My SWCG also reads way off. It seems to be a common theme. I trust the drop test.
Fiberglass pool reclamation project
- Thread starter shellsingleton
- Start date
I just keep the SWG happy and don't bother with salt testing except as an occasional reference. And I just use salt test strips - sacrilege to some, I know - 'cause I don't feel this is something I need to measure precisely .
The irony of the more accurate Taylor drop test is that no matter what you have to keep the SWG happy, even if it’s wrong (which it always is). So I don’t even bother. I set it up at the beginning of the season and then rely on the idiot light to inform me I need half a bag of salt. ‘Did that shut it up ? Oh goodie it did !! Lalalalalalala’.
Please just remember to have the SWG *off* when adding a lot of salt.... you can confuse the device if its turned on a a bit of salt goes thru it. Leave it off till the next day to allow for all the salt to dissolve and mix in.
Maddie
Maddie
Too late but thank you. 
Everything was fine when I left it on while I added the 160 pounds.
I think it was because it had pity on me for the stitches I needed after slicing my pinkie while stripping the wire for the subpanel that afternoon.
Won’t be doing that again. Salting with SWG on or letting hurry make me stupid with my knife.
Everything was fine when I left it on while I added the 160 pounds.
I think it was because it had pity on me for the stitches I needed after slicing my pinkie while stripping the wire for the subpanel that afternoon.
Won’t be doing that again. Salting with SWG on or letting hurry make me stupid with my knife.
Wow. Can algae blooms occur in less than two hours?!
I tried using water from the well today for makeup water, added about 4-5” in about an hour and a half. At one hour, there was no issue with clarity, no change that I could see. In between 60-90 minutes of fill time, this occurred. Seemed almost immediate, so I’m wondering if I didn’t catch a pocket of tainted water or something?
The hose was flowing clear water when I pulled it, not yellow or green. FC is at 4.5 ppm with maybe .25 CC, hardly any color change when I added the 5 drops of R-003, just the faintest tint of pink.
I’m going to throw a jug of 10% in there to see if I can stop it.
I tried using water from the well today for makeup water, added about 4-5” in about an hour and a half. At one hour, there was no issue with clarity, no change that I could see. In between 60-90 minutes of fill time, this occurred. Seemed almost immediate, so I’m wondering if I didn’t catch a pocket of tainted water or something?
The hose was flowing clear water when I pulled it, not yellow or green. FC is at 4.5 ppm with maybe .25 CC, hardly any color change when I added the 5 drops of R-003, just the faintest tint of pink.
I’m going to throw a jug of 10% in there to see if I can stop it.
What’s your CYA level now? 4.5FC sounds awfully close to not enough.
It’s very low, below 25 I bet. I need to go get more. Need to fix the leaks so I don’t need so much makeup water.
Well that was close. FC loss was 1 ppm last night, .5 ppm registered for CC. FC is way higher than what you guys recommend but I was in a slight panic over the green. I knocked the CS30 output down to 5% at dark last night, the pump been running at 3200 rpm. Seems to have worked. I will be getting in it this afternoon to assess and apply epoxy to the crack in the bottom. I will also get some more stabilizer finally. Kinda wanna let the sun burn off the excess chlorine during the day today, will add CYA tonight. Happy to say the water is clear again and temp is up to 85°.
How much space was there between the union and the cell before tightening the nut? Do you still have the failed unions? Could you upload a picture of them if possible? Thanks!I have a leak from a flange on my SWG now.
I turned off the pump, verified no pressure and tightened it another quarter turn. Tightening made it worse.
Took it apart, removed and cleaned O-ring, cleaned the O-ring groove, applied way more Magic Lube than it should need and tightened a hair past comfortable. Still a steady drip. I’m afraid something has cracked.View attachment 346922
I already threw the cracked union away. It was off by a full flange side to side when I put it together the first time
Headed to get stabilizer now.
Odd question, is there anything better than food dye to detect a leak?
Odd question, is there anything better than food dye to detect a leak?
An expensive leak detection company with all their fancy equipment?
reggiehammond
Gold Supporter
- Oct 4, 2020
- 1,548
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
I would trust the test kit over the cell; perhaps consider grabbing a sample from 5 different spots, mixing them together, then using a sample from that composite to test in the Taylor test.
When I change the speed on my VS pump, I can watch the Circupool salinity move around quite a bit, which shows me that the water isn't perfectly mixed at all times. Different temperatures of the water column can have different salinities. But basically if your SWG is happy and producing, the actual number isn't that important.
crimson avenger
Gold Supporter
- Jun 22, 2019
- 338
- Pool Size
- 2300
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-20
It’s going really well, easiest time I have ever had taking care of one, once I got swamp out of it. SWG is the way to go, I’m sold.
The WiFi capability on the CS30 is awesome. I’m away at work right now but was able to check the salt level and ask my daughter to salt the pool today. I wish someone made a pump with WiFi capability like that.
I have the refill hose set up on a WiFi module also, B-Hyve. Very convenient, tells me when it has completed a fill cycle. And I can hit it manually if I see it’s in a rain delay. I wish there was a way to turn off the rain delay.
I do think I need to continue searching for leaks. I fixed the crack in the pool but I’m still adding about 4-6” per day. Way more than I think evaporation would cause. Enough to cause dilution on my CYA and salt levels.
The WiFi capability on the CS30 is awesome. I’m away at work right now but was able to check the salt level and ask my daughter to salt the pool today. I wish someone made a pump with WiFi capability like that.
I have the refill hose set up on a WiFi module also, B-Hyve. Very convenient, tells me when it has completed a fill cycle. And I can hit it manually if I see it’s in a rain delay. I wish there was a way to turn off the rain delay.
I do think I need to continue searching for leaks. I fixed the crack in the pool but I’m still adding about 4-6” per day. Way more than I think evaporation would cause. Enough to cause dilution on my CYA and salt levels.
That would be a lot even with evaporation. You can do the food coloring test around the skimmer, returns, and light to see if they are leaking. With the pump off slowly squirt food coloring around the seam where the fittings meet the pool surface and watch for any color to be sucked in. If there is no leak the food coloring will just dissipate.
crimson avenger
Gold Supporter
- Jun 22, 2019
- 338
- Pool Size
- 2300
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-20
Yes that is a lot more than can be explained by evaporation. Good luck with that! I unfortunately can’t help you with the leak issue. Sounds like @zea3 is here to help you though!
Last Tuesday I leak-checked all the fittings, skimmer etc again like Zea described, with the pump off. Found no clear indication of a leak. I felt like I was doing it wrong because even the crack(prior to epoxy repair) had never shown a strong indication of suction.
Then I pulled the light. The penetrator had so much flow going through it that it would pull the dye from 3” away, it would even pull bubbles from about an inch away.
I’m happy to report that since I plugged it with JB WaterWeld, my fill time/day has gone done from 2 hours to 20 minutes, and I haven’t added salt in 5 days. Huge improvement.
Thank you for suggesting the niche Zea, I had avoided it due to the age of the fixture but removal and reinstall went smoothly, everything was in good shape.
Then I pulled the light. The penetrator had so much flow going through it that it would pull the dye from 3” away, it would even pull bubbles from about an inch away.
I’m happy to report that since I plugged it with JB WaterWeld, my fill time/day has gone done from 2 hours to 20 minutes, and I haven’t added salt in 5 days. Huge improvement.
Thank you for suggesting the niche Zea, I had avoided it due to the age of the fixture but removal and reinstall went smoothly, everything was in good shape.