FYI, not sure of all Aqua Rite are the same, but my salt test strips have my salt at 3600 today and aqua rite display is 4200. It still runs without issue. I can only slightly taste the salt in the water
Conversion to SWCG Complete
- Thread starter Uncle Flappy
- Start date
- May 23, 2015
- 24,442
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Ok. Well, I would wait before bumping it up more. See if the Aquarite yells at you.
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- May 23, 2015
- 24,442
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Do Aquarite cell compensate for temperature? Pentair IC's do not so my units internal salt sensor drifts from 3600ppm in winter up to 4200ppm in summer.
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- May 23, 2015
- 24,442
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Well, either way, my advice remains the same - wait. See if the unit yells at you. It will not damage the cell at all if the salt is a little low.
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Yep. That was my mistake. Thought I needed one more bag and 2 days later...NOT. I am too cheap to just dump the water to get closer to 3200
- May 23, 2015
- 24,442
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Same here. Before fully understanding how my SWG worked and what it's needs were, I trusted the SWG internal salt monitor and added two 40# bags of pool salt. Totally overshot the high salt alarm when the summer temperatures kicked in. Had to do A LOT of hard backwashes to get it to come down slowly and not drive my water bill through the roof. That was last year's stupid mistake.
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Oh boy it is a hot one out there today. Burned my tootsies on the flagstone. The Aqualink & Aquarite both say the water is 89F; Acurite weather station reports 113F here on dry land. :sunny: Too bad I can't use the laptop in the pool.
I don't plan on adding any more chemicals including salt until I get a handle on FC and CYA. If you think CYA of 85 is okay, I'll even hold off draining more water and hope for rain. https://vimeo.com/135811823?outro=1
- Flappy
I don't plan on adding any more chemicals including salt until I get a handle on FC and CYA. If you think CYA of 85 is okay, I'll even hold off draining more water and hope for rain. https://vimeo.com/135811823?outro=1
- Flappy
- May 23, 2015
- 24,442
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
This was the storm over Tucson on Aug 8th shown using time-elapsed photography - awesome!!
This really cool to watch!
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This really cool to watch!
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- May 23, 2015
- 24,442
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Looks like we posted the same video but from different venues
We got SOAKED here on the east side. I drained two inches of water (~600 gal) off my pool.
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Pool is now in the shade so I figured it is a good time for more tests. Slowly and surely getting there...
FC 17
TC 0
NaCl - 3200ppm (test kit); 2800ppm (SWCG)
I took the CYA reading twice - 1st time got 80ppm; 2nd got 70ppm. I'm starting to think that I should start wearing my readers for that test. Unlike the others, it isn't an exact science and I'm growing cross-eyed trying to get it right.
Not sure what to make of the disparity between the SWG reading and test kit. Regardless, I'm not going to add any more salt since there are still several days until the FC levels will get below 10.
- Flappy
FC 17
TC 0
NaCl - 3200ppm (test kit); 2800ppm (SWCG)
I took the CYA reading twice - 1st time got 80ppm; 2nd got 70ppm. I'm starting to think that I should start wearing my readers for that test. Unlike the others, it isn't an exact science and I'm growing cross-eyed trying to get it right.
Not sure what to make of the disparity between the SWG reading and test kit. Regardless, I'm not going to add any more salt since there are still several days until the FC levels will get below 10.
- Flappy
- May 23, 2015
- 24,442
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The discrepancy is totally normal. The salt test has a tolerance of +/-200ppm (+/- 1 drop) and your SWCG "salt sensor" is nothing more than a water conductivity probe (TDS measurement). It measures all the conductive species in the water and so most manufacturers use a calibration factor to relate the TDS measurement to a salt level. As well, some salt cells are not temperature compensated and the conductivity of water can change enough to cause a 50-100ppm change per degree F.
But here's the thing - you have to make the salt water cell happy, that's all that matters. If the cell is reading 2800ppm now and if that is on the low end, then when your water temperature drops it will likely throw a "Low Salt" alarm. It usually best to adjust your salt level at the start of the season when the water is cooler, but it's ok now too. I would just get the salt level to manufacturer recommended level based on the SWG readout. Then, for PoolMath calculations, I would use the level that the Taylor K-1766 reads.
But here's the thing - you have to make the salt water cell happy, that's all that matters. If the cell is reading 2800ppm now and if that is on the low end, then when your water temperature drops it will likely throw a "Low Salt" alarm. It usually best to adjust your salt level at the start of the season when the water is cooler, but it's ok now too. I would just get the salt level to manufacturer recommended level based on the SWG readout. Then, for PoolMath calculations, I would use the level that the Taylor K-1766 reads.
