Is my Frog System a chlorinator?

[Catanzaro]

Is my Frog System an empty chlorinator? Can I place 3" tablets in there?

At this moment, I have been running the system empty and adding 4 ppm of 12.5% daily and keeping track weekly on how much I burn off.

Below, I have listed my average weekly results over the last few weeks. The only item that I needed to add was stabilizer to bring my CYA from 30 to 50 and 1/2 box of Borax to increase PH from 7.2 to 7.6-7.8 (somewhere in between).

I like the idea of my levels being very consistent. Weekly, I check and there is not that much fluctuation in my levels (outside FC), so I do not wish to disturb what I am doing. Often, I read that people are chasing PH, TA, etc. Although next year, I will be leaving for about 16 days in the summer and I do not want to come home to a green pool.

So my thinking is to bring the level up to shock level before I leave and have 3" tablets do the work for 2 weeks (max). Will the Frog system work? The old bac pac fit snugly into the mineralizer and you could adjust the settings, etc. I really never figured out how long a bac pac would last as the pool company was guiding me in the beginning until I switched half way during the year. In order for me to figure out how much FC is being used, I would have to do a test run.

With the liquid method, the addition is so predictable, I wonder why people do not all switch to the TFPC methodology. Is there any way to figure out how much FC I can add daily, how many tablets weekly, what setting, etc? Or do I have to do a test run for a day or so to determine how much consumption is taking place? Any thoughts ?


AVG. TEMP FC CC TC CYA PH TA CH

Saturday, May 23, 2015 74.86 4 0 4 50 7.8 120 200-225
Saturday, May 30, 2015 83.57 3 0 3 50 7.6-7.8 110 200-225
Saturday, June 06, 2015 72.29 5.5 0 5.5 50 7.8 130 200
Saturday, June 13, 2015 83.86 4 -0.5 3.5 50 7.8 120 200-225








Middle picture is all the way open and last picture is all the way closed on the Frog, whereby 8 is the highest setting.

 

[Defgufman]

The chlorine pack lasts about a month. I use them when I go out of town.

 

[Catanzaro]

Please note that I do not have any chlorine bac pacs left, as I have sold them to someone with the system. I do not have the mineralizer either.

I was asking if I can place 3" pucks in the system and let them dissolve slowly. This is exactly what the back pack is, just a holding canister. I am assuming that this would work in a similar fashion, but do not want to do anything I am not supposed to. The only other option to have a floating canister in the pool with pucks.

Please accept my apologies if my post is not 100% clear.

 

[Defgufman]

I understand, I kept the mineral pac and emptied it of the minerals. I took the top off of an empty chlorine pack and put pucks in it. It works fine for the limited use it gets. My pool is close to yours in size, I set the dial to 6 when I go out of town.

 

[Defgufman]

Additionally, you should use one of the PACs that are designed for it. Just cut it open and put the tabs inside and tape it with electric tape. If you just put pucks in, some dissolved chunks will shoot out into your pool through the returns.

 

[Donldson]

It is difficult to get good results when you are absent for that length of time, but what you are suggesting is probably the best way to go. The biggest concern with filling the frog is that it wasn't designed for that. Being an inline chlorinator all of the water going through the filter system goes through this. If a tab breaks off and gets lodged in the outflow hole then it could cause a significant pressure spike. Not sure I would want to risk that. It may be better to get a couple of floaters with adjustable screens. Set both screens to half, fill the floaters to the brim, bring your FC to SLAM level with liquid chlorine, and hope for a decent looking pool when you return.

One thing to note, you will almost certainly want someone to come by occasionally to clean the skimmer basket. If you can get someone to do this every few days and also pour in a gallon of chlorine, you might see better results.

 

[Catanzaro]

Ironically I have ordered 2 extra filter baskets and extra skimmer socks so they can be easily swapped out with the filter off. They work real well in the spring in picking up the pollen and some of the items that fall off the tree. So this should be easy for the children and the wife (hopefully) to swap out and clean inside. Outside the heavy pollen, the skimmer baskets do not fill up that quickly.

As I suspected, the frog will not work. Floaters with adjustable screens may be better and are probably the best way to go. Is there any danger in the floaters near the liner when the filter is off? Just curious.

I am going to teach my oldest how to pour the liquid chlorine in the pool in front of a return long before I leave and how to test the water. Unfortunately I threw out the mineralizer last year. Should have kept it and emptied the minerals and used it as a spare with the bac pacs. We should be fine. Thank you for your help.