My IC40 and FC

[Kingston331gt]

My FC always seems to hover at 5.5. I have an IC 40 SWCG running at 20%, for 12 hours a day. I have a VS pump running at 1700rpm for normal turn over. It's a 22K pool, and is covered most of the time with an autocover as I have small kids.

I wouldn't even be bringing this up, but I keep seeing that FC should be 2~3. THoughts?..should I just go have a beer and stop trying to be perfect, or are there others who have lowered the output even more?

last nights numbers.
PH 7.4
FC 5.4
CC <.2 (id say given its barley pink, a half of drop would turn the sample back to clear)
CYA 40
CH 230
TA 100
Salinity 3600


Thx

 

[drharris]

but I keep seeing that FC should be 2~3.

Where are you seeing this? Yours should be somewhere between 5 and 7 normally, and never allowed to drop below 3. Right now I'd say you have the perfect setting if 5.5 is as low as it gets - just make sure a heavy pool party gets covered with some supplemental bleach.

 

[AimeeH]

My FC always seems to hover at 5.5. I have an IC 40 SWCG running at 20%, for 12 hours a day. I have a VS pump running at 1700rpm for normal turn over. It's a 22K pool, and is covered most of the time with an autocover as I have small kids.

I wouldn't even be bringing this up, but I keep seeing that FC should be 2~3. THoughts?..should I just go have a beer and stop trying to be perfect, or are there others who have lowered the output even more?

last nights numbers.
PH 7.4
FC 5.4
CC <.2 (id say given its barley pink, a half of drop would turn the sample back to clear)
CYA 40
CH 230
TA 100
Salinity 3600


Thx

Welcome to TFP

Where are you reading FC should be 2-3? Not here

Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart
Pool School - Recommended Levels

 

[Jimrahbe]

King,

You are almost perfect... I suggest you raise your CYA to 70 or 80 and you could run your SWCG at 10% or reduce your hours...

See this chart and look under SWCG pools... Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[santacruzpool]

With a safety cover on the pool most of the time is 70-80 CYA really needed?

I have read some posts, including older ones from Chemgeek, that suggested that a pool with a safety cover on it needs far less CYA than a normal SWG pool. I have found that running with CYA higher and using a opaque safety cover does not allow the SWCG % to be run lower - it already has to be run lower when covered anyway, since there is little to no chlorine lost to UV sun exposure - and thus less chlorine is needed overall - much different than how it behaves without a cover.

I have been running our pool for the last 2 years at lower CYA; first season was around 50, then 40 last year, and this year it has naturally dropped to 30. I am keeping it there for now. I have gone from trying to keep FC at 7-8 to shooting for around 5.

Our cover is on the pool 90% or more of the time. We only open it on warm afternoons or evenings when I get home from work during the week. On weekends it is rarely open for more than a few hours.

Our automation allows the SWG to be set at a much lower % when covered than when open - which helps keep things running well. This year I am actually running it at slighly lower % so far than the first two years.

 

[Jimrahbe]

scp,

Good point about the cover. The only reason to run a higher CYA is to help keep the sun from burning off the chlorine, which is what a cover is already doing..

I missed the whole cover aspect and suspect the OP's CYA is just fine..

Thanks, for the heads up..

Jim R.

 

[santacruzpool]

No worries Jim - thought I would jump in and stir the pot since I am in the same boat.

My values are similar to the original poster.

 

[Kingston331gt]

Thanks everybody. I read on a quick google search "for free chlorine level", pool store water analysis sheet, and a pool builder blog.....non the most trust worthy sources which is why I brought it up here.

Now that this is good, time to build the outdoor kitchen!

Thanks