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Grassy_Nole

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Sep 11, 2021
10
Georgia
First year pool owner and all has been...honestly trouble free. Well, things are starting to get a tad out of balance.

Had water tested today and my chlorine is off the charts.

Free Chl - 11.6
Total Chl- 15

I've turned turned down the salt cell down to 20. It was set at 36. What is the best way to solve this? Shall I turn off the generator all together?

Thanks!
 
GN,

Without knowing your CYA level, we have no way to know if your FC is too high or too low. FC and CYA work hand in hand to keep your pool clear, sanitized and algae free.

See the saltwater tab in this chart... FC/CYA Levels

I assume "Had the water tested" means you are going to the Pool Store to have your water tested. Not something we recommend. Next time, take a large sample of pool water. Put it in 4 bottles and take each bottle to a different Pool Store. You will most likely get 4 completely different test results. Just one reason we don't recommend Pool Stores. Pool Stores also normally want to sell you as many of their unnecessary magic potions as possible.

You should check out our Pool School and see what we are all about. Pool School

Do you know what you CYA level is??

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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What kit are you using to test? Here's a comparison of the TFP recommended kits --> Test Kits Compared

Typically, June and July are the highest FC demand months (they use the most FC on a daily basis). Shoulder months (Aug/Sep/Oct & April/May) use less. You learn what your pool needs over time, you can adjust your SWCG to an appropriate setting to maintain a consistent FC.
 
Jimrahbe said:
GN,

Without knowing your CYA level, we have no way to know if your FC is too high or too low. FC and CYA work hand in hand to keep your pool clear, sanitized and algae free.

See the saltwater tab in this chart... FC/CYA Levels

I assume "Had the water tested" means you are going to the Pool Store to have your water tested. Not something we recommend. Next time, take a large sample of pool water. Put it in 4 bottles and take each bottle to a different Pool Store. You will most likely get 4 completely different test results. Just one reason we don't recommend Pool Stores. Pool Stores also normally want to sell you as many of their unnecessary magic potions as possible.

You should check out our Pool School and see what we are all about. Pool School

Do you know what you CYA level is??

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. I agree on pool store testing. I have a test kit on order. Taylor Salt kit. It’s been on back order for a month now though. Hoping to get soon. The pool store seems to be all over with advice. Like telling me this week my canister filter should be replaced every 6 months.

My CYA is 54
 
GN,

54 is lower than what we like to see in a saltwater pool, but this time of year it is not a big deal. I suspected you had a very high CYA, like over a 100, where you would need a very high FC, but that is not the case.

As the chart shows, your target FC should be about 4 ppm, so turning your cell's output down is the best bet. High FC will not hurt anything unless it is above your 'SLAM' level which is about 24 ppm. There is no reason you have to do anything else. Just let the FC drop on its own.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
GN,

54 is lower than what we like to see in a saltwater pool, but this time of year it is not a big deal. I suspected you had a very high CYA, like over a 100, where you would need a very high FC, but that is not the case.

As the chart shows, your target FC should be about 4 ppm, so turning your cell's output down is the best bet. High FC will not hurt anything unless it is above your 'SLAM' level which is about 24 ppm. There is no reason you have to do anything else. Just let the FC drop on its own.

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. I finally got my Taylor test kit today and rechecked my FC again. Its sitting at 10.2. I turned my cell down to 20 on the 12th. Should I just turn off the cell all together? Or leave at 20 and let it slowly come down. Thanks
 
Hey GN !!!

First things first. Switch to 10 ml pool samples. Add enough powder to go pink and each drop is 1/2 FC instead of 1/5. You'll save 2.5 times the drops. The .2 or .5 never matters. The whole # is the important one. a 10 is free and clear above minimum for most CYA levels and a 2 needs immediate attention.

It would be a good learning exercise to turn your SWG off and watch how it behaves as it drifts down. That will give you an idea about the current daily loss. Is it 1FC a day ? 2 ? Watch it and see.

