I'm new to TFP but with help from this site changed from Baquacil to chlorine and placed a SWG in use but I am having trouble keeping my FC levels up. After reading Im afraid its because my CYA levels are too high. I know they should be higher with the SWG. My SWG has been running 24/7 for 2 weeks now and I'm only able to keep my FC up with bleach. My pool is crystal clear. Hear are my readings this morning FC 3, CC 0, ph 7.8, TA 100 CYA 95 or 100, I did one test with half tap water and half pool water and got reading of 40, salt level 3800. Do I need to drain the pool partially, if so how much. I need my levels to stay up without daily care because I will be out of town for a week. Please help.
help with high cya levels and low free chlorine with SWG
- Thread starter ajjanes
- Start date
At the end of your conversion thread was this:
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Pool School - Water Balance for SWGs
Pool School - Salt Water Chlorine Generators
Pool School - Determine Pump Run Time
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CYA should be above 70 for a SWG pool, but did you use liquid to get to your target before starting the SWG? If it went too long with low chlorine the. You could have an algae issue that is being held back with the chlorine you are producing.
I would add chlorine up to your recommended level per [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA] and do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test tonight. You could do. Small water exchange to get the CYa down to 70-80, but you can live with what you have and allow it to come down over time.
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That is hard to say as every pool is different, and the increase in FC production is dependent upon your SWG % setting and pump run time. I would recommend starting strong and adjusting downward as needed rather than to be too low and take a chance on getting algae.
Pool School - Water Balance for SWGs
Pool School - Salt Water Chlorine Generators
Pool School - Determine Pump Run Time
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CYA should be above 70 for a SWG pool, but did you use liquid to get to your target before starting the SWG? If it went too long with low chlorine the. You could have an algae issue that is being held back with the chlorine you are producing.
I would add chlorine up to your recommended level per [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA] and do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test tonight. You could do. Small water exchange to get the CYa down to 70-80, but you can live with what you have and allow it to come down over time.
Just to clarify, CYA buffers FC and protects it from breaking down in sunlight, but it doesn't lower it. In fact, the opposite is true: if you had low CYA, FC could easily be degraded by the sun faster than your CWG can produce it.
I understand that CYA protects my chlorine from the sunlight, but I thought if your levels were too high that could cause a problem. Last night I wanted to check to see if my SWG was actually working so I tested after dark my FC was 1 and I didn't add any bleach. I left my SWG on and tested this am at dawn and my FC was 3 so If I had an algae problem wouldn't it have gone down? My CC was 0 also
- May 3, 2014
- 58,634
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Since your pool water is clear, use bleach to get to 20% of your CYA level and do an OCLT Pool School - Perform the Overnight FC Loss Test (OCLT) , with the SWCG OFF, over night when you can. That will confirm you have no algae. If so, then let FC drift down to above your target and restart your SWCG.
Be sure your SWCG is running enough of the day to add 3-4 ppm FC which will be your normal loss. Not sure where 'Columbia' is, if it is the country that would be different than a city in Texas for how much FC you would lose each day due to sun on the pool.
Be sure your SWCG is running enough of the day to add 3-4 ppm FC which will be your normal loss. Not sure where 'Columbia' is, if it is the country that would be different than a city in Texas for how much FC you would lose each day due to sun on the pool.
It certainly does. The problem it causes is that the level of FC, whatever it is, is overly buffered and can't attack algae like it should.
You essentially performed an OCLT with the SWG running, so it's hard to decipher what happened. 0 CC is a good sign, but you could have algae but the SWG is skewing the results.
With an SWG your CYA should be 70+. It won't make your FC fall, only increase the amount of FC levels you need to keep in your pool. The pool calculator will show you that if you plug in a few different CYA numbers to see what they do.
If you ran your SWG overnight, I would expect your FC to go up or either your SWG isn't working or you have something like the start of algae in your pool. Running it overnight only takes the sun element out of the equation. You now know you SWG is working to some extent. Every SWG & pool situation is a little different, but I would have expected it to raise you more than 2 FC overnight.
