Been watching mine and it does the same thing. It appears that it does not read salinity when it is not generating chlorine. So wait until the generate light comes on or like above go to 100% and it should start reading.
Baquacil/CDX Conversion to Chlorine then SWG
- Thread starter PhantomRIO
- Start date
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,028
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
Matt, my Circupool does the same thing. I test for salt after adding and then a couple more times and it came out 3700-3800. The Circupool SWG shows anywhere from 2800-3500. I am going to keep checking once a week, but since both numbers are in the correct range or very close I am not too worried. My FC levels and other chemical levels are doing great.
OK. Conversion complete. I thought I would sum up my conversion with lessons learned since I learned so much from reading other peoples post and TFP experts. Again this is just my humble opinions.
1. Dump as much water out of your pool as possible and refill. Let rain water in over the winter and dump when needed. Use the Tarp method if needed. Less concentration of Baquacil in water the better. During the 5 days of adding chlorine to eat the Baquacil I also vacuumed to waste 2 times. This helped with getting rid of the Baqua goo on the bottom.
2. If you have a pool cover, use it during the Baquacil to chlorine conversion process. The sun just eats the chlorine like crazy with no CYA in the pool. You don’t want to keep the pool covered all the time cause it needs to breath some, TFP experts have some threads on this.
3. When ordering your test kit be sure to order an extra bottle of the powder and liquid to do the FAS-DPD test. You will do a bunch of these tests. Double check expiration dates on each bottle in the kit to ensure they are good. There are multiple posts of people pulling their hair out over problems only to find they had expired chemicals in the kit. Get yourself a little log book to keep track of tests or use pool math app.
4. Depending on the time of conversion be careful of stores selling old pool chlorine. Lowes brought out their old jugs of chlorine left over from the last season. I waited and WALMART final got in a new shipment and I bought from them. Double check with friends that have a salt system. I had 2 friends that were more than happy to just give me a few bags of salt. They still had salt from their conversion. Once you’re up and running you really don’t have to add much salt at all depending of course on natural disasters or some really horrendous storms for your seasonal area.
5. Changing out the sand in the sand filter was and always will be a PAIN. But it also allowed me to move my filter a bit to help with installing the SWG cell that you have to cut in to your PVC lines. So good idea to think about how your going to do this install and if you need to move filter, do it while its empty and much lighter
6. For adding CYA the sock method is great. Just ensure you let the sock sit in the water for about an hour, then you can squeeze it all out much more easily than if you just let it sit for 5 minutes or so. If you do this the same day as your sand filter change out, you’re going to be tuckerd out by days end, trust me.
7. Your SWG controller must be hooked in to the same timer that controls your pump. I thought this was optional and its not. The flow switch is a safety switch that cuts off power to the cell if it detects no flow but the manufacturer and all TFP experts will tell you, you also must ensure that if power goes off to the pump it must also go off to the SWG control box and thus the cell also. If cell is on and no flow apparently very dangerous gases build up in cell!
8. Before adding salt to pool do a salt test. I already had 1400 ppm in the pool. Not sure why, maybe because I live close to salt water marsh, maybe its in the city water or what, but be sure to do test so you don’t over salt your pool or you then have to dump and add fresh water and redo all chemicals, not fun. Salt was easy to add. 5 bags and my daughter and her friends jumped in and mixed it up. I think it was dissolved in a few hours but be sure to wait the 24hrs to 48 hrs before turning on the SWG cell anyway.
9. I had a rise in PH of about .2 to .3 (7.5 to 7.8) after turning on the SWG. There are some threads that talk about this happening to quite a few people, some are VERY complex. I just said OK it happens and I am still within limits and moved on.
10. It has taken me a good solid 3 weeks of testing and adjusting my SWG. From all the threads its just jump in and do it. I decided to just start at 10 hours at 50%. I am now pretty much set at 8 hrs at 30%. I went with 0600-1400. Everyones set up is going to be different. Again your going to be doing a lot of chlorine(FC) tests! I also have been using the FAS-DPD test. I don’t think the other daily test kit, where you match the shade of yellow to a range of numbers is accurate at all. PH side(red) seems to be accurate(ie had pool company test my PH and it matched pretty well)
Lastly, Thanks to all TFP members. I am sure I would still be swimmin in Baquagoo without this forum.