I too find my CYA test results to be somewhat inconsistent, and during the hot summer months find I lose about 5 ppm per month due to degradation from the sun. I've found it best to assume I have 80 ppm CYA and target an FC level of 6.0 ppm. This way, whilst adjusting the SWG, FC can fall to the minimum of 4.0 ppm and still not risk an algae outbreak.
My goal CYA is 80 and I test monthly, if I get a reading of 60 I only add enough CYA to get back to 70. Most likely it will test at 80 the following month.
You can end up chasing your tail if you make SWG run time adjustments too quickly. I agree that your best bet is to wait until your FC falls to 6 and then turn it on at 50%. Check FC again three days later and if it's too high turn off the SWG until it falls back to 6 and then turn it back on at a lower % output etc etc.
My goal CYA is 80 and I test monthly, if I get a reading of 60 I only add enough CYA to get back to 70. Most likely it will test at 80 the following month.
You can end up chasing your tail if you make SWG run time adjustments too quickly. I agree that your best bet is to wait until your FC falls to 6 and then turn it on at 50%. Check FC again three days later and if it's too high turn off the SWG until it falls back to 6 and then turn it back on at a lower % output etc etc.
The CYA test-----------------I do not stare at it. I look hard, look away, look hard again. If I can still see the dot I add some more and do it again. Once I cannot see the dot after the look and away two times I call it good.
Kim
Kim
Good question................I will go do it now and see. I have never thought about that before...........hold on a min.
okay and husband is laughing at me LOL
I hold the tube at my waist with my back to the sun. The CYA tube is on the right hand side as I am holding it. I look down with both eyes and focus then look up and away. I look down and focus again then look up and away. If I can still see the dot I add more of the test water. I do this until I cannot see the dot. If you stare it is you can/will see the dot even if you cannot see it! LOL
I hope this helps.
Kim
okay and husband is laughing at me LOL
I hold the tube at my waist with my back to the sun. The CYA tube is on the right hand side as I am holding it. I look down with both eyes and focus then look up and away. I look down and focus again then look up and away. If I can still see the dot I add more of the test water. I do this until I cannot see the dot. If you stare it is you can/will see the dot even if you cannot see it! LOL
I hope this helps.
Kim
Thanks Kim, I think the looking away part might be the key. I'll definitely try that next time I test.
Looks like tomorrow is the day for the SWCG unless the pool company comes back again.
FC 11
TC 0
TA 50
PH 7.2
salt: 3000 (k-1766); 2800 (cell)
User manual states that operating levels are 2700ppm-3400ppm with 3200ppm being optimal so I'm going to add a single 40lb bag. At 2800 (cell) Pool Math says I should add 75lbs to reach 3400 but I would rather go easy than risk overdoing it.
Also, I turned down my pump run time. For almost a week I've been running it at 8 hours/day (down from 13.5) and the pool still looks clean.
- Flappy
FC 11
TC 0
TA 50
PH 7.2
salt: 3000 (k-1766); 2800 (cell)
User manual states that operating levels are 2700ppm-3400ppm with 3200ppm being optimal so I'm going to add a single 40lb bag. At 2800 (cell) Pool Math says I should add 75lbs to reach 3400 but I would rather go easy than risk overdoing it.
Also, I turned down my pump run time. For almost a week I've been running it at 8 hours/day (down from 13.5) and the pool still looks clean.
- Flappy
- May 23, 2015
- 24,442
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Go Flappy!!
You salt strategy is exactly what I would do. If all the pump had to do was filter the water, you could probably get away with even less run time. But, because the pump will have to run the IntelliChlor, you may have to keep it at 8 hours for the rest of the hot season and just use the IC percentage setting to dial in your chlorine. You'll see once you get started dialing it in.
Good Luck!!
(And if the Pima Chemical guy shows up again, get yourself a
)Okay - one bag of Home Depot pool salt added.
I poured it in the shallow end and swept it toward the deep helping the granules dissolve. I'll give the salt level 48 hours to stabilize and check again Thursday evening.
Since I want the FC to decline to about 4-6ppm, I'm thinking 25% on the SWCG to start. Nightly tests should indicate if I should throttle that up or down.
Sincere thanks to everyone, especially JoyfulNoise, for all the help.
- Flappy
I poured it in the shallow end and swept it toward the deep helping the granules dissolve. I'll give the salt level 48 hours to stabilize and check again Thursday evening.
Since I want the FC to decline to about 4-6ppm, I'm thinking 25% on the SWCG to start. Nightly tests should indicate if I should throttle that up or down.
Sincere thanks to everyone, especially JoyfulNoise, for all the help.
- Flappy