I think I would make sure your FC is within range today and then raise your FC to your SLAM value just after dark and do the OCLT (without your SWG running) to see if you lose any FC overnight. You will need to test again first thing in the morning before the sun hits your pool. You shouldn't lose FC overnight if there isn't any algae or bacteria in your pool. There are other criteria to the OCLT you need to meet as well, but Pool School is less wordy and probably easier to follow than I would write it.
https://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html
Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain
Pool School - Perform the Overnight FC Loss Test (OCLT)
Pool School - Recommended Levels
If you ran your SWG overnight, I would expect your FC to go up or either your SWG isn't working or you have something like the start of algae in your pool. Running it overnight only takes the sun element out of the equation. You now know you SWG is working to some extent. Every SWG & pool situation is a little different, but I would have expected it to raise you more than 2 FC overnight.
I think I would make sure your FC is within range today and then raise your FC to your SLAM value just after dark and do the OCLT (without your SWG running) to see if you lose any FC overnight. You will need to test again first thing in the morning before the sun hits your pool. You shouldn't lose FC overnight if there isn't any algae or bacteria in your pool. There are other criteria to the OCLT you need to meet as well, but Pool School is less wordy and probably easier to follow than I would write it.
https://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html
Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain
Pool School - Perform the Overnight FC Loss Test (OCLT)
Pool School - Recommended Levels
Do we know the gallon size of your pool? Does anybody know the rating for the Intex CG 28669 SWG?
It could be that your SWG is just too small for your pool and will have to run 24/7 just to keep up with daily loss...
It could be that your SWG is just too small for your pool and will have to run 24/7 just to keep up with daily loss...
OK i will do the test tonight with SWG off. The SWG is Intes model 8110 and says for pools up to 15,000 gallons I have calculated mine at 13,600 gallons so it should be big enough but wondering if that isn't the problem. Columbia is in Kentucky. If the case is my SWG isn't big enough is it ok to use chlorine tablets in a floater? If so does it matter what kind. My SWG has been running 24/7 for 2 weeks, i thought my initial problem was my CYA was too low so it wasn't maintaining so I must have not waited long enough between testing when adding CYA because I ended up too high.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,634
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
If your SWCG is rated for 15000 gallons and our pool is essentially the same size, you will need to run your SWCG at 100% of the time at 100% generation to get sufficient FC to combat your loss.
It is not suggested to use solid forms of chlorine on a regular basis. Pucks add significant CYA as they dissolve. You would be chasing FC up and then be back with algae and have to drain and SLAM.
If you need to supplement your SWCG - use plain bleach. Especially after high bather load days or significant storms that put lots of organic material in your pool.
It is not suggested to use solid forms of chlorine on a regular basis. Pucks add significant CYA as they dissolve. You would be chasing FC up and then be back with algae and have to drain and SLAM.
If you need to supplement your SWCG - use plain bleach. Especially after high bather load days or significant storms that put lots of organic material in your pool.
I think you are correct. Although its rated for pools under 15,000 gallons, I estimated the original poster's gallons at about 16,500 using pool math. I think its undersized.
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According to pool math using 16x 32 x 4.3 ft deep I get 16,500. Plus I use an intex SWG, they aren't that powerful.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,634
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Then additions of bleach several times a week to supplement the SWCG is in order.
A larger SWCG is needed soon. The cost to run the pump 24/7 can be used as justification to spend money on a properly sized SWCG, at least 2X your pool volume.
A larger SWCG is needed soon. The cost to run the pump 24/7 can be used as justification to spend money on a properly sized SWCG, at least 2X your pool volume.
ok, in the meantime for vacation next week what do I do, can I use tablets for a week to keep it chlorinated while im gone?
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what about the solar pool chlorinators
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what about the solar pool chlorinators