It won't be alot this time of year. The angle of the sun and the duration of sunshine are both getting to be their lowest soon. Then, little by little both will increase, raising your daily loss accordingly. The whole shebang hinges on matching or slightly exceeding the current daily loss. Simple, right ? And it's easy peasy to watch it all happen with your fancy test kit in hand.

We'll help you every step until it's second nature and you're answering questions with us. :)
 
Newdude said:
Hey GN !!!

First things first. Switch to 10 ml pool samples. Add enough powder to go pink and each drop is 1/2 FC instead of 1/5. You'll save 2.5 times the drops. The .2 or .5 never matters. The whole # is the important one. a 10 is free and clear above minimum for most CYA levels and a 2 needs immediate attention.

It would be a good learning exercise to turn your SWG off and watch how it behaves as it drifts down. That will give you an idea about the current daily loss. Is it 1FC a day ? 2 ? Watch it and see.

It won't be alot this time of year. The angle of the sun and the duration of sunshine are both getting to be their lowest soon. Then, little by little both will increase, raising your daily loss accordingly. The whole shebang hinges on matching or slightly exceeding the current daily loss. Simple, right ? And it's easy peasy to watch it all happen with your fancy test kit in hand.

We'll help you every step until it's second nature and you're answering questions with us. :)
Click to expand...
Super helpful reply. Thanks a ton. Turning it off for a day and taking a reading is what Ill do. I do have a slight issue this week as I'm leaving out of town tomorrow and won't return until Tuesday. Probably best to leave it on?? Not sure if turning it off would drop my levels too low by the time I return from my trip.
 
GN,

This time a year, FC tends to last a long longer. Turn it down to as low as it goes or just shut it off, it does not really matter too much which you do.

I suggest that you test every two or three days and just make sure it does not go below your target FC.

Keep in mind that as the water get below about 52 degrees the cell will no longer make chlorine and you will have to use Liquid Chlorine over the winter. That is not as bad as it sounds, because your pool will not need much FC over the winter. (Obviously, you don't need to do this if you are in a location where you close the pool during the winter months.)

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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Grassy_Nole said:
I do have a slight issue this week as I'm leaving out of town tomorrow and won't return until Tuesday. Probably best to leave it on??
Click to expand...
Yeah. It's maintained a 10 or above at 20%. Start the experiment when you return.
Grassy_Nole said:
Not sure if turning it off would drop my levels too low by the time I return from my trip.
Click to expand...
Better to have a bit more than you need, than a bit less. (y)

What was your CYA with the new kit ? That will let us know what your preferred/safe/sanitary range is.
 

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Always round up as the scale is logarithmic and not linear. It doesnt read how our brains want it to. A 41-49 is a 50. You are safe between min and SLAM per the FC/CYA Levels. Preferably between target and SLAM as there isn't much wiggle room below target but there is lots above it. (y)
 
Did some more testing this AM and the CYA level is still at 50 and FC is at 6.5. So If I'm reading the chart linked above correctly, my FC levels are now correct? Should I adjust CYA a bit or just leave?

Overall, thanks a ton for all help. This site is very helpful.
 
You should be able to get by with a lower CYA with UV demand dropping like a fly.

It's either one more thing to do now, or one less thing to do later. 🤷‍♂️
 
Grassy_Nole said:
Is this normal for this time of year?
Click to expand...
For most, yes. The many rains have likely diluted your CYA and the SWG is a superstar with little UV loss to combat. You can likely turn it down for the next while. Just keep your eyes peeled for the UV increasing as we OFFICALLY are now gaining 3 mins of sunshine a day. :party:
 
Newdude said:
For most, yes. The many rains have likely diluted your CYA and the SWG is a superstar with little UV loss to combat. You can likely turn it down for the next while. Just keep your eyes peeled for the UV increasing as we OFFICALLY are now gaining 3 mins of sunshine a day. :party:
Click to expand...
Great, thanks. Went outside to turn down SWG and noticed it was reading "COLD", so looks like the water temps has already shut it down. Ill wait till water temps rises and then adjust.
 
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Remember that you need to add chlorine as needed while the SWG isn't producing. With cold water it won't be often or much, but keep your eyes on it. :)
 
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