New to testing and conflicting results issue

[OWSwimmer]

Yes I have an IC 20.
My pool treatment company was contracted to monitor and treat my pool and they have been for the last 5 months. This is what they are doing.
SWG hasn’t been running due to the temp. It did come on recently but I turned it off because of the high FC.
Right move?

 

[Jimrahbe]

OW,

An IC20 in an 18K gallon pool is way too small for anyone it Texas... We always recommend buying a SWCG that is at least 2 X the volume of your pool.

The good news is that when your current IC20 runs of of chlorine, you can simply replace it with an IC40 as the Power Center supports an IC20, 40 or 60.

I suspect that in the summer, you are still adding weekly bags of "Pool Store Shock", which is not something you need to do if you follow the TFP pool care process.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[OWSwimmer]

I couldn’t get my PB to up size my SWG. Way to may battles to fight and I lost that one.
I'm not adding anything as I have a company treating my pool. I plan to take over treating and monitoring soon. Thanks for your input!

 

[C&HSewell]

Your contract with the Pool Service should have a termination clause, if so what is it? When we first installed our pool last year, we used a compnay for 2 months, and that was mainly due to me being immobile for that time recovering from surgery. Once I was able to get down the stairs, I got rid of them asap, and our agreement had a 30 Day notice clause, which I utilized. Noone is going to take as good of care of your stuff as you will.

 

[JamesW]

I have a company treating my pool with liquified chlorine gas.

It's liquid in the tank like propane because it is under pressure.

As it comes out of the tank, it turns into a gas.

So, they're not technically wrong in saying that they use liquified chlorine gas, but the chlorine is only gas as it is applied.

 

[OWSwimmer]

Your contract with the Pool Service should have a termination clause, if so what is it? When we first installed our pool last year, we used a compnay for 2 months, and that was mainly due to me being immobile for that time recovering from surgery. Once I was able to get down the stairs, I got rid of them asap, and our agreement had a 30 Day notice clause, which I utilized. Noone is going to take as good of care of your stuff as you will.”

Thanks

“Noone is going to take as good of care of your stuff as you will.”

Thanks. I totally agree. I see it over and over again with everything I own.

 

[pjt]

SWG hasn’t been running due to the temp.

FC demand during the winter is very low. I used a grand total of two gallons of LC this winter. Seems strange that the company chose chlorine gas instead of LC.

Where are you in Texas? Your location just says "TX".

 

[Newdude]

Seems strange that the company chose chlorine gas instead of LC.

Are you new or somethin ?????

The name of the game isn't saving the customer money, it's making the pool service money.

 

[OWSwimmer]

FC demand during the winter is very low. I used a grand total of two gallons of LC this winter. Seems strange that the company chose chlorine gas instead of LC.

Where are you in Texas? Your location just says "TX".

I’m in DFW.

 

[OWSwimmer]

Are you new or somethin ?????

The name of the game isn't saving the customer money, it's *making them* money.

Yep. Brand new first time pool owner taking over treatment from pool chemical company.

 

[Newdude]

Brand new first time pool owner taking over treatment from pool chemical company.

No, not you. I meant @pjt being surprised that a pool service was taking expensive and completely unnecessary steps at your expense. We see that all the time.

 

[OWSwimmer]

I just noticed my IC20 installation varies quite a bit from the Pentair “Installation and Users Guide” page 5.
I’m wondering just how concerned I should be and what action should I take if any is necessary.

My cell:
-is not mounted “vertically”

-does not have a bypass flow control valve installed

-does not have the 12”-18” straight pipe in front of the cell installed.

Just how serious are these “liberties” my PB took?

Thanks!

https://www.pentair.com/content/dam...tallation-users-guide-ic15-ic20-ic40-ic60.pdf

 

[ajw22]

-is not mounted “vertically”

The manual says "Install IntelliChlor SCG cell vertically for best performance." Performance is fine if installed horizontally.

-does not have a bypass flow control valve installed

The manual says "For flow 80 gpm you must use a bypass loop (as shown below) for best chlorine production. Installations with flow rates over 80 gpm include those that have in-floor cleaning systems or booster pumps."

Do you think you have a flow rate over 80 GPM?

I doubt your i2 pump can do 80 gpm through your DE filter.

-does not have the 12”-18” straight pipe in front of the cell installed.

Manual says "For best flow sensing, provide at least 12"-18" of straight pipe infront of the cell inlet."

If you do not have a flow sensing problem with your flow switch then it is fine.

Just how serious are these “liberties” my PB took?

None are likely a problem for you.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

But I will say that your builder did not do you any favors by installing an IC20 on an 18k gallon pool. I have a 16000 gallon pool and I use an IC 60. TFP always recommends sizing the SWG at 2X your pool volume or else you will have to run the SWG nearly at 100% output with the pump going 24/7 to get enough FC production. That will burn through the cell at a fast pace because cells are rated for total chlorine production in hours of operation. Most generally get less than 10,000 hours of operational life.

 

[ajw22]

But I will say that your builder did not do you any favors by installing an IC20 on an 18k gallon pool.

Already discussed in this thread...

New to testing and conflicting results issue

Yes I have an IC 20. My pool treatment company was contracted to monitor and treat my pool and they have been for the last 5 months. This is what they are doing. SWG hasn’t been running due to the temp. It did come on recently but I turned it off because of the high FC. Right move?

www.troublefreepool.com

And response was...

I couldn’t get my PB to up size my SWG. Way to may battles to fight and I lost that one.

 

[mgtfp]

The pool company tells me this 30-40 FC is the same as a “3 or a 4” if I were using granular or tablets

Chlorine is chlorine, no matter how it's been added. The only thing that matters is the FC/CYA ratio when it gets to "equivalent" amounts of chlorine, but chlorine in the water doesn't really know how it's been added.

You could say that in a pool with 100 CYA, 30-40 FC is the same as 3-4 FC in a pool with CYA 10 in terms of active chlorine that is not bound to CYA.

In that sense, the opposite of what your pool builder has said is actually closer to be true. Constant addition of trichlor pucks will raise CYA eventually to levels where 30-40 FC will be equivalent to 3-4 FC in a gas chlorinated pool at a 10 times lower CYA level.

What your service guy actually wanted to say is that the gas chlorination method requires to massively overchlorinate the pool so that there still is an FC residual left by the time the service person comes next time. But that doesn't mean that 30-40 FC is the same as 3-4 FC in a pool with a different chlorination method.

With an SWG you are actually also chlorinating with gas. Only difference is that the gas doesn't come from a pressurized bottle, but gets created by electrolysis from salt that's dissolved in the water. Does that mean you should target FC 30-40 with an SWG? No, it most certainly doesn't.