1. Dump as much water out of your pool as possible and refill. Let rain water in over the winter and dump when needed. Use the Tarp method if needed. Less concentration of Baquacil in water the better. During the 5 days of adding chlorine to eat the Baquacil I also vacuumed to waste 2 times. This helped with getting rid of the Baqua goo on the bottom.
2. If you have a pool cover, use it during the Baquacil to chlorine conversion process. The sun just eats the chlorine like crazy with no CYA in the pool. You don’t want to keep the pool covered all the time cause it needs to breath some, TFP experts have some threads on this.
3. When ordering your test kit be sure to order an extra bottle of the powder and liquid to do the FAS-DPD test. You will do a bunch of these tests. Double check expiration dates on each bottle in the kit to ensure they are good. There are multiple posts of people pulling their hair out over problems only to find they had expired chemicals in the kit. Get yourself a little log book to keep track of tests or use pool math app.
4. Depending on the time of conversion be careful of stores selling old pool chlorine. Lowes brought out their old jugs of chlorine left over from the last season. I waited and WALMART final got in a new shipment and I bought from them. Double check with friends that have a salt system. I had 2 friends that were more than happy to just give me a few bags of salt. They still had salt from their conversion. Once you’re up and running you really don’t have to add much salt at all depending of course on natural disasters or some really horrendous storms for your seasonal area.
5. Changing out the sand in the sand filter was and always will be a PAIN. But it also allowed me to move my filter a bit to help with installing the SWG cell that you have to cut in to your PVC lines. So good idea to think about how your going to do this install and if you need to move filter, do it while its empty and much lighter
6. For adding CYA the sock method is great. Just ensure you let the sock sit in the water for about an hour, then you can squeeze it all out much more easily than if you just let it sit for 5 minutes or so. If you do this the same day as your sand filter change out, you’re going to be tuckerd out by days end, trust me.
7. Your SWG controller must be hooked in to the same timer that controls your pump. I thought this was optional and its not. The flow switch is a safety switch that cuts off power to the cell if it detects no flow but the manufacturer and all TFP experts will tell you, you also must ensure that if power goes off to the pump it must also go off to the SWG control box and thus the cell also. If cell is on and no flow apparently very dangerous gases build up in cell!
8. Before adding salt to pool do a salt test. I already had 1400 ppm in the pool. Not sure why, maybe because I live close to salt water marsh, maybe its in the city water or what, but be sure to do test so you don’t over salt your pool or you then have to dump and add fresh water and redo all chemicals, not fun. Salt was easy to add. 5 bags and my daughter and her friends jumped in and mixed it up. I think it was dissolved in a few hours but be sure to wait the 24hrs to 48 hrs before turning on the SWG cell anyway.
9. I had a rise in PH of about .2 to .3 (7.5 to 7.8) after turning on the SWG. There are some threads that talk about this happening to quite a few people, some are VERY complex. I just said OK it happens and I am still within limits and moved on.
10. It has taken me a good solid 3 weeks of testing and adjusting my SWG. From all the threads its just jump in and do it. I decided to just start at 10 hours at 50%. I am now pretty much set at 8 hrs at 30%. I went with 0600-1400. Everyones set up is going to be different. Again your going to be doing a lot of chlorine(FC) tests! I also have been using the FAS-DPD test. I don’t think the other daily test kit, where you match the shade of yellow to a range of numbers is accurate at all. PH side(red) seems to be accurate(ie had pool company test my PH and it matched pretty well)
Lastly, Thanks to all TFP members. I am sure I would still be swimmin in Baquagoo without this forum.
- May 29, 2018
- 154
- Pool Size
- 13700
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-30 Plus
Funny, got out that thing which came with the CircuPool RJ30+ (some call it a manual). Page 2 of troubleshooting, "Real-Time Salinity and Cell current read zero" It states it will read zero during normal rest cycle.
Thanks for the info. Will be testing water tonight since its been in cycle for 24hrs.