Does the kind of salt affect chlorine generation/output?

[spacerobot]

Just wondering on this. Last year I had issues with my salt generator making way too much chlorine. At first my CYA levels were high so I ended up draining the pool 3/4s and refilling. If I let my salt generator go on its own within a few days the chlorine level would be around 8PPM. So I would unplug the generator and let it go back down. That was my summer last year.

This year it doesn't seem to be doing it at all. The chlorine is sitting around 1-2ppm like it normally does. I had to add some stabilizer to keep it constant but it is not acting like last summer. The only difference I can think of was that last year I got some pool salt from a local pool store that was not the powdery instant dissolve kind. It was bigger crystals that sunk to the bottom of the pool and did dissolve over a day or so. This year I went back to the chlorox pool salt I had been using and it seems to be working fine.

Can the type of salt affect chlorine generation like this?

 

[AK-]

Just to be sure. The issue at hand is salt and not sand. You wrote sand in multiple places…

Have you tested the salt levels on your pool?

BTW, a FC of 1-2 seems way too low while a FC of 8 sounds Ok.

 

[Texas Splash]

I a bit confused as well. I don't see sand as the issue. Your FC is much to low which is a problem. The FC should never drop to 1-2 ppm or you run the risk of algae. Once you get algae, the SWG will never be able to maintain a good FC level per the FC/CYA Levels. Be sure to reference that chart and find your target FC range for a salt pool based on your current CYA. As noted above, let us know your salt level and how you test. Perhpas that is what dropped too low effecting how the SWG operates.

 

[Bperry]

Just wondering on this. Last year I had issues with my salt generator making way too much chlorine. At first my CYA levels were high so I ended up draining the pool 3/4s and refilling. If I let my salt generator go on its own within a few days the chlorine level would be around 8PPM. So I would unplug the generator and let it go back down. That was my summer last year.

This year it doesn't seem to be doing it at all. The chlorine is sitting around 1-2ppm like it normally does. I had to add some stabilizer to keep it constant but it is not acting like last summer. The only difference I can think of was that last year I got some pool sand from a local pool store that was not the powdery instant dissolve kind. It was bigger crystals that sunk to the bottom of the pool and did dissolve over a day or so. This year I went back to the chlorox pool salt I had been using and it seems to be working fine.

Can the type of salt affect chlorine generation like this?

In case it isn’t obvious, the generator needs to be turned up and down over the season to adjust to the differing chlorine demands. It’s not a “set and forget” type of device.

That said, the salt type shouldn’t make a difference because it’s the same NaCL in both, unless one was contaminated with something else. (I’ve read some people have issues with the Clorox brand being contaminated with iron).

Without water test results, its hard to give much more advice.

 

[spacerobot]

Sorry guys yes the sand references were a typo ha. Fixed them now.

 

[markayash]

Sorry guys yes the sand references were a typo ha. Fixed them now.

See they need a weird distorted brain like mind..
I read salt even thought it said sand

I do it all the time in text, people use the wrong word but I don't catch it, one reason why I have a lot of typos I think

 

[spacerobot]

In case it isn’t obvious, the generator needs to be turned up and down over the season to adjust to the differing chlorine demands. It’s not a “set and forget” type of device.

That said, the salt type shouldn’t make a difference because it’s the same NaCL in both, unless one was contaminated with something else. (I’ve read some people have issues with the Clorox brand being contaminated with iron).

Without water test results, its hard to give much more advice.

My salt generator does adjust based on run time I assume. If I set it to 50% I look 10 minutes later and it is at 14%. So something is adjusting it.

As far as salt levels right now I am at 3400. I remember last summer when I had these issues being between 3200-3600 range. My pool has always put out a low dose of chlorine between 1-3 PPM and the pool is always clear as can be. After it rains when it is super hot in summer I do tend to get algae if I let it go, but I usually preventive shock now in those cases. 8PPM be recommended for a pool? My test kits and strips say 1-3 is the normal range. Isn't the function of salt chlorine generators to put out a lower, but constant dose of chlorine?

 

[Bperry]

My salt generator does adjust based on run time I assume. If I set it to 50% I look 10 minutes later and it is at 14%. So something is adjusting it.

As far as salt levels right now I am at 3400. I remember last summer when I had these issues being between 3200-3600 range. My pool has always put out a low dose of chlorine between 1-3 PPM and the pool is always clear as can be. After it rains when it is super hot in summer I do tend to get algae if I let it go, but I usually preventive shock now in those cases. 8PPM be recommended for a pool? My test kits and strips say 1-3 is the normal range. Isn't the function of salt chlorine generators to put out a lower, but constant dose of chlorine?

What kind of generator do you have? Unless it has some kind of probe detecting chlorine levels, it doesn’t have a way to adjust itself. If it does have a sensor, I’d have to defer to someone with more experience, but my gut tells me they aren’t very accurate or reliable.

The pool store testing and test strips are horribly inaccurate. If you rely on those you’ll be led in a bad direction. This site is dedicated to testing your own pool water with a reliable test kit to get good advice. The only two test kits relied on are the TF-100 and the Taylor K2006C. Get one of those and post your results here.

The normal chlorine levels of 1-3 without any mention of stabilizer levels is from the 1980’s and it outdated. Take a look through the TFP FC/CYA chart to find what the proper chlorine level should be.

 

[proavia]

Without knowing your exact equipment and having a full set of current test results, it's pretty near impossible to provide good advice.

Fill out your signature with pool, pool equipment (manufacturers and model numbers) and test kit info. Include automation brand/model number if you have automation.

Post a full set of current test results from one of the recommended test kits.

ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
Test Kits Compared
FC/CYA Levels
Recommended Levels
PoolMath

 

[spacerobot]

What kind of generator do you have? Unless it has some kind of probe detecting chlorine levels, it doesn’t have a way to adjust itself. If it does have a sensor, I’d have to defer to someone with more experience, but my gut tells me they aren’t very accurate or reliable.

The pool store testing and test strips are horribly inaccurate. If you rely on those you’ll be led in a bad direction. This site is dedicated to testing your own pool water with a reliable test kit to get good advice. The only two test kits relied on are the TF-100 and the Taylor K2006C. Get one of those and post your results here.

The normal chlorine levels of 1-3 without any mention of stabilizer levels is from the 1980’s and it outdated. Take a look through the TFP FC/CYA chart to find what the proper chlorine level should be.

Thanks for the info. Everything is great right now so I'm not really wondering on anything. Was just trying to figure out what was going on last year. I have the Autopilot Pool Pilot Nano chlorine generator.

 

[Bperry]

Thanks for the info. Everything is great right now so I'm not really wondering on anything. Was just trying to figure out what was going on last year. I have the Autopilot Pool Pilot Nano chlorine generator.

The user manual for that unit doesn’t describe any kind of automatic adjustment and in fact says you need to measure the chlorine every few days and adjust it manually. It does mention not usually needing to adjust it after that, but that’s just not true.

If there’s not enough salt in the water, the generator won’t make as much chlorine, perhaps that was what happened.

If your pool is sitting at 1-2ppm of free chlorine, you’re going to have problem ls with algae eventually. I know that goes against the very common but old recommendations of maintaining it at 1-3ppm regardless of CYA level, but if you read through the pool school articles here, you can do it a better way.