hours the pump runs. If it's gets higher leave it and watch a few days and then make only a slight adjustment. Important for you to also understand the SWCG is to maintain a chlorine level but not to overcome a big drop therefore, if you have an unusual heavy bather load like a pool party you can add a half jug of chlorine before the party and after it another half. This way you wouldn't set yourself up for disaster.

Learning in process for sure!!