Does this look right?

[mShark]

My one month old RJ45+ SWG cell looks pretty ragged to me. It is working, currently running at 60%, and gaining .5 FC each day. I'm adjusting the setting down every few days to find the happy spot. Any suggestions?

The pool is clear.
FC = 9.5
CC = 0.5
pH = 7.7
TA = 90
CH = 550
CYA = 70
Salt = 4100
Temp = 85
CSI = 0.16

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

It's hard to tell from the photos what's going on. Are you seeing scale on the plates? Is it sloughing off as it should when the cell changes polarity?

 

[mShark]

I haven't noticed anything flaking off, though some of it seems to be wiggling in the water flow. When I installed it the plates were clean and uniform in color. Now it looks like the outside plate is 50% calcified or something.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

It's really nothing to be overly concerned about. If the calcium persists on the plates, clean the cell, but don't use muriatic acid right away. Follow the instructions in the link below. I've never had to clean my cell with vinegar or muriatic acid. A strong stream from a hose usually takes care of any scale.

With your CH approaching 600, you can mitigate some of the scaling by lowering your TA to the lower end of the recommended range. Try aiming for 60 PPM and maintain CSI in the negative range, from 0.0 to -0.30. Lowering TA is sometimes easier said than done, particularly if your fill water is high in TA. You can try the acid aeration method listed below.

SWG How It Works - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Lower Total Alkalinity

A lower Total Alkalinity level can help a pool owner stabalize their pH increase. We'll explain how to lower TA with a little help from muriatic acid.

www.troublefreepool.com

Calcium Saturation Index (CSI)

How is CSI calculated? Very simple – use our PoolMath tool. To ensure long plaster life and save money, click here to learn more.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[mShark]

I cleaned the SWG up with a bamboo skewer and water hose jet. I broke free a fair mount of stuff on the ends of the plates. After running the unit today it looks much better. I will be watching the CSI and aiming for the negative side of the good range.

I'm trying to drop the TA a bit but it hasn't budged yet. I only dropped the pH to 7.2 and it started drifting back up. Tomorrow I will aim for 7.0 and start my fountain.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

I'm trying to drop the TA a bit but it hasn't budged yet. I only dropped the pH to 7.2 and it started drifting back up. Tomorrow I will aim for 7.0 and start my fountain.

No worries. Your numbers look fine for now. If you fillwater is high in CH, consider hooking the fill line to a water softener.​

 

[mShark]

If I put in the outdoor shower the wife wants, then my softened fill water will be in the back yard. Seems like a win to me.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Yes...she needs that shower.

 

[mShark]

I'm starting to think about pump run-time vs. SWG setting. As long as the pool is cleaned and the FC stays in range, can I shorten the pump runtime and increase the SWG setting without issue? I've been working off pool store advice from so many years ago to run the pool an hour for every 10 degrees of daily temperature. Since everything else the pool store did was aimed at getting more money out of my pockets, what are the chances this tidbit is baloney too?

 

[wireform]

Pump run time is needed till you get the FC needed after that it's all owner discretion.

 

[mShark]

That's good to know. Thanks.

 

[mShark]

Here is a picture of the side of the pool where the mold was the worst. It is between 2 and 3 feet below the water and zoomed in close. The black spots were in those rough holes. Each time the "black" mold outbreak got out of control there were more of the holes in the plaster.

I love the TFP Clear water that made the picture even possible. For scale the image shows about 3" x 6".