FC level

[akenis]

If using SWG the table says 4.5% vs 7.5% for minimum. Would the target FC and min MA FC be reduced by 3% also?

Side question. Any pro/con of running SWG at 100% for 3 hrs, or 50% for 6 hours. I'm kind of wondering if the higher localized FC would be beneficial in preventing algae blooms.

 

[PoolStored]

If using SWG the table says 4.5% vs 7.5% for minimum. Would the target FC and min MA FC be reduced by 3% also?

Follow this chart for your mustard algae level.

Chlorine/CYA Chart

EDIT: You will find a simplified and standardized version of this chart at Pool School, Chlorine / CYA Chart. Chlorine/CYA Chart by Chemgeek FC = Free Chlorine in parts-per-million (ppm) CYA = Cyanuric Acid in parts-per-million (ppm) CYA ........... Min FC3 ..... Target FC ...... Yel/Mstrd...

www.troublefreepool.com

Side question. Any pro/con of running SWG at 100% for 3 hrs, or 50% for 6 hours. I'm kind of wondering if the higher localized FC would be beneficial in preventing algae blooms.

No difference, except running at 100% is the best way to ruin a cell. You should be ok for 3 hours, but 90% for 3.5 (or whatever) would be better.

 

[akenis]

Follow this chart for your mustard algae level.

Chlorine/CYA Chart

EDIT: You will find a simplified and standardized version of this chart at Pool School, Chlorine / CYA Chart. Chlorine/CYA Chart by Chemgeek FC = Free Chlorine in parts-per-million (ppm) CYA = Cyanuric Acid in parts-per-million (ppm) CYA ........... Min FC3 ..... Target FC ...... Yel/Mstrd...

www.troublefreepool.com

No difference, except running at 100% is the best way to ruin a cell. You should be ok for 3 hours, but 90% for 3.5 (or whatever) would be better.

70 CYA. Overshot SLAM 28 a little. At 36 for the night. If it's above 34 in the AM I will increase to about 41 for 24 hours.

And then maintain .15 x 70 = 10.5 min. Maybe a bit higher for the rest of the season.

I run my pump at very low rpm 24 hrs a day (20 gpm which is the min for my SWG). SWG was running about 60% for 12 hrs to maintain 5 FC, which is obviously to low now. Is there a benefit to run SWG at a higher % for a shorter time?

I ramp up my pump to 40 -50 GPM three times a day for an hour to get effective skimming. Works out to 2-3 turnovers for 16,000 gal pool.

For chilling I also ramp up pump around 5 am to activate heat pump for 3 hrs when temps are lowest in FL.

 

[PoolStored]

Works out to 2-3 turnovers for 16,000 gal pool.

Turnover of Pool Water - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[akenis]

Turnover of Pool Water - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Yes! Read that last year while installing heat pump. Took the time to add in a flow meter.

Here's a spreadsheet I use keep track of my pump speed, flow rate, watts. I didn't realize how little it costs to run a pump!

Pump

docs.google.com

Given my occasional need to shock and deal with a little mustard, my plan is to run FC at 15% CYA, and bump up the filtration a little.

I just bumped up my 21 hour pump run from 1200 to 1300. Actually more efficient according to my readings. Also, if filter gets a little dirty, this keeps GPM above the 20 GPM that Jandy Trueclear SWG needs.

The rest of my filtration occurs during 3 times a day when I bump rpm to 2800 to facilitate effective skimming. A little overkill probably. But the higher flow rate supposedly makes heat pump more efficient (more in that later).

Unfortunately, I'm stuck with 1.5" plumbing. I think 37 GPM is the recommended max for pump efficiency, but that's a tradeoff with heat pump efficiency.

Gulfstream HE 125 TA calls for 30-70 min/max flow with recommended 45. But when I called for support I spoke with the engineer who did the tests and he said to run at least 50 GPM!

During Summer when I need to chill I will reduce 3 2800 rpm runs, and do a long 2800 hr run around 4-5 am when ambient is lowest. Engineer said get it as cold as you can at night, and let it bake during the day. That works out to about 80 deg water temp in the AM and up 86 late afternoon.

Most of this I can control from my phone. I can turn heat pump on/off remotely depending on weather.

Pentair pump is set P1 speed for 24 hrs. P2, P3 and WC are set to zero fun time at various higher rpm. I use a Rachio irrigation controller to send an overide signal to the pump when I want higher rpm. P2, P3 and QC just show in Rachio as separate irrigation zones! Then I just adjust my irrigation schedules to control the pump speed and run times! See attach.

Only down side is I can only run 1 zone at a time. So sometimes I have to shift my irrigation times so I can control the Pentair.

Lemme know what you think.

 

[akenis]

I forgot to mention that I previously lived in South Carolina, on a marsh. Raccoons would clean their food in my pool and leave debris. Now I am in Florida, and the pool is constantly visited by waterfowl who have recently been wading in the waters of the intracoastal... Ducks, egrets, great herons, they are constantly leaving debris in the pool.

I think that that is the source of my occasional mustard algae infestations. When studying pool School, and using pool math, it was never suggested to increase my free chlorine level to prevent mustard algae. Now I know that my free chlorine should be probably at least 15% of my cya to prevent occasionally having to shock the pool to get rid of it.