New to me pool-SWG and many things are off (Tucson, AZ)

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Isobro

Member
Aug 8, 2020
17
Tucson, az
So just took over a house with a SWG pool. about 9,240 gallon pool with attached spa of maybe 1500 gallons. Things were looking not as clear when I bought the place. The chlorinator is now a red light on Salt Level Low, saying ideal needs to be 3400. I added 20 lb of salt to increase it. Light was green for about half a day and now red is on again. According to my K-2006 kit:

Salt 3200 PPM
FC: 1
CC: 0
PH 7.8
TA 60
CYA: wouldn't register, and wasn't cloudy at all.
CH: ? I put in 60 drops and it wasn't changing color at all.

I'm a bit lost here. I plan to take a sample to Leslie's and see what they say, but would should be my course of action here?
 
Welcome to the forum!
You have a quality test kit, so please do not expect better test results from a pool store. If you wish to get them to check the salinity, that is fine, though we find those to even be suspect. Much better if you get your own salt test kit, Taylor K1766.
The CYA test implies zero, or at least very low. That is not unexpected if the previous owners did not add CYA to maintain the level.
The CH test, did you use a 10ml or 25 ml water sample? Need to know because if your CH is above 700 ppm or so, this would be a good time to drain the pool and start over.
Please add some specifics to your signature. Pump brand, type, size. Filter. SWCG brand, model, size. Etc.

I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
 
Thank you! I did use the T-1766 test kit. I did the 25 ml test for CH. Should I redo the CH test with the 10ml? The prior owner gave instructions to add a cup of muriatic acid once a week, and mentioned things had been fine.

I also added the details to my signature line.
 
Isobro said:
Thank you! I did use the T-1766 test kit. I did the 25 ml test for CH. Should I redo the CH test with the 10ml? The prior owner gave instructions to add a cup of muriatic acid once a week, and mentioned things had been fine.

I also added the details to my signature line.
Click to expand...
Great. Thank you for the signature update. Do you have an automation system such as the EasyTouch?
If your IC40 is showing Low Salt with a tested salinity of 3200 ppm, there is a good chance the flow switch has failed or is failing. What other lights are showing on the SWCG?
Do the CH test with 10 ml water sample. Each drop to Blue will be 25 ppm CH.
Only add acid if the pH is above 7.8.
 
We do have the easy touch system. In checking the settings, it says the salt is 2950 ppm. Though, we have been having issues with the pump not shutting off (not sure if that is related or not).

I just redid the CH test, it is 875. Beyond the Red Low Salt light, other lights on the unit say: Green Flow, Sanitizer output 60%.
 
Ok. Decision time on the water. CH is at the level that you need to soon consider draining and refill to lower the CH. Scale and operation of the SWCG gets more difficult at CH levels above 800 ppm.
Your SWCG is generating chlorine from the lights you described. Though the ET readout implies the low salt light should not be on.
 
You cannot rely on the salt number from the SWG or the ET. Even the manual admits that number is subject to the IC's rather poor ±500 margin or error. And that number gets worse the colder the water gets. Trust your Taylor T-1766. (I think you meant K-1766?)

SWGs are a consumable maintenance item. They produce X amount of chlorine over Y amount of hours of operation. Then they get replaced. They track their hours in use (roughly), and they'll reveal how much life they have left. I have a vague recollection that this doesn't work for older models, but you can give this a try (from the owner's manual):

IECG Usage Hours Meter
The IECG provides a built-in cell "usage hours" meter that reports how many hours IntelliChlor has been
operating. The IECG is designed to operate for approximately 10,000 hours before replacement is needed or
roughly five (5) years of average use.
To access the system status mode:
1. Press and hold the MORE button for three (3) seconds until the lights scroll across the unit.
2. One (1) of the five (5) Sanitizer Output LED indicators (20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%) will be lit,
indicating the hours of usage. The Output LEDs are as follows:
• 2000 hours (20% LED on)
• 4000 hours (40% LED on)
• 6000 hours (60% LED on)
• 8000 hours (80% LED on)
• 10,000 hours (100% LED on)
Click to expand...

If the 100% LED is lit, it's done.

Have you ever seen the green "CELL" LED on? It comes on when the cell is producing chlorine, so it's not all all the time. In your case, it will only be lit 60% of the time.

SWGs stop producing chlorine at lower water temps, around 50°. That's not likely the problem here, as the LEDs will indicate when that happens (and your water is probably not that cold yet). And they periodically need inspection to see if they need to be cleaned (inside). Just an FYI. The owner manual is available online if the last owner didn't save it for you. You can read up on all its features and foibles.
 
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Marty is giving you good advice about the CH, if not good news. 😞

Replacing the water is the most cost-effective way of ridding your pool of the excess CH. Yours got up there because your fill water is high in CH. As the water evaporates, it gets replaced by your CH-rich local water, and since the CH doesn't evaporate with the water, it stays behind and builds up. Marty tells us his water is cheap down his way. So maybe yours is too? Shouldn't be too bad.

If you want to solve for this, the CH build up, for the future, we can describe a possible work around (involves a water softener).
 

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It does not appear either Salt light is on. The Cell light should be green when it is generating. You are at 60% so it should be generating about 3 minutes then off for 2 minutes.
Can’t really see the scale buildup. Appears you have a stain of some kind.
